Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
2024 Rural Advocacy Agenda
Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2024. Offers recommendations in the areas of commercial insurer accountability, flexible payment options, reimbursement, workforce, and the 340B program.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2024. Offers recommendations in the areas of commercial insurer accountability, flexible payment options, reimbursement, workforce, and the 340B program.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Medicare Enrollees and the Part D Drug Benefit: Improving Financial Protection through the Low- Income Subsidy
Provides an overview of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, which covers some or all Part D drug costs. Presents estimates of number of Medicare Part D enrollees who received LIS in 2020 and their characteristics, as well as Medicare beneficiaries who did and did not have prescription drug coverage but who appear to be eligible for LIS based on income and resources. Compares Medicare enrollees demographic, financial, health status, and healthcare utilization characteristics, including rurality.
Author(s): Yevgeniy Feyman, Joel Ruhter, Kenneth Finegold, et al.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Provides an overview of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, which covers some or all Part D drug costs. Presents estimates of number of Medicare Part D enrollees who received LIS in 2020 and their characteristics, as well as Medicare beneficiaries who did and did not have prescription drug coverage but who appear to be eligible for LIS based on income and resources. Compares Medicare enrollees demographic, financial, health status, and healthcare utilization characteristics, including rurality.
Author(s): Yevgeniy Feyman, Joel Ruhter, Kenneth Finegold, et al.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Geographic Variation and Racial Disparities in Adoption of Newer Glucose-Lowering Drugs with Cardiovascular Benefits among US Medicare Beneficiaries with Type 2 Diabetes
Analyzes the use of glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) among people with type 2 diabetes, utilizing 2017-2018 Medicare Part D beneficiary claims data. Identifies rural-urban and racial disparities in GLD initiation rates, and discusses factors influencing equitable access to cardiovascular treatment.
Author(s): Wei-Han Chen, Yujia Li, Lanting Yang, et al.
Citation: Plos ONE, 19(1), e0297208
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes the use of glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) among people with type 2 diabetes, utilizing 2017-2018 Medicare Part D beneficiary claims data. Identifies rural-urban and racial disparities in GLD initiation rates, and discusses factors influencing equitable access to cardiovascular treatment.
Author(s): Wei-Han Chen, Yujia Li, Lanting Yang, et al.
Citation: Plos ONE, 19(1), e0297208
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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A Federally Qualified Health Center and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Partnership in Rural Missouri
Case study describing a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program partnership between a Federally Qualified Health Center and a certified community behavioral health clinic in rural southwest Missouri. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers interested in a similar partnership.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Case study describing a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program partnership between a Federally Qualified Health Center and a certified community behavioral health clinic in rural southwest Missouri. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers interested in a similar partnership.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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El Dorado Community Health Centers: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in Rural California through Community Partnerships
Case study describing how El Dorado Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in California, works with a community coalition to address the opioid epidemic and implement a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Case study describing how El Dorado Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in California, works with a community coalition to address the opioid epidemic and implement a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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January 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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340B Discount Drug Program Reform Policy Principles
Policy position paper on the 340B program. Explores ways in which the program benefits rural health systems and patients, and the impact of restrictions by drug manufacturers on rural safety net providers .
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper on the 340B program. Explores ways in which the program benefits rural health systems and patients, and the impact of restrictions by drug manufacturers on rural safety net providers .
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Defining and Evaluating In-Home Drug Disposal Systems for Opioid Analgesics: Proceedings of a Workshop
Offers summary of a June 2023 workshop to analyze in-home drug disposal systems with focus on unused opioid analgesics. Discusses the life cycle of prescribed opioids, characteristics of in-home disposal systems, implementation and equity concerns, legal concerns, environmental impacts, and real-world settings. Includes discussions of tribal and rural-specific challenges and benefits.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Offers summary of a June 2023 workshop to analyze in-home drug disposal systems with focus on unused opioid analgesics. Discusses the life cycle of prescribed opioids, characteristics of in-home disposal systems, implementation and equity concerns, legal concerns, environmental impacts, and real-world settings. Includes discussions of tribal and rural-specific challenges and benefits.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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High-Risk Individuals and Naloxone Use: Implications for THN Programs in Rural Appalachian Communities
Presents thematic analysis of factors influencing opioid overdose and naloxone use from interviews with 16 people who use opioid drugs in 4 rural, Appalachian Pennsylvania counties. Identifies opioid overdose risk factors, including substance use habits, as well as factors facilitating or preventing effective naloxone interventions. Covers naloxone access and knowledge, experiences, attitudes toward first responders, and disconnects between naloxone intervention and opioid dependence treatment.
Author(s): Victor Garcia, Lisa McCann, Erick Lauber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 5(3), 9-21
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Presents thematic analysis of factors influencing opioid overdose and naloxone use from interviews with 16 people who use opioid drugs in 4 rural, Appalachian Pennsylvania counties. Identifies opioid overdose risk factors, including substance use habits, as well as factors facilitating or preventing effective naloxone interventions. Covers naloxone access and knowledge, experiences, attitudes toward first responders, and disconnects between naloxone intervention and opioid dependence treatment.
Author(s): Victor Garcia, Lisa McCann, Erick Lauber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 5(3), 9-21
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Community Pharmacies: A Protocol for a Stepped Wedge Randomized Clinical Trial
Evaluates implementation strategies of rural-located pharmacies looking to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in their communities. Describes how the study will examine intervention fidelity, effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability, adoption, reach, and cost.
Author(s): Geoffrey Curran, Cynthia Mosley, Abigail Gamble, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 18, 72
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Evaluates implementation strategies of rural-located pharmacies looking to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in their communities. Describes how the study will examine intervention fidelity, effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability, adoption, reach, and cost.
Author(s): Geoffrey Curran, Cynthia Mosley, Abigail Gamble, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 18, 72
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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