VCU researchers identify 44 locations where adding pharmacies could benefit thousands of Virginia residents

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) researchers have identified 44 locations where the addition of pharmacy services could reduce the impact of pharmacy deserts for thousands of Virginians in each area.

The findings come from a study published on Monday, Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association by researchers from VCU and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

"Similar to food deserts, where residents have limited access to healthy and affordable food, pharmacy deserts leave residents with limited access to the medications, education and primary care services that pharmacists can provide," said a university spokesperson.

In Virginia, data from the Board of Pharmacy shows that between June 2016 and May 2024, the number of pharmacies decreased by about 6%, mirroring a recent national analysis that found a 5.4% decrease in pharmacy rates from 2018 to 2021.

According to researchers, as well as providing life-saving medications and medication counseling, pharmacists also provide vaccinations, tests and other services.

Through the study, researchers identified 51 census tracts in Virginia that qualified as pharmacy deserts. These areas had low access to pharmacies and were home to mostly low-income residents.

"Compared with non-deserts, pharmacy desert tracts had a significantly lower percentage of residents under 18 years old, a greater percentage of Black residents, a greater percentage of residents who were uninsured or on Medicaid or Medicare, a greater percentage of residents living in poverty and a lower median household income," according to researchers.

Of the 2,198 census tracts in Virginia, urban areas were more frequently pharmacy deserts than rural and suburban areas, researchers found. Specifically, five tracts in Richmond, seven tracts in Norfolk, four tracts in Halifax County, and three tracts in both Newport News and Chesapeake were considered pharmacy deserts.

For more information and to read the study in full, visit the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.