33. The Rural Community Pharmacy: A Lifeline on Catalina Island

In rural counties most pharmacies are independently owned. When these rural pharmacies close, they don’t just leave a gap in healthcare, they affect a region's economy. Because who wants to move to a town where you can’t get a prescription filled for 40 miles? Hear the audio story that I created at the Transom Story Workshop on Catalina Island about Sue Ponce, the sole pharmacist on Catalina Island’s only drug store for three decades. When I arrived at the workshop I thought I was there to learn some audio technical skills. What I didn’t expect was to also rethink how stories work and their place in healthcare.References:Berenbrok LA, Tang S, Gabriel N, et al. Access to community pharmacies: A nationwide geographic information systems cross-sectional analysis.J Am Pharm Assoc. 2022;62(6):1816-1822.e2.Catalano G, Khan MMM, Chatzipanagiotou OP, Pawlik TM. Pharmacy Accessibility and Social Vulnerability.JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2429755. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.29755.DiStefano MJ, Chen NC, Asche CV, Anderson KE, Mattingly II TJ.“The crux of the community”: A qualitative focus group study of the impact of community pharmacy closures in Colorado and Utah.J Am Pharm Assoc. 2026;66:102940. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2025.102940.Gravlee E, Ramachandran S, Qato D.Critical Access Pharmacy Designations Could Strengthen Access. Health Affairs Forefront. December 19, 2025. doi:10.1377/forefront.20251216.325474.Kono M, Deller S. Rural Pharmacies an Overlooked Piece of the Rural Health Care Milieu.Choices. 2023;34(4).Luchen GG, Hall KK, Hough KR. The Role of Community Pharmacists in Patient Safety.PSNet. October 25, 2021. Accessed May 7, 2026. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/role-community-pharmacists-patient-safety.Moodley S. Rethinking Community Pharmacy: A Path To A Sustainable Model.Health Affairs Forefront. July 28, 2025. doi:10.1377/forefront.20250724.565622.