How Pharmacies Use Telehealth to Survive Pharmacy Deserts
- Independent pharmacy closures are accelerating across the US, creating “pharmacy deserts” in rural and underserved areas.
- Between 2018 and 2021, more US pharmacies closed than opened, with Black and Latinx communities disproportionately affected.
- Health systems like NewYork-Presbyterian (with Walgreens/Duane Reade) and BayCare (with Publix) have already shown that in-pharmacy telehealth works.
- Adding a telehealth station gives independent pharmacies a new service and new foot traffic, without becoming a full clinic.
A crisis that’s making headlines
Reports from NCPA and others describe a growing wave of pharmacy closures, independent pharmacies in particular, often in rural or lower-income communities. Local news coverage has described the trend as “pharmacy deserts” spreading state by state.
What local and national data show
| Region | What’s happening |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | Local coverage reports pharmacy closures accelerating, with a state-level report warning of expanding pharmacy deserts (Fox 9). |
| Vermont | Drugstore closures are shrinking access in rural communities (WCAX). |
| National (2018–2021) | More pharmacies closed than opened, disproportionately affecting Black and Latinx neighborhoods (published research). |
Why closures keep happening
Financial pressure from every direction
Thin margins, reimbursement pressure from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and competition from large chains and mail-order pharmacies have squeezed independents for years, with closures accelerating between 2018 and 2021.
A hypothetical, but familiar, scenario
Consider an independent pharmacy owner in a small Midwestern town, call her Maria. Reimbursement rates from PBMs have been cut again, a chain pharmacy opened a mail-order hub two counties over, and her nearest independent competitor closed last spring. She isn’t ready to close, but dispensing alone won’t keep the lights on. Illustrative, not a real case, but it mirrors the pressure described in the reporting above.
Adding a service, not just cutting costs
A telehealth station gives patients a reason to walk in, and a reason to stay loyal, without requiring the pharmacy to become a medical clinic itself.
Why this matters for patient access
In a pharmacy desert, the pharmacy is often the last accessible source of healthcare in town.
This is already working in the US
NewYork-Presbyterian’s OnDemand service placed telehealth kiosks in Walgreens and Duane Reade stores in Manhattan, and BayCare Health System did the same with Publix in Florida (HealthLeaders Media). Both show that patients already trust the idea of seeing a doctor inside a pharmacy. It’s exactly the gap connected health stations are designed to close.
From big chains to independents
The opportunity for independents is to bring the same model to the pharmacy that’s already the hub of its community. That’s the partnership Tessan offers: a consultation station installed on your floor, staff training, and ongoing support, described in detail on our page for pharmacy owners. To see what the model looks like from the patient side, browse the pharmacies already hosting a station.
This is informational content. Business terms for a pharmacy partnership (cost, revenue share, installation process) are handled separately with the Tessan partnerships team.