Pharmacy closures have surged over the past decade, leaving low-income and rural communities grappling with dwindling access to essential medications. From 2011 to 2021, nearly 30% of U.S. pharmacies shut their doors, with independent stores disproportionately affected, according to a recent report published in Health Affairs.

The data highlights a stark divide: counties with high poverty levels experienced a net loss of 34.3% of pharmacies, compared to a 28% decline in wealthier areas. Independent pharmacies fared worse than chain stores, shuttering at nearly double the rate, with 38.9% closing over the decade.

“Of the 88,930 retail pharmacies operating between 2010 and 2020, 29.4% had closed by 2021,” said the report’s authors, Jenny Guadamuz, Caleb Alexander, Genevieve Kanter, and Dima Mazen Qato. “The risk for closure for pharmacies in predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods was higher than in White neighborhoods.”