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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs

Telepharmacy Rules and Statutes: A 50-State Survey
Policy brief identifying state-enacted regulations and legislation authorizing use of community telepharmacy initiatives, and describing implications for patients in underserved rural communities. Includes a table listing states with telepharmacy permitted in some capacity, pilot programs that enable telepharmacy initiatives, waivers enabling telepharmacy initiatives, or no rules or legislation authorizing telepharmacy use.
Additional links: Table Supplement
Author(s): George Tzanetakos, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Issues Confronting Rural Pharmacies after a Decade of Medicare Part D
Discusses the major challenges facing rural independent pharmacies, focusing on delayed maximum allowable cost (MAC) adjustments, and direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. Other challenges include competition from mail order pharmacies, being a non-preferred pharmacy, and orderly succession planning. Also examines the implications for rural communities when independent pharmacies close.
Author(s): Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2017
Provides an annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussions on Medicare payment policies that directly affect rural providers and beneficiaries. Analyses payment adequacy for home health, skilled nursing, long-term care hospitals, hospice, ambulatory surgical centers, and rehabilitation facilities.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluation of the Medication Management (MM) Health Care Innovation Awardees: Third Annual Report
Evaluations of 6 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on medication management programs, including programs serving rural areas.
Additional links: Addendum, June 2017
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Acumen, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Westat
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Prescription Opioid Poisoning Across Urban and Rural Areas: Identifying Vulnerable Groups and Geographic Areas
Examines hospital discharge rates for prescription opioid poisoning for rural and urban areas using data from 2001-2011 in California. Identifies hot-spot locations for opioid poisoning and environmental features related to opioid poisoning using a zip code level of analysis. Discusses the implications for policymakers and public health officials.
Author(s): Magdalena Cerda, Andrew Gaidus, Katherine M. Keyes, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 112(1), 103-112
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
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Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in Kentucky
Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Trends in Hospital Inpatient Drug Costs: Issues and Challenges
Examines recent increases in inpatient drug prices and presents trends in hospital inpatient drug prices and spending. Discusses how drug prices affect hospitals' ability to manage the overall cost of patient care. Analysis use information from several types of hospitals, including rural hospitals, and focuses on price changes between fiscal years 2013-2015.
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Polypharmacy and Health-Related Quality of Life Among US Adults With Arthritis, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2010-2012
Results of a study of 6,132 adults with arthritis, to determine the relationship between treatment with prescription drugs from 6 or more drug classes and health-related quality of life. Features demographic statistics with breakdown between urban and rural areas of residence.
Author(s): Abdulkarim M. Meraya, Nilanjana Dwibedi, Usha Sambamoorthi
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
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Remedy for the Rural Opioid Epidemic: Leaders Discuss Medication-Assisted Addiction Treatment in Primary Care
Summarizes a meeting focused on understanding the opioid challenges in rural Northern California and identifying potential solutions. Provides maps highlighting opioid overdose death rates by county and the availability of licensed narcotic treatment programs.
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Rural-Urban Differences in Chronic Disease and Drug Utilization in Older Oregonians
Provides secondary analysis of 3 longitudinal brain-aging studies of adults 85 years of age or older in Oregon. Compares the results of a study with a rural cohort and 2 studies with urban cohorts to identify the disease burden and medication usage of each elderly population. Analysis uses Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (MCIRS) to measure chronic illness, and medication usage is estimated based on the mean number of total self-reported prescription and non-prescription medications per cohort.
Author(s): Leah M. Goeres, Allison Gille, Jon P. Furuno, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 32(3), 269-279
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
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