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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs

Exploring Opportunities to Leverage Pharmacists in Rural Areas to Promote Administration of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
Describes the role of rural pharmacists in promoting and administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine using information gathered from interviews of 11 pharmacists at independently owned pharmacies in Iowa. Identifies factors facilitating the administration and accessibility of the vaccine and reports on personal barriers regarding safety, lack of information, and staff capacity.
Author(s): Grace Ryan, Eliza Daly, Natoshia Askelson, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 03/2020
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Availability of Naloxone at Rural Georgia Pharmacies, 2019
Research letter describing a study of 374 rural Georgia pharmacies. Examines pharmacists' awareness of the Georgia law allowing purchase of naloxone without a prescription, and availability and cost of the medicine.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Nguyen, Lauren R. Gilbert, Lauren Beasley, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(2)
Date: 02/2020
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340B Drug Discount Program: Oversight of the Intersection with the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Needs Improvement
Examines state and federal efforts to prevent duplicate discounts under the 340B and Medicaid Drug Rebate Programs and identifies limitations and weaknesses in federal oversight. Provides recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration to strengthen oversight of these programs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Trends in Opioids Prescribed at Discharge From Emergency Departments Among Adults: United States, 2006–2017
Examines trends in emergency department (ED) discharge opioid prescribing for adults from 2006–2007 through 2016–2017. Provides data by selected patient and hospital characteristics and the type of opioids prescribed. Table 1 includes data on the percent of ED patients prescribed an opioid at discharge by location of patient residence for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Pinyao Rui, Loredana Santo, Jill J. Ashman
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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The Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program: Avera St. Mary's Completing the Circle Project
Describes and examines the impact of a care coordination program developed by Avera St. Mary's located in Pierre, South Dakota. Used a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, providing services to patients with type 2 diabetes. The program's care team connected patients to resources and coordinated the patient's primary care providers, medications, specialists, other health care services, and a variety of social services. Funded under the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Grant Program from 2015-2018.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organizations: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Opioid Prescribing Among Adults With Disabilities in the United States After the 2014 Federal Hydrocodone Rescheduling Regulation
Examines the impact of the 2014 federal rescheduling regulation regarding hydrocodone-combination products on Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities. Provides maps of prolonged opioid use by Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities by state before and after the regulation was implemented. Includes data analysis of beneficiaries in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas.
Author(s): Victor Law, Yong-Fang Kuo, Mukaila A. Raji, Jacques Baillargeon
Citation: Public Health Reports, 135(1), 114-123
Date: 12/2019
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340B Drug Discount Program: Increased Oversight Needed to Ensure Nongovernmental Hospitals Meet Eligibility Requirements
Provides an overview of the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) review of 258 nongovernmental hospitals that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program and their contracts with state and local governments. Evaluates the contracts to determine if they meet the eligibility requirement to serve low-income individuals. Outlines weaknesses in the Health Resources and Services Administration's review of the hospital contracts and offers six recommendations to improve the contract review process.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Comparison of Rural vs Urban Direct-to-Physician Commercial Promotion of Medications for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
Results of a cross-sectional county-level study using all reported direct-to-physician pharmaceutical payments from manufacturers of opioid use disorder medications from 2014-2017, as well as demographic and economic data from 3,140 counties. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Thuy Nguyen, Barbara Andraka-Christou, Kosali Simon, W. David Bradford
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(12)
Date: 12/2019
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Opioid-Related Hospitalization and Its Association With Chronic Diseases: Findings From the National Inpatient Sample, 2011-2015
Results of a study examining whether opioid-related hospitalization is associated with cancer, stroke, obesity, asthma, liver or spinal disease, and arthritis. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, Donglan Zhang, Heather M. Padilla, Sae Rom Chung
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 11/2019
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Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances among Office-Based Physicians, 2017
Examines rates of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS), with information by type of physician practice, including rural or urban location, practice size, practice ownership, physician specialty, and technology available. EPCS is mandated for Medicare Part D providers by 2021, through the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.
Author(s): Sonal Parasrampuria, Martin Blanco, Wesley Barker
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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