Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
Over-the-Counter Naloxone Availability at North Carolina Community Pharmacies: A Secret Shopper Study
Examines access to over-the-counter naloxone at pharmacies in North Carolina. Analyzes data from 600 community pharmacies and provides rural versus urban data on naloxone availability, pharmacy type, cost, and more.
Author(s): Delesha M. Carpenter, Grace T. Marley, Izabela E. Annis, Paul Delamater, Kathleen L. Egan
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 267, 112545
Date: 02/2025
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Examines access to over-the-counter naloxone at pharmacies in North Carolina. Analyzes data from 600 community pharmacies and provides rural versus urban data on naloxone availability, pharmacy type, cost, and more.
Author(s): Delesha M. Carpenter, Grace T. Marley, Izabela E. Annis, Paul Delamater, Kathleen L. Egan
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 267, 112545
Date: 02/2025
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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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Health Panel Comment Letter – Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program
Offers comments in response to a December 10, 2024, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program for contract year 2026. Discusses transparency and access to pharmacy services and prescription drugs, network adequacy, notice to providers, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers comments in response to a December 10, 2024, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program for contract year 2026. Discusses transparency and access to pharmacy services and prescription drugs, network adequacy, notice to providers, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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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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A Rural-Urban Analysis of Buprenorphine Therapy During and After Pregnancy Among the Commercially Insured
Explores the use of evidence-based buprenorphine treatment and adherence during the peri-pregnancy period among commercially insured individuals by rurality. Analyzes data on 1,331,040 people between 15 and 44 years-old with diagnosis codes for pregnancy and labor/delivery from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019.
Author(s): KariLynn Dowling-McClay, Bill Brooks, Daniel Krauss, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Explores the use of evidence-based buprenorphine treatment and adherence during the peri-pregnancy period among commercially insured individuals by rurality. Analyzes data on 1,331,040 people between 15 and 44 years-old with diagnosis codes for pregnancy and labor/delivery from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019.
Author(s): KariLynn Dowling-McClay, Bill Brooks, Daniel Krauss, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Projecting the Impact of the $2,000 Part D Out-Of-Pocket Cap for Medicare Part D Enrollees with High Prescription Drug Spending
Examines the impact of the Medicare Part D $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drugs. Provides projected savings according to low-income subsidy (LIS) status, state, and demographic characteristics, including urban, rural-micropolitan, rural-other, or unclassified geographic location.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines the impact of the Medicare Part D $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drugs. Provides projected savings according to low-income subsidy (LIS) status, state, and demographic characteristics, including urban, rural-micropolitan, rural-other, or unclassified geographic location.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceived Risks and Protective Practices
Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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