Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: Rural Health
What is Rural Health?
What does "rural" mean?
There are a variety of definititons from different organizations and government agencies. How "rural" is defined can impact whether an area is eligible for certain funding opportunities as well.
Learn more about the definitions of rural and find out if an area you live, work or study in is rural at the links below.
Why does it matter?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those living in rural areas face more health disparities when compared with urban counterparts and face higher risks of death due to limited access to health services (e.g. pharmacy deserts) and exposure to environmental hazards. Learning more about these issues is the first step towards improving the lives and health outcomes of those in these areas.
Image credit: Wisconsin Red Barn and Silo licensed under Pixabay
- HRSA: How We Define RuralDefinitions of rural from Health Resources & Service Administration and the Office of Management and Budget
- Growing Racial Diversity in Rural America: Results from the 2020 CensusReport from the University of New Hampshire, Carsey School of Public Policy on the changing population of rural areas
- Am I Rural?The Am I Rural? Tool from the RHIhub will help you determine if a specific address is considered rural based on a variety of criteria including those used as eligibility for federal programs.
Getting Started
The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rural Health is a valuable place to start learning and gathering resources.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) supports the development of state and community rural health leaders; creating and facilitating state, regional, and national partnerships that foster information sharing and spur rural health-related programs/activities; and enhancing access to quality healthcare services in rural communities.
The Network of the National Library of Medicine held the Rural Health Webinar Series in November 2024 in support of efforts to improve the health of rural communities and celebrate National Rural Health Day. Along with recordings of the webinars, they have a collection of resources including special issues such as telehealth.
USDA Economic Research Service
The Economic Research Service (ERA) is part of both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Federal Statistical System of the United States. It provides information and research on agriculture and economics.
The ERA also produced an annual report of note: Rural America at a Glance. The 2024 Edition is linked to along with a recording of their accompanying webinar online.
- ERS Charts of NoteCharts from the USDA Economic Research Service, using United States Census data
- ERS State Fact SheetsProvide information on population, income, poverty, food security, education, employment/unemployment, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, top commodities, and agricultural exports
Rural Health Issues
- Rural Health Issue Topic GuidesFrom Pharmacy and Prescription Drugs to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, this RHIhub Topic Guide can help build an understanding of the health issues faced by rural communities.
- CDC: Topics in Rural HealthCovers a variety of topics such as antibiotic stewardship programs, diabetes self-management and vaccination
- Rural Hospital Closures Threaten Access: Solutions to Preserve Care in Local Communities2022 report from the American Hospital Association
- Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2023Report on the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region
Highlights of Pharmacy and Rural Health Literature
Berenbrok, L. A., Tang, S., Gabriel, N., Guo, J., Sharareh, N., Patel, N., Dickson, S., & Hernandez, I. (2022). Access to community pharmacies: A nationwide geographic information systems cross-sectional analysis. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA, 62(6), 1816–1822.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2022.07.003 UB Libraries Link
Cantlupe, J. A. (19 Feb. 2021). Reaching rural America. Academic Pharmacy Now, (1). https://www.aacp.org/article/reaching-rural-america
Casey, M. M., Klingner, J., & Moscovice, I. (2002). Pharmacy services in rural areas: Is the problem geographic access or financial access? Journal of Rural Health, 18(3), 467-477. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2002.tb00911.x UB Libraries Link
MacDowell, M., Glasser, M., Fitts, M., Nielsen, K., & Hunsaker, M. (2010). A national view of rural health workforce issues in the USA. Rural and Remote Health, 10(3). PMID: 20658893 UB Libraries Link
Thrasher, K., O'Connor, S. K., & Joyner, P. U. (2012). Rural health in pharmacy curricula. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 76(9), 180. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe769180 UB Libraries Link
Wardle, J., Lui, C. W., & Adams, J. (2012). Complementary and alternative medicine in rural communities: Current research and future directions. Journal of Rural Health, 28(1), 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2010.00348.x UB Libraries Link
