NCPA, USC launch pharmacy mapping tool
By HME News Staff
Updated 12:21 PM CST, Wed November 5, 2025
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the University of Southern California (USC) have unveiled an interactive, user-friendly pharmacy shortage area mapping tool available to the general public. The tool reveals that approximately one in eight U.S. neighborhoods — representing millions of Americans — persistently lack convenient access to pharmacy services. In rural areas and underserved urban communities, the problem is far more severe, with some states and counties experiencing shortage rates approaching 50%.
The tool defines pharmacy shortage areas based on travel distance to the nearest pharmacy as defined below:
- More than 10 miles in rural areas
- More than 2 miles in suburban areas
- More than 1 mile in urban areas
- More than half a mile in low-income neighborhoods with low vehicle ownership
"Independent community pharmacies are the health care safety net in thousands of communities across America, yet they're being systematically squeezed out by payment policies that don't reflect the critical role they play," said Douglas Hoey, CEO of the NCPA. "We need leaders at every level to use this data to protect these lifeline pharmacies before more neighborhoods are in crisis. When you lose your local pharmacy, you lose more than a place to fill prescriptions — you lose a trusted health adviser, a medication safety expert, and often the most accessible health care provider in the community."
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