New effort aims to expand pharmacy access in Oregon’s rural and frontier communities

Earlier this month, the Pharmacy Foundation of Oregon announced it was awarded more than $5 million from the Oregon Health Authority to expand pharmacy access in rural and frontier communities.     The need is particularly acute in Oregon. According to an analysis by AP in 2024 using data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, Oregon has the second fewest retail pharmacies per capita in the nation. Pharmacy closures can be particularly hard for patients in rural areas who may have to drive hours to the next available pharmacy to fill their prescriptions.    To help this population, PFO will use the OHA funds to install secure lockers in Burns, Baker City, Gold Beach and other locations for patients to pick up their prescriptions. The nonprofit will also roll out a prescription delivery service staffed with a community health worker who is also a bilingual pharmacy technician to serve customers in Heppner, John Day, La Grande and other locations. PFO is also hoping to launch a telepharmacy service where a pharmacist would be available for video consultations with patients and would be able to remotely supervise a technician as medications are dispensed.   Brian Mayo is the executive director of the Oregon State Pharmacy Association and the Pharmacy Foundation of Oregon. Ann Murray is a pharmacist and the co-owner of Murray’s Drug, an independent, family-owned pharmacy with locations in Heppner, Condon and Boardman. Murray and Mayo join us to discuss the OHA grant and the challenges facing pharmacies and the rural communities they serve.