Investor Presentaiton
Oregon 65 or older decreased. 21 In the U.S., it is estimated medication nonadherence is associated with
125,000 deaths, 33%-69% of medication-related hospitalizations, and $100 to $300 billion in health
care services annually. 22 Pharmacists can help improve medication adherence and management of
chronic diseases and potentially reduce costly hospital readmissions.
The number of local and independent pharmacies has been falling across the nation. Pharmacy closures
disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities. Closures have also negatively impacted
Oregon's rural communities, which have higher barriers to accessing medications. 23 Sixteen counties in
Oregon are below the national average for community pharmacies per 10,000 people, as shown in
Figure 12.
Figure 12: Sixteen Oregon counties are below the national average for community pharmacies
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Counties below the national
average for pharmacies per
10,000 people
■Clackamas
■ Columbia
■Deschutes
■Jefferson
■Josephine
■ Klamath
■Lane
■Linn
■Marion
■Multnomah
■ Polk
■ Sherman
■Umatilla
Washington
■Wheeler
■ Yamhill
Source: Auditor analysis of Portland State University Population Center data, pharmacy data from the Oregon Board of
Pharmacy, and the National Institute of Health
Although the map shows that many rural counties are in line with national averages, the ratio mapped
does not consider the geographic size of a county. Some rural counties are over twenty times larger
geographically than their urban counterparts while most have far fewer than a twentieth of the
population. This means rural counties with only one or two pharmacies serving a large geographic area
can have a pharmacy to resident ratio in line with national averages. But the nearest pharmacy to many
residents still may be hours away. Fewer pharmacies in any given area translate to longer drive times
and increased wait times at existing pharmacies. Mail order pharmacies can be helpful to those in
21 Journal article- Pharmacy density in rural and urban communities in the state of Oregon and the association with hospital
readmission rates
22 Medication adherence generally refers to patients taking their medications as prescribed and as long as prescribed.
23 Journal article- Independently Owned Pharmacy Closures in Rural America
Oregon Secretary of State Report 2023-25 | August 2023 | page 19View entire presentation