Pharmacy deserts spread, while hospital and trauma center deserts persist
Today, roughly 81 % of counties across the U. S. are a healthcare desert of some kind, meaning the majority of the population lacks proper access to either pharmacies, primary care, hospitals, hospital beds, trauma centers, or community health centers. Our estimates show that over 120 million people currently live in a healthcare-desert county, accounting for roughly a third of the U. S. population.
Pharmacy deserts
Since 2021, the large number of pharmacy closures throughout the U. S. has added a significant burden to healthcare access. Today, over 48 million people live in a pharmacy desert— up from 41 million in 2021. In the U. S., 45 % of counties are pharmacy deserts, where the majority of residents have to travel over 15 minutes to reach nearby pharmacies— a distance that can make it difficult to fill a prescription.
Similar to how people living in food deserts face barriers to following a nutritious diet, the farther a person lives from pharmacies, the less access they have to instock medications and different options for price shopping. This is especially concerning as medication shortages continue to impact Americans. A recent GoodRx Research survey found that nearly 1 in 5 Americans had to visit multiple pharmacies in order to fill their prescription.
Hospital, hospital-bed, and trauma-center deserts
Access to hospitals and trauma care also has not improved since 2021. The number of people living in hospital deserts, hospital-bed deserts, and traumacenter deserts has remained roughly the same:
� Over 28 million live over 30 minutes from the nearest hospital.
� Over 79 million live in an area with fewer than 2 hospital beds per 1,000 people.
� Nearly 50 million live over 1 hour from a hospital equipped to handle major traumatic injuries.