Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
Congress Must Act to Bring Needed Reforms to the 340B Drug Pricing Program: Majority Staff Report
Presents findings from a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions majority staff report on how covered entities generate and use revenue from the 340B Drug Pricing Program and how patients benefit from the program. Describes data and information collected from hospital covered entities, Bon Secours Mercy Health and Cleveland Clinic; Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) covered entities, Sun River Health and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic; contract pharmacies, CVS Health and Walgreens; and drug manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Amgen. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Presents findings from a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions majority staff report on how covered entities generate and use revenue from the 340B Drug Pricing Program and how patients benefit from the program. Describes data and information collected from hospital covered entities, Bon Secours Mercy Health and Cleveland Clinic; Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) covered entities, Sun River Health and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic; contract pharmacies, CVS Health and Walgreens; and drug manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Amgen. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Characteristics of Adults Age 18 and Older Who Took Prescription Medication for Depression: United States, 2023
Provides 2023 data on the characteristics of adults who took prescription medication for depression. Includes a breakdown by region and urbanization level, including nonmetropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, or large central metropolitan area.
Author(s): Nazik Elgaddal, Julie D. Weeks, Laryssa Mykyta
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides 2023 data on the characteristics of adults who took prescription medication for depression. Includes a breakdown by region and urbanization level, including nonmetropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, or large central metropolitan area.
Author(s): Nazik Elgaddal, Julie D. Weeks, Laryssa Mykyta
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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April 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2025 meeting. Covers physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates; structural differences between the stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) and Medicare Advantage–Prescription Drug plan (MA–PD) markets; the utilization and delivery of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits; the effect of Medicare Advantage on rural hospitals; paying for software technologies in Medicare; access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer; and regulations, star ratings, and fee-for-service Medicare policies aimed at improving nursing home quality.
Additional links: Exploring the Effect of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2025 meeting. Covers physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates; structural differences between the stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) and Medicare Advantage–Prescription Drug plan (MA–PD) markets; the utilization and delivery of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits; the effect of Medicare Advantage on rural hospitals; paying for software technologies in Medicare; access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer; and regulations, star ratings, and fee-for-service Medicare policies aimed at improving nursing home quality.
Additional links: Exploring the Effect of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Screening and Referral Programs for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Can Community Pharmacists Bridge the Care Gap?
Examines the community-based valued-driven care initiative (CVCI) in community pharmacies to evaluate its effectiveness related to screening and referral (S&R) to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Analyzes patient demographics and success rates of CVD and DM S&R in 6 community pharmacies, with both rural and urban locations represented.
Author(s): Melanie Livet, Amber Watson, Shweta Pathak, et al.
Citation: Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 17, 100539
Date: 03/2025
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Examines the community-based valued-driven care initiative (CVCI) in community pharmacies to evaluate its effectiveness related to screening and referral (S&R) to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Analyzes patient demographics and success rates of CVD and DM S&R in 6 community pharmacies, with both rural and urban locations represented.
Author(s): Melanie Livet, Amber Watson, Shweta Pathak, et al.
Citation: Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 17, 100539
Date: 03/2025
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North Carolina Medication Assistance Program: 2024 Profile
Fact sheet on funding, performance measures, and economic impact of the North Carolina Medication Assistance Program. Includes a county-level map showing Medication Assistance Program sites as of state fiscal year 2024.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
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Fact sheet on funding, performance measures, and economic impact of the North Carolina Medication Assistance Program. Includes a county-level map showing Medication Assistance Program sites as of state fiscal year 2024.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
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Enhancing Rural Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Assessing the Needs of Rural Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis: Issue Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Opioid Use Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines trends in prescription opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, utilizing 2010-2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data. Provides data on receipt of opioid prescriptions among community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries, associations between prescribing and chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), and prescriptions exceeding CDC guidelines. Includes rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Karen Pearson, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Examines trends in prescription opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, utilizing 2010-2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data. Provides data on receipt of opioid prescriptions among community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries, associations between prescribing and chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), and prescriptions exceeding CDC guidelines. Includes rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Karen Pearson, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Community Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications (OORMs) Planning Toolkit
Provides planning and strategy resources for organizations and communities to expand access to naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs). Includes templates, implementation strategies and program examples, and more. Discusses rural considerations and programs throughout, including the Rural EMS Training Program and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Provides planning and strategy resources for organizations and communities to expand access to naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs). Includes templates, implementation strategies and program examples, and more. Discusses rural considerations and programs throughout, including the Rural EMS Training Program and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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January 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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