One in eight pharmacies in the U.S. closed between 2009 and 2015, and the majority were independent pharmacies located in low-income neighborhoods, according to a study published Oct. 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study comes as retail pharmacies like CVS Health, Walgreens and Walmart offer a growing range of healthcare services and strengthen ties to health insurers, which could be hurting independent pharmacies, according to Forbes.
The researchers, from the University of Illinois, also found that pharmacy closures sometimes occur because patients stop filling their prescriptions, which is more likely to happen in low-income areas where people may not be able to afford them.
In their research letter, the authors suggested that policies aimed at reducing pharmacy closures should consider increasing pharmacy reimbursement rates for Medicaid and Medicare prescriptions.
Read the full study here.