I heard this phrase the other night and loved it because it spotlighted our rural area as a “Pharmacy Desert.” In most places, the pharmacy desert is defined as people living at least 15 miles from a pharmacy.
Maine was called this, but our location is an hour away from any pharmacy. You may remember the big rainstorms we had several years ago, when there was no way out of town for three days.
My medicines got delayed, and I ended up sick for a month because of it. The prescriptions were supposed to be mailed out, but they weren’t. Then, we could not get there to pick up the refill.
Even last week, one of my husband’s medications was not sent out. We ended up taking a ride to get it as we needed groceries. The wait for mail has also been delayed many times.
Pharmacy Shortages
Maine’s pharmacy shortage is caused by staffing and economic issues. Smaller, rural areas struggle to attract pharmacists due to fewer incentives and higher workloads.
Big chain pharmacies have also been cutting hours, partly due to low reimbursement rates from insurance companies. Many pharmacists feel burnt out from juggling increased responsibilities, including giving vaccines and managing prescriptions.
Plus, fewer students are entering the field, deepening the problem. This combination has left communities with longer wait times and limited medication access in an already pharmacy desert area.
1. Planning in Pharmacy Desert Areas
We’ve always planned ahead as we know driving an hour one way and an hour back can take up a day if you also do grocery shopping and stop for lunch or other errands. We also try to pick the best weather day with winter storms lasting from October through April when mud season takes over.
Even in the summertime, with big rainstorms, there can be flooding, and there is no way to leave town. Even friends who visit and see our cabinet filled with everyday medicines think we have a pharmacy.
We even signed up for mail delivery emails from the post office to find out if they are being sent so we can call to triple-check on them.
2. Others Rely On Facebook Friends in Pharmacy Deserts
People often post on local Facebook pages asking if anyone is entering the big town near the pharmacy. Oftentimes, others will pick up prescriptions for them. It’s nice when people can coordinate to do that. It’s not like we have Ubers around here to drive people.
There used to be a senior bus that took seniors for the hour ride, but I haven’t seen it lately.
3. Change to 90-day prescriptions
Some of our friends have switched to a 90-day mail-order prescription. It sounds like an excellent idea for many people.
We haven’t done this for a few reasons: One, we may be moving, and two, what if that gets delayed? We don’t want to drive halfway across the country to get our prescriptions.
It also takes time to set up, as you have to contact your doctor to have them change the medical prescriptions to 90 days, then call your medical insurance company and spend an hour on the phone, like I did last year, to inquire.
4. Don’t Get Sick or Get in An Accident
That sounds easier said than done, as we’ve experienced both over the years. Besides being hit by a moose while driving, we both had snowmobile accidents.
Where the weather is extreme, there are more opportunities for accidents, whether on the trails or just walking in your icy driveway. Other times, it may be your pet that needs attention.
Veterinarians are not easily found in rural areas as many do not take in new patients. I had to call last week to inquire about getting our dog spayed.
The answering machine mentioned that they were not taking on any new clients. Thank goodness she already had her first visit there.
Conclusion: Living in Pharmacy Desserts
If you are thinking of moving to a rural area, check out where the closest pharmacy is. This is especially important if you are older and want to retire there or have little kids who get sick often. The next location we planned had several pharmacies within 25 minutes.
But if you love being out in the woods, prepare to have as much medicine in the medicine cabinet in case you or your loved ones get sick. And, of course, don’t forget about your pet.
