ORWELL, Ohio — It has not been a good year for those looking to fill a prescription. Mass closures of pharmacies across Ohio continue as Rite Aid battles through bankruptcy and CVS and Walgreens restructure.
It may have felt like there were two pharmacies at every intersection, but now, a new study from Ohio State University shows just how far some are driving for the drugs they need.
"As [pharmacies] evaporate from certain neighborhoods, I think some critical services are lost," Dr. Timothy Pawlik, who chairs the Department of Surgery at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said. "There’s been a real consolidation of the market."
Pawlik looked at the consequences and increasing frequency of "pharmacy deserts," where there's no place for picking up prescriptions within at least 10 miles.
"What was surprising is of the 3,000 counties we looked at [nationwide], roughly half had at least one pharmacy desert in that county," he explained.
Pawlik argues that without a pharmacy, the overall health of a community could suffer, with many no longer taking their prescribed medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
Whether it’s Walgreens, Rite Aid or an independent pharmacy closing, Pawlik worries health will take a backseat for those who can’t make the longer drive.
"It’s a problem on the rise and the probably the whole story has not been told," he said.
This study only looked at data through 2020 and did not include the influx of pharmacy closures that have occurred in the past couple of years.
RELATED: Cleveland community fighting back after learning CVS set to close doors this month
A spokesperson with Rite Aid confirmed to News 5 earlier this year that it would close all but four of its locations in Ohio by the end of September.
The four stores slated to remain open are:
419 Claremont Avenue, Ashland, OH
735 North Water Street, Uhrichsville, OH
1955 Cleveland Road, Wooster, OH
1045 Wheeling Avenue, Cambridge, OH
According to its website, Rite Aid operated 208 stores in Ohio just two years ago.
What does a "pharmacy desert" look like?
In Ashtabula County, Orwell has been designated as a pharmacy desert since Grand Valley Drug abruptly closed in 2017.
"It was awful, a lot of people were devastated," Orwell Village manager Tami Pentek said. "People have to drive 20-30 miles and that’s one of the biggest questions they have: where they have to go to get prescriptions? [They're going to Chardon, Middlefield,] Warren, sometimes even Pennsylvania to get their prescriptions filled."
When the pharmacy in Orwell closed, Levi Yoder didn’t suffer much. He worked in the Village but lives in Bristolville.
But when Rite Aid closed there, too, his outlook on his cholesterol medication changed, and now the nearest pharmacy is at Walmart, which is 20 minutes away.
"I negotiate with myself and sometimes I don’t take the meds I’m supposed to because I don’t want to go to Walmart," he said.
After closing in Orwell, that drug store became a flower shop and now is a t-shirt store. But for village manager Tami Pentek, filling a storefront is about more than just maintaining charm.
"We need to take care of our own," Pentek said. "Nothing against the pizza shop, I think [a pharmacy is] a bigger priority than a gas station or a pizza shop. Healthcare should be #1. We should be able to provide of our residents. Our residents are what a village is made up of."
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
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