As major pharmacy retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, plan to close thousands of U.S. stores, a pharmacology expert from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) is sounding the alarm.
“The closure of hundreds of pharmacies around the country will undoubtedly leave a void for many patients, potentially creating pharmacy deserts where they did not previously exist,” says Dosha Cummins, Pharm.D., chair of biomedical sciences at NYITCOM-Arkansas, the medical school’s Jonesboro, Ark. location, which trains physicians to address the significant healthcare needs of one of the most medically underserved regions of the country.
She notes that, historically, pharmacies have been critical anchors for access to healthcare, especially in rural and medically underserved communities.
“The closure of a single store can impact an entire community, whether it is the only pharmacy in a small rural community or for a single zip code within a large urban area,” says Cummins. “Pharmacists serving in these locations are central to the continuity of care for patients and are vital to the management of acute and chronic disease. Additionally, these pharmacies are critical access points for vaccinations.”
Dosha Cummins, Pharm.D., is available for comment/interview. Contact [email protected].
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