Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
Barriers to Buprenorphine Dispensing by Medicaid-Participating Community Retail Pharmacies
Analyzes rates at which pharmacies dispensing opioids also dispensed buprenorphine, utilizing 2016-2019 Medicaid claims data. Includes year-by-year comparisons of clinics by patient volume and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Patricia R. Freeman, Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Katherine A. Ahrens, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e241077
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes rates at which pharmacies dispensing opioids also dispensed buprenorphine, utilizing 2016-2019 Medicaid claims data. Includes year-by-year comparisons of clinics by patient volume and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Patricia R. Freeman, Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Katherine A. Ahrens, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e241077
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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US Hospital Service Availability and New 340B Program Participation
Examines whether participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program was associated with investment in hospital-based services among newly participating hospitals between 2012 and 2018. Compares the provision of profitable and unprofitable services between 1,074 hospitals newly participating in the 340B program and 1,078 hospitals that never participated in the program by hospital characteristics, including hospital ownership, rural versus urban location, community social vulnerability index, and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Ronica N. Rooks, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e240833
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Examines whether participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program was associated with investment in hospital-based services among newly participating hospitals between 2012 and 2018. Compares the provision of profitable and unprofitable services between 1,074 hospitals newly participating in the 340B program and 1,078 hospitals that never participated in the program by hospital characteristics, including hospital ownership, rural versus urban location, community social vulnerability index, and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Ronica N. Rooks, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e240833
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Disparities in the Availability of Hospital-Based Screening, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, and Addiction Consult Services
Compares availability of opioid use disorder screening, medication, and addiction consult services in hospitals by level of rurality. Utilizes data from the 2021 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals. Discusses access barriers to opioid use disorder services in rural areas.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin, Zoe Lindenfield, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 160, 209280
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Compares availability of opioid use disorder screening, medication, and addiction consult services in hospitals by level of rurality. Utilizes data from the 2021 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals. Discusses access barriers to opioid use disorder services in rural areas.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin, Zoe Lindenfield, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 160, 209280
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Telephone-Based Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy Optimization in Navajo Nation: The Hózhó Randomized Clinical Trial
Explores whether a guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is initiated and titrated through telehealth improves GDMT use among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Navajo Nation. Summarizes results of a stepped-wedge, pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial conducted from February to August 2023 at two Indian Health Service facilities in rural Navajo Nation. Discusses the importance of community-designed and locally-tailored strategies to improve GDMT rates.
Author(s): Lauren A. Eberly, Ada Tennison, Daniel Mays, et al.
Citation: JAMA Internal Medicine, 184(6), 681-690
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Explores whether a guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is initiated and titrated through telehealth improves GDMT use among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Navajo Nation. Summarizes results of a stepped-wedge, pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial conducted from February to August 2023 at two Indian Health Service facilities in rural Navajo Nation. Discusses the importance of community-designed and locally-tailored strategies to improve GDMT rates.
Author(s): Lauren A. Eberly, Ada Tennison, Daniel Mays, et al.
Citation: JAMA Internal Medicine, 184(6), 681-690
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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NCHS Rapid Surveys System: Illegal Drugs and Naloxone (Narcan) Awareness
Interactive data showing awareness of and perspectives on access to prescription medication, illegal drugs, and naloxone. Includes data breakdown by urbanicity and other demographic and geographic characteristics. Data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics between October and November 2023.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Interactive data showing awareness of and perspectives on access to prescription medication, illegal drugs, and naloxone. Includes data breakdown by urbanicity and other demographic and geographic characteristics. Data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics between October and November 2023.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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April 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2024 meeting. Covers telehealth in Medicare, alternative approaches to lowering Medicare payments for select conditions in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, approaches for updating the Medicare physician fee schedule, initial findings from an analysis of Medicare Part B payment rates and 340B ceiling prices, and more. Includes discussion of telehealth in rural areas and data on telehealth use in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) between 2020 and 2022.
Additional links: Telehealth in Medicare: Status Report - Presentation Slides
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2024 meeting. Covers telehealth in Medicare, alternative approaches to lowering Medicare payments for select conditions in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, approaches for updating the Medicare physician fee schedule, initial findings from an analysis of Medicare Part B payment rates and 340B ceiling prices, and more. Includes discussion of telehealth in rural areas and data on telehealth use in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) between 2020 and 2022.
Additional links: Telehealth in Medicare: Status Report - Presentation Slides
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service Memorandum of Understanding - Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023
Annual report details the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) via their memorandum of understanding. Highlights the ways the VA and IHS have worked together to deliver healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans and discusses future collaborations.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Annual report details the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) via their memorandum of understanding. Highlights the ways the VA and IHS have worked together to deliver healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans and discusses future collaborations.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Disadvantaged Groups Have Greater Spatial Access to Pharmacies in New York State
Examines spatial pharmacy access in low-income and racial minority communities across New York State. Utilizes population weighted mean shortest road network distance (PWMSD) to examine distance to closest pharmacy. Includes Census Tract-level maps showing demographics such as poverty, education level, Black, and Hispanic/Latino quartile percentages and the correlation to pharmacy access. Includes discussion about how rurality factors into pharmacy access for disadvantaged groups.
Author(s): Abhinav Suri, James Quinn, Raymond R. Balise, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 471
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Examines spatial pharmacy access in low-income and racial minority communities across New York State. Utilizes population weighted mean shortest road network distance (PWMSD) to examine distance to closest pharmacy. Includes Census Tract-level maps showing demographics such as poverty, education level, Black, and Hispanic/Latino quartile percentages and the correlation to pharmacy access. Includes discussion about how rurality factors into pharmacy access for disadvantaged groups.
Author(s): Abhinav Suri, James Quinn, Raymond R. Balise, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 471
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Locations and Characteristics of Pharmacy Deserts in the United States: A Geospatial Study
Classifies census tracts as pharmacy deserts or non-pharmacy deserts. Compares pharmacy desert and non-pharmacy desert areas by various social determinants of health and pharmacy characteristics including rurality. See the supplemental materials for state-by-state and rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Rachel Wittenauer, Parth D. Shah, Jennifer L. Bacci, Andy Stergachis
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(4)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Classifies census tracts as pharmacy deserts or non-pharmacy deserts. Compares pharmacy desert and non-pharmacy desert areas by various social determinants of health and pharmacy characteristics including rurality. See the supplemental materials for state-by-state and rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Rachel Wittenauer, Parth D. Shah, Jennifer L. Bacci, Andy Stergachis
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(4)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Federal Retail Pharmacy Program Contributions to Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccinations Across Sociodemographic Characteristics — United States, September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023
Reports on COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses administered by pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) from September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023. Includes data on doses administered in urban and rural settings and discusses urban compared to rural contributions of FRPP pharmacies.
Author(s): Roua El Kalach, Nkenge Jones-Jack, Mattie A. Elam, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(13), 286-290
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses administered by pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) from September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023. Includes data on doses administered in urban and rural settings and discusses urban compared to rural contributions of FRPP pharmacies.
Author(s): Roua El Kalach, Nkenge Jones-Jack, Mattie A. Elam, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(13), 286-290
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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