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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs

Experiences with Health Care Access, Cost, and Coverage: Findings from the 2022 KFF Women's Health Survey
Presents findings from the 2022 KFF Women's Health Survey of 5,145 women ages 18-64 who were asked about their health status, use of prescription medications, accessibility to healthcare, their selected care sites, check-ups, use of telemedicine, and health coverage and costs. Includes data on telehealth services provided by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Michelle Long, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji Alina Salganicoff, Karen Diep
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Urban and Rural Spending Habits
A collection of charts showing changes in spending in urban and rural areas in 2019 compared to 2020. Includes data on healthcare expenditures, including medical supplies, medical services, health insurance, and prescription drugs. Also covers spending related to food, transportation, and more.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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30 Years Of 340B: Preserving The Health Care Safety Net
Discusses the development and purpose of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and provides an overview of the program. Summarizes research on the impact of the 340B program on hospitals and lessons learned.
Author(s): Henry A. Waxman
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Changes in Transmucosal Buprenorphine Utilization for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kentucky
Explores changes in prescription rates of transmuscosal buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. Compares prescribing rates in rural versus urban areas and examines rates on a week by week basis.
Author(s): Feitong Lei, Michelle R. Lofwall, Patricia R. Freeman, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(1), 186-196
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Oregon Critical Access Pharmacies 2022
Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the critical access pharmacies and towns with pharmacies, including the 10 mile buffers around single pharmacies.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Rural-Urban Prescribing Patterns by Primary Care and Behavioral Health Providers in Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness
Examines psychiatric prescription patterns by behavioral health specialists (BHSs) and primary care providers (PCPs) in older adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Analyzes 2018 Medicare data of 2,079,045 Medicare beneficiaries who received a prescription for their SMI diagnosis. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of psychiatric medication type and provider type.
Author(s): Ulrike Muench, Matthew Jura, Cindy Parks Thomas, Jennifer Perloff, Joanne Spetz
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1440
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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It's Not Easy Being a Rural Pharmacy: Services, Payments, Closures, and Deserts
Webinar recording discusses the financial pressures facing rural pharmacies and the consequences of rural pharmacy closures. Explores pharmacy deserts as a barrier to rural healthcare. Features presentations from researchers from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis.
Additional links: Webinar Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rural Health Research Gateway
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2022 Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare
Examines rural/urban differences in the quality of healthcare received by Medicare beneficiaries in 2021, with breakdowns by race and ethnicity. Focuses on patient experience and clinical care measures, including screening for and management of health conditions and medication-related issues.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Patterns of Health Care Use among Rural-Urban Medicare Beneficiaries Age 85 and Older, 2010-2017
Policy brief examining how rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries age 85+ differ in terms of their socioeconomic and health characteristics that may inform healthcare use. Features statistics on trends in healthcare use, including inpatient and emergency department care, outpatient and prescription services, specialists and dentists, and home health and durable medical equipment, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Use of and Retention on Video, Telephone, and In-Person Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines modality of treatment delivery for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and how various modalities are associated with 90-day patient retention. Analyzes 17,182 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who received buprenorphine for OUD treatment from March 2020 to March 2021 by video, telephone, in-person care, or a combination of the modalities. Includes data broken down by age, sex, race/ethnicity, VHA eligibility, housing status, substance use, mental health, comorbidities, and rurality, including urban, large rural, small/isolated rural, and unknown location.
Author(s): Madeline C. Frost, Lan Zhang, H. Myra Kim, Lewei (Allison) Lin
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(10), e2236298
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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