J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2021 Nov-Dec;61(6):e32-e41. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2021.07.009. Epub 2021 Jul 19.
Despite the importance of pharmacies in ensuring medications and health care needs are met, there is limited up-to-date information regarding access to pharmacies or their services in the United States.
To evaluate trends and disparities in access to pharmacies in 4 largest cities in the United States, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago, by neighborhood racial and ethnic composition from 2015 to 2020.
Data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (2015-2020) and the American Community Survey (2015-2019) were used. We examined neighborhoods (i.e., census tracts) and evaluated disparities in "pharmacy deserts" (low-income neighborhoods (1) whose average distance to the nearest pharmacy was at least 1 mile or (2) whose average distance to the nearest pharmacy was at least 0.5 mile and at least 100 households had no vehicle access). We also evaluated the differences in pharmacy closures and the availability of pharmacy services.
From 2015 to 2020, the percent of neighborhoods with pharmacy deserts declined in New York City (from 1.6% to 0.9% of neighborhoods, P < 0.01), remained stable in Los Angeles (13.7% to 13.4%, P = 0.58) and Houston (27.0% to 28.5%, P = 0.18), and increased in Chicago (15.0% to 19.9%, P < 0.01). Pharmacy deserts were persistently more common in Black and Latino neighborhoods in all 4 cities. As of 2020, pharmacies in Black and Latino neighborhoods were also more likely to close and less likely to offer immunization, 24-hour, and drive-through services than pharmacies in other neighborhoods.
To reduce disparities in access to medications and health care services, including those in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (e.g., testing and vaccinations), policies that improve pharmacy access and expand the provision of pharmacy services in minority neighborhoods are critical.
尽管药店在确保药物和医疗保健需求方面至关重要，但目前有关美国药店获取及其服务的最新信息有限。
评估 2015 年至 2020 年期间，美国四个最大城市（纽约市、洛杉矶、休斯顿和芝加哥）的邻里种族和族裔构成对药店获取情况的趋势和差异。
使用国家处方药物计划委员会（2015-2020 年）和美国社区调查（2015-2019 年）的数据。我们检查了邻里（即普查区），并评估了“药店荒漠”（低收入邻里（1）距最近药店的平均距离至少 1 英里，或（2）距最近药店的平均距离至少 0.5 英里，至少 100 户家庭没有交通工具）的差异。我们还评估了药店关闭和提供药房服务的差异。
2015 年至 2020 年期间，纽约市的药店荒漠比例从 1.6%下降至 0.9%（P < 0.01），洛杉矶（13.7%至 13.4%，P = 0.58）和休斯顿（27.0%至 28.5%，P = 0.18）保持稳定，芝加哥（15.0%至 19.9%，P < 0.01）则增加。在所有四个城市中，药店荒漠在黑人社区和拉丁裔社区中一直更为常见。截至 2020 年，黑人和拉丁裔社区的药店也更有可能关闭，并且不太可能提供免疫接种、24 小时和免下车服务，而其他社区的药店则更有可能提供这些服务。
为了减少药物和医疗保健服务获取方面的差异，包括在应对 2019 年冠状病毒病（例如，检测和接种疫苗）方面的差异，改善药店获取并在少数民族社区扩大药店服务提供的政策至关重要。
