Retail and community pharmacies are stepping in to fill public health data gaps as the respiratory virus season begins amid a federal government shutdown that has paused routine tracking by the CDC.
On Nov. 4, the National Community Pharmacists Association and Los Angeles-basedUniversity of Southern California released the first publicly available map identifying pharmacy shortage areas nationwide, according to a news release. The interactive tool highlights “critical access” pharmacies and shows that one in eight U.S. neighborhoods lacks convenient pharmacy access, with shortages approaching 50% in some rural and underserved areas.
GoodRx Research also launched a live tracker that monitors weekly fills for Tamiflu, Paxlovid, molnupiravir and pediatric antibiotics, offering insight into seasonal trends for flu, COVID-19 and RSV treatment, according to an Oct. 29 update. The tool highlights how fill patterns may reflect infection surges and treatment gaps, particularly among commercially insured patients facing higher out-of-pocket costs.
Walgreens released an updated version of its weekly flu and COVID-19 activity tracker Nov. 3 that draws from prescription, testing and over-the-counter product data from stores nationwide, according to a separate news release. Both tools aim to inform decisions by patients, providers and public health officials in real time.
The shift comes as emergency department visits for RSVs among children under age 4 are rising, based on Oct. 11 data from the PopHIVE project at New Haven, Conn.-based Yale School of Public Health. COVID-19 and flu levels remain low, but experts say RSV typically begins in infants before spreading to older age groups.
This year’s virus season coincides with reduced vaccine uptake and the temporary suspension of hospital-at-home programs due to the shutdown, adding new stressors to an already-strained care infrastructure.
