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The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs

Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Dear John,
A new article explores the distribution of pharmacies by neighborhood in cities across the United States.
Where Pharmacy Deserts Lie
Pharmacies are an essential part of the health care system and the communities they serve. They not only dispense prescription medications, but also offer diagnostic, preventive, and emergency services.  

Despite the critical role of pharmacies, previous research shows independent pharmacies serving low-income, minority populations are more likely to experience closures, resulting in pharmacy deserts.
Advertisement: UPenn Health Equity Course
In the May issue, Jenny Guadamuz and coauthors investigated whether the availability and geographic accessibility of pharmacies varied by neighborhood racial and ethnic composition in the thirty most-populous cities in the US.

They found that there are fewer pharmacies located in predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods than in majority White or diverse neighborhoods. In addition, they reported that pharmacy closures are more common in majority Black and Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods, and almost 40 percent of Black and Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods are pharmacy deserts, compared to about a quarter of neighborhoods with a majority White population or no majority race or ethnicity.

Guadamuz will appear on A Health Podyssey next week to discuss her research.

Today on Health Affairs Blog, we inaugurate a short series, “Envisioning A Transformed Clinical Trials Enterprise For 2030,” with a post from Marilyn Metcalf and Rob Weker, who say that health care research needs to move further into local communities to benefit all patients.

Also, Francis Fullam and coauthors follow up their 2020 blog post about modernizing and democratizing national patient experience surveys with updated and expanded recommendations to better capture the experiences of patients from varied racial/ethnic groups.

Elevating Voices: Asian American and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month: Michael Furukawa and coauthors penned a Health Affairs Blog post in November 2019 using data from the AHRQ compendium to discuss consolidation and health systems in 2018.

As more health care providers are consolidated into integrated health systems, they write that "it will be important to assess how the presence of large, national systems affects cost of care, quality, and access to care across diverse communities."

A pillar of the National Academy of Medicine’s Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2021 initiative is optimizing health and well-being for women and children. During this Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, revisit a recent paper by Elena Fuentes-Afflick and coauthors in which they draw upon a life-course framework to identify promising interventions to improve the health of women and children.
Your Daily Digest
Fewer Pharmacies In Black And Hispanic/Latino Neighborhoods Compared With White Or Diverse Neighborhoods, 2007–15
Jenny S. Guadamuz, Jocelyn R. Wilder, Morgane C. Mouslim, Shannon N. Zenk, G. Caleb Alexander, and Dima Mazen Qato

Transforming Clinical Trials: A New Vision For 2030
Marilyn Metcalf and Rob Weker

Listening To The Voice Of All Patients To Help Heal Health Disparities In A Post-COVID-19 World
Francis Fullam, Robert Parrish, Nicole Cable, and Esther Burlingame

Consolidation And Health Systems In 2018: New Data From The AHRQ Compendium
Michael Furukawa, Laura Kimmey, David J. Jones, Rachel M. Machta, Jing Guo, and Eugene Rich

Optimizing Health And Well-Being For Women And Children
Elena Fuentes-Afflick, James M. Perrin, Kelle H. Moley, Ángela Díaz, Marie C. McCormick, and Michael C. Lu
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