Table 2 Methodology and Results

National level data: upper-middle-income economies

Brazil

 X

 X

Saude Legis—database containing legislation and Brazilian Ministry of Health

–

Medium/large municipality: 1.07, Small municipality: 2.15

–

–

–

Wealthy areas have a higher coverage

South Africa

 X

 X

Department of Health, SAPC- South African Pharmacy Council

–

0.61

–

Urban (least rural) province: 0.99, Most Rural province: 0.27

–

Most deprived districts: 0.11/10,000,

In province: 0.34/10,000

National level data: high-income economies

England

 X

 X

Fuse Geo-Health Care Access Database

–

–

89.2%—within 20 min walk

–

–

–

England

 X

 X

Geo-Healthcare Access Database

–

–

75%—within 10 min walking distance of one another

19%—in a cluster of two

56%—in a cluster of three

Urban: 19%, 19%, 62%

Town: 94%, 5%, 1% Rural: 94%, 4%, 2%—no cluster, cluster of two and three respectively

–

–

New Zealand

 X

 X

Till 2005—New Zealand Gazette, the official government journal. 2005–2010: MedSafe, a division of Ministry of Health

–

2.2

In 2010:

86.5%—within 5 km

In 2010:

99.8% within 25 km

Pharmacies centralize in areas of high population

–

Most deprived areas (according to NZDep) are more likely to live close to a pharmacy

United States

 X

 X

National Council for Prescription Drug Program, 2007–15

Internal validation by NCPDP

2.11

–

–

–

Highest quintiles had threefold more pharmacies than those in lowest quintile

Regional level data: lower-middle-income economies

Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh, India

 X

 X

Survey by identifying private pharmacies in the community, list from pharmacy association

 X

2.8

78% within 50 m from a health care provider, 17% within 50–100 m from a health care provider

Urban: 5.83/10,000. Rural: 0.84 per 10,000

–

–

Regional level data: high-income economies

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

 X

 X

Not explained

–

2.5

86%—within 10 min, 96%—within 15 min, Average travel time: 8.11 min

–

African–American have better accessibility to pharmacy (7.64 min) than white (8.59 min)

Elderly have easy access to pharmacies compared to general population

Chicago, United States

 X

 X

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for the period 2000–12

–

0.64/census tract

–

–

Pharmacy deseeds—clustered on the south and west side in segregated black and Hispanic community

–

Illinois, United States

 X

 X

Illinois Department of Professional Regulation

–

Urban: 1.27

Rural: 0.38

Average distance: 2.73 km,

For elderly: 3.05 km. Entire population: within 32 km, 0.1% rural – travel more

–

–

–

Liguria, Italy

 X

 X

Italian Ministry of Health’s open dataset

–

3.8

Mean distance to nearest pharmacy: 6.8 km,

81.7% municipality-had one pharmacy

Provincial level: 3.6/10,000

Municipal level: 11.07/10,000

–

–

Lisbon, Portugal

 X

 X

National Health System database

–

13.35

88%—live within 800 m

Elderly: 89.1% within 800 m

Pedestrian distance:

61.2% within 10 min walk, 76.9% within 15 min walk

Poorly accessible areas seen not only in rural areas but also in norther urbanization corridor

–

–

Minnesota, North and South Dakota, United States

 X

 X

State Boards of Pharmacy,

Surveys conducted with developed survey instrument

 X

–

Average distance:

Minnesota: 18 km, South Dakota: 29.3 km,

North Dakota: 32 km

Population > 32 km from a pharmacy:

Minnesota—0.4%, South Dakota—7.3%, North Dakota—4.3%

–

–

New York, United States

 X

 X

New York State registries, survey of selected pharmacy

 X

High poverty regions: 5.1

Low poverty regions: 3.5

–

–

–

For each 10%—point increase in the number of households in poverty, odds of one or more prescription medications

unavailability on the pharmacy shelves increases by 24%

Nova Scotia, Canada

X 

 X

Nova Scotia college of Pharmacists

–

12.24

42% within 800 m, 62.6% within 2 km and 78.8% within 5 km

Urban:

61.3%within 800 m, 90% within 2 km and 99.2% within 5 km. Rural:28% within 2 km and 53.3% live within 5 km

–

–

Ontario, Canada

 X

 X

Ontario College of Pharmacists

 X

7.96 (From Nova Scotia article)

63.6%—within 800 m, 84.6% within 2 km and 90.7% within 5 km

Urban: 73.3%, 96.2% and 99.4% within 800 m, 2 km and 5 km respectively

Rural: 8.5%, 18.1%, 40.9% within 800 m, 2 km and 5 km

–

–

Pennsylvania, United States

 X

 X

Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) and PACE Needs Enhancement Tier

 X

–

33%—live more than 1.6 km

Pharmacy deserts – in rural

Pharmacy deserts

have significantly more females, married and white elderly and fewer blacks and Hispanics

compared to pharmacy non-deserts

Median annual household income higher for those living in pharmacy deserts

Scottish Highland,

Scotland

 X

CACL consumer database ‘Ocean’

Questionnaires sent to a random sample obtained from database ‘Ocean’. Pharmacy locations were identified using respondent’s postcode

–

–

Median distance travelled – 2.4 km

84.3%—convenient

Significant association between rurality and convenience – those in most rural areas more likely not convenient

–

Convenience, also associated with good health, younger age and those living with a partner

Shelby County, Memphis,

Tennessee, United States

 X

 X

Cross-sectional survey of community pharmacies

 X

1.49 ± 1.04

–

–

Areas with more pharmacies per 10,000 residents had a higher % of white residents

High income regions: ≥ 1.88

Low income regions: < 0.72

South side Chicago, United States

 X

South Side Health and Vitality Statistics

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, interviews with pharmacies

–

1.8 per mi²

Median distance: 1.93 km, 31% fill prescription from nearest pharmacy

–

–

–