Pharmacy Deserts: A Crisis Health Care Providers Can Help Solve with Technology and Teamwork

A quiet emergency is taking shape across America’s health care landscape, one defined not by new diseases, but by disappearing access. Pharmacy deserts are an escalating public health crisis in the US. Nearly 46% of US counties lack convenient pharmacy access, leaving over 16 million Americans without nearby options for essential medications. This access gap reflects a deeper inflection point: the traditional retail pharmacy model is no longer sustainable in many communities, pushing health care providers and technology partners to rethink how and where care is delivered.

As major retail pharmacy chains shutter thousands of stores, people in affected areas must travel over an hour to get prescriptions, vaccines, or basic health care needs. These closures are caused by a combination of financial pressure, industry consolidation, and changing consumer expectations, all of which creates a perfect storm that could leave millions of people behind.

This growing inaccessibility has a tangible cost. Medication nonadherence, often driven by lack of pharmacy access, adds $290 billion annually in avoidable healthcare expenses, including $100 billion in preventable hospitalizations.³ Rising drug costs and fragmented care coordination are now the leading forces behind declining adherence, intensifying disparities in chronic disease management and preventive care. When patients can’t access or refill prescriptions easily, the consequences ripple across the healthcare system, leading to poorer outcomes and higher costs.

Technology: Bridging the Accessibility and Care Gap

Digital innovation is essential to reversing this trend. Telepharmacy, mobile pharmacy apps, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled dispensing can dramatically extend reach, bringing pharmacists to patients virtually, 24/7. An analysis by Accenture shows telehealth visits are now 38 times higher than prepandemic levels, demonstrating that patients are ready for digital engagement.⁴

Meanwhile, 50% of OTC sales are projected to occur online within the next 3 to 4 years, and mobile pharmacy purchases are growing at a 19% compound annual growth rate through 2026. These shifts, along with home delivery, offer a blueprint for equitable access beyond physical locations. Yet technology alone isn’t the answer. Its impact depends on how providers integrate digital tools into care coordination and patient engagement models.

Reimagining Pharmacies as Frontline Care Hubs

For the pharmacies that remain, they must evolve from the last line of defense to the front line of care. Integrating pharmacies earlier in the care journey and connecting patients, payers, providers, and pharmacists creates a unified ecosystem that supports adherence and preventive health. Research shows that patients who receive pharmacy-based medical interventions have 3% higher medication adherence and 2.7% fewer emergency visits than those who do not.³

For providers, stepping directly into pharmacy access offers both necessity and opportunity. As value-based care expands, providers are increasingly accountable for outcomes that hinge on medication adherence. Direct partnerships, or even owned digital pharmacy models, allow them to close last-mile access gaps, reduce readmissions, and deliver continuous care outside traditional settings.

By expanding pharmacists’ roles to include services such as chronic disease monitoring, vaccinations, and medication therapy management, we can build stronger, value-based care models rooted in accessibility and trust.

Feeding the Appetite for Change

This type of change requires collaboration between providers, pharmacists, and technology innovators. Encouragingly, Accenture research shows nearly 80% of US adults say they are willing to share data within connected health systems to gain better access and coordinated experiences.⁵ The urgency is clear: Access is declining fastest where social determinants already strain health equity. Providers who act now can redefine their role not only as caregivers but also as enablers of consistent, affordable access to medication.

Ultimately, pharmacy deserts are a symptom of systemic fragmentation, and the cure lies in coordinated, technology-enabled care models that meet patients where they are. By transforming pharmacies into digital-first health access points, we can bridge gaps, improve outcomes, and build a healthier, more equitable future for all.

REFERENCES

1. Study finds 46 percent of US counties have pharmacy deserts. News release. National Community Pharmacists Association. August 28, 2024. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://www.ncpa.org/newsroom/qam/2024/08/28/study-finds-46-percent-us-counties-have-pharmacy-deserts

2. Nowosielski B. Pharmacy deserts prominent in areas of high social vulnerability. Drug Topics. August 23, 2024. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/pharmacy-deserts-prominent-in-areas-of-high-social-vulnerability

3. Kwan N. The impact of pharmacy deserts. US Pharm. 2024;49(4):32-36.

4. Bestesennyy O, Gilbert G, Harris A, Rost J. Telehealth: a quarter-trillion-dollar post-COVID-19 reality? McKinsey & Company. July 9, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality

5. Accenture study finds growing demand for digital health services revolutionizing delivery models: patients, doctors + machines. News release. Accenture. March 6, 2018. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/2018/accenture-study-finds-growing-demand-for-digital-health-services-revolutionizing-delivery-models-patients-doctors-machines