The Pharmacy Desert Crisis and Why Online Training Programs Are the Solution

The US is now facing a crisis; however, it is ignored by a majority of citizens until they have to experience it first-hand. According to recent research, nearly 1 in 7 Americans now live in a "pharmacy desert"—an area where residents must travel significantly longer distances to access essential medications and clinical advice.

As expected, this crisis is more prevalent in rural regions, where the closure of independent pharmacies has left many residents unable to access medication quickly.

Thankfully, there is a solution: Telepharmacy technology. However, it must be combined with modernizing the pipeline for healthcare workers to stabilize rural health systems before they collapse.

The Science of Distance and Health Outcomes

To some, this may not seem like a crisis; however, a pharmacy desert is more than an inconvenience; it is a clinical risk factor.

Studies published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show a direct correlation between pharmacy closures and decreased medication adherence.

This is because when a round-trip to the nearest pharmacy takes over 80 minutes, patients with chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes are significantly more likely to miss doses, leading to preventable hospitalizations. Unfortunately, this is a common reality in non-metropolitan counties.

To combat this, many states are turning to telepharmacy. In this model, a single pharmacist can oversee multiple remote locations using high-definition video and automated dispensing systems. But for telepharmacy to be safe and effective, it requires a highly skilled pharmacy Technician.

Building a Workforce Without Borders

While the solution is known, there is still a barrier to opening these remote telepharmacy hubs, which is access to qualified personnel. This is because in rural towns, the local talent pool is often small, and the fact that training schools are located sparsely doesn't help the situation.

This is specifically why the digital transformation of education becomes a public health necessity. An online pharmacy technician training program allows residents, even in underserved areas, to gain specialized medical knowledge without leaving their communities. This also creates a "grow-your-own" workforce model:

1. Local Recruitment: Residents train in their own homes.
2. Clinical Skill-Building: They learn the pharmacy fundamentals and legal standards required to manage a remote site.
3. Immediate Deployment: Once certified, they staff the very clinics that prevent their neighbors from living in a pharmacy desert.

A Growing Field in a High-Demand Era

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for pharmacy technicians will grow 6% to 7% through 2034, a rate faster than the average for all occupations.

The primary reason behind this growth is that the U.S. population is aging, and as the complexity of pharmaceutical therapies increases, the role of the technician is expanding from simple pill counting to complex inventory management and patient navigation.

For those looking to enter the field, choosing a comprehensive pharmacy technician training program is the first step toward becoming a vital link in the healthcare chain.

Addressing Regulatory and Ethical Landscape

While it may seem like that, telepharmacy with remote pharmacy techs is the way forward; it should also be noted that these professionals need to be well-versed in legalities related to this role. For instance, authorities are very strict when it comes to healthcare professionals and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

This is because a pharmacy is full of controlled substances and sensitive data of patients. So, despite the pharmacy desert crisis, counties simply cannot give access to anyone who claims to be a pharmacy technician.

This further cements the importance of completing a pharmacy technician training program, as it ensures that when students enter the workforce, they are prepared to handle the immense responsibility of managing sensitive patient data and restricted substances in an environment where they may be the only healthcare point of contact.

Final Words

The pharmacy desert crisis is very real, and although the solution is known (telepharmacy), it simply cannot be implemented overnight.

While more pharmacy stores are definitely needed, more people need to be encouraged to enroll in online pharmacy technician courses, and authorities can do so by incentivizing this approach. The final goal of telepharmacies with certified pharmacy techs should be to ensure that a patient's zip code no longer determines their access to a life-saving medication.