Nearly 1 in 8 U.S. pharmacies closed between 2009-2015, affecting mostly urban areas 

About 1 in 8 U.S. pharmacies closed between 2009 and 2015, according to new research, leaving gaps in many parts of the country. Researchers found that there were close to 75,000 pharmacies at any given time during the study period, and that the number of pharmacies increased by nearly 8% during those seven years. Still, by the end of 2015, nearly 13% had closed. Pharmacies in urban areas were more likely to have closed than those in rural parts of the country. Independently owned drug stores as well as those serving uninsured people, those from low-income backgrounds, or people who have public insurance were also more likely to have closed. Reducing such closures should involve reforming how pharmacies are paid, including better reimbursement rates for public insurance plans, the authors write.