Research Alert: May 4, 2015

Characteristics of Rural Communities with a Sole, Independently Owned Pharmacy

In this policy brief, we characterize the population of rural communities with a single independently owned pharmacy. We find that over 2.7 million people, over 25 percent of whom live below the federal poverty level, reside in 663 rural communities with a sole independently owned pharmacy in 2014. For about 70 percent of these rural communities, the next closest pharmacy is more than ten miles away.

Contact Information:

Keith J. Mueller, PhD
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Phone: 319.384.3832
keith-mueller@uiowa.edu

Additional Resources of Interest: