Pharmacy Deserts: An Update for 2026

February 16, 2026

Summary

Pharmacy deserts continue to be a major healthcare issue in the U.S.
About 48 million Americans currently live in a healthcare desert with that number expected to rise.
A number of pharmacies closed in 2025, with more expected in 2026.

Where are pharmacies closing, and what communities are at risk?

Pharmacy deserts continue to be a major healthcare hurdle in the U.S. in 2026. About 48 million Americans currently live in a pharmacy desert, and that number could rise.

Last year, there were a number of pharmacy closings and bankruptcies across the country:

Uptown Pharmacy of Kingman, based in Arizona, filed for Chapter 11 on December 31, 2025.
Whitehall Pharmacy LLC, the parent company of drugstore chain Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, filed for Chapter 11 in July 2025 in Arkansas.
All Rite Aid locations closed. The company filed for Chapter 11 in May 2025. It had also filed for Chapter 11 in October 2023.
CVS closed 270 locations. The company had previously closed about 900 stores between 2022 and 2024.
Walgreens closed approximately 500 stores. In 2024, the company announced that it would close 1200 stores over the next three years.

These closures are part of a continuing trend. More than 29% of pharmacies in the U.S. closed between 2010 and 2021. These closures contribute to pharmacy deserts, which tend to hit low income, minority, and rural areas harder. For example, in 2024, pharmacies that were in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods closed at a 10% higher rate than those in white neighborhoods. In St. Louis, 17.2% of the city lives in a pharmacy desert and 80% of that group is Black.

State pharmacy closure breakdown

Some states are affected more than others.

Over 25% of the population in New Hampshire, South Dakota, West Virginia, Maine, and Vermont lives in a pharmacy desert.
In Pennsylvania, more than 400 pharmacies closed in 2025.
In Ohio in 2025, there were 223 fewer operating pharmacies in the state as compared to 2023.
In Minnesota, about 44% of pharmacies have closed in the last 10 years.
In Nevada, about 7000 pharmacies have closed over the past 10 years.
In Iowa, pharmacy closures increased by 53% from 2023 to 2024

What are the implications of a living in a pharmacy desert?

In 2026, some communities may face:

Longer trips to get prescriptions. Patients may need to travel farther distance to get their medications.
Reduced medication adherence. If distance and transportation become barriers, patients may not get their medications at all—and then may not take their them, thus lowering medication compliance. Nonadherence to medication adds a significant dollar value— $290 billion per year—in avoidable healthcare costs. And when patients do have a medical intervention at a pharmacy, their medication adherence goes up by about 3%.
More of a push to mail-order pharmacy and/or telepharmacy.

Final thoughts

In 2026, pharmacy deserts will remain a significant issue—an issue that crosses health equity, access, economic sustainability, and means of delivery.