The Oregon Health Authority has awarded the Pharmacy Foundation of Oregon $5,035,218 to expand pharmacy access in rural and frontier communities through secure prescription lockers, staffed prescription delivery and telepharmacy services.
The projects will be implemented with OHA-designated Critical Access Pharmacies and rural community partners, according to a July 20 news release. OHA is distributing roughly $80.1 million in Catalyst funding to 85 organizations leading 103 projects statewide.
The three initiatives include expanding secure prescription pickup lockers, launching staffed medication delivery routes through participating Critical Access Pharmacies and establishing a hub-and-spoke telepharmacy site in an Oregon community without a pharmacy. Implementation begins immediately once the foundation receives the funds, which come through three Rural Health Transformation Program Catalyst Awards. Year 2 activities begin in November and may continue through Sept. 30, 2028.
The announcement comes as Oregon has the second-fewest retail pharmacies per capita in the nation, with roughly 610 retail pharmacies serving 4.2 million people, according to the release. Wheeler County has no retail pharmacies, while one independent pharmacy serves approximately 3,000 square miles in Gilliam County.
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