Let's Talk New Mexico, 9/5, 8a: In 2023, the Walmart in Abuquerque’s International District closed, and a few months later the Walgreens a couple of blocks away followed suit. Now the area is a pharmacy desert, with only 3 pharmacies remaining in the neighborhood, all situated near the district’s border. Now, a new threat has prompted a third of independent pharmacies across the nation to say they might have to close their doors in the next year, risking larger and more numerous deserts.
This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico we'll discuss what’s driving pharmacy deserts across the country, and the particular issues we face closer to home. We’ll feature guests who have experience running independent pharmacies, and public health advocates. We want to hear from you! What would losing access to your local pharmacy mean to you? Are you already having problems accessing a pharmacy? What can be done locally to help alleviate the problem?
Email us at Letstalk@kunm.org, or call in live, Thursday morning at 8, 505-277-5866, or click the link below to leave a recorded message.
GUESTS:
Enrique Cardiel, Executive Director, Health Equity Council
Jeremy Ma, John's Pharmacy
Ashley Seafarth, owner, Kare Drug
Additional reading:
One-third of all neighborhoods in the largest U.S. cities have been ‘pharmacy deserts’ - USC Today
The Impact of Pharmacy Deserts - US Pharmacist
