Study: Close to 600,000 in Massachusetts Live in ‘Pharmacy Deserts’

A recent report by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission reveals that approximately half a million people in the state live in pharmacy deserts — areas with limited or no access to pharmacies. The report released on Thursday, Oct. 23, reveals that 580,000 people reside in these areas, with approximately 525,000 living in near-deserts, where only one pharmacy operates.

Pharmacy closures and shortages spell trouble for people and the health care system as a whole.

“Without access to this source of care, residents may turn to higher-cost care settings like emergency departments, which further burdens our health care workforce, drives up spending, and leads to worse health outcomes,” David Seltz, executive director of the Health Policy Commission, said in a statement shared with The Boston Globe. “It is imperative for the Commonwealth to increase and sustain pharmacy access.”

According to The Boston Globe's analysis, since 2019, Massachusetts has seen a 17% decline in the number of pharmacies, resulting in more than 200 closures. These closures include chains like CVS and Walgreens, as well as independent pharmacies, particularly in urban, low-income areas.

The closure of these pharmacies affects not only access to drugs but also to primary care. In Massachusetts, where a shortage of primary care providers has become substantial, pharmacists can step in to provide some services, including administering vaccines. 

According to Dr. Kaley Hayes, associate director of pharmacoepidemiology at Brown University's Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, pharmacists can answer patients' questions, order labs, and adjust medication doses through contracts with prescribers called Collaborative Practice Agreements.

The Boston Globe reported that pharmacy deserts are developing in the state's largest cities. Springfield has added six new deserts, while New Bedford has gained five.

Worcester was able to reverse two pharmacy deserts, but six others have since appeared after drug stores shuttered their doors. Boston eliminated two pharmacy deserts, but five others have since emerged.

“We are living in a very strained system that is getting more strained by the day, and we are running out of levers to pull to make sure that people still have access to care,” noted Hayes.