Pharmacy closures and how they affect older adults’ prescription use
Official title: Pharmacy Closures and Medication Adherence Among Older Adult Medicare Part-D Beneficiaries
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11304512 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at how closing pharmacies affects whether older adults on Medicare Part D take their chronic medications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $412,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG080090-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304512 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults enrolled in Medicare Part D who use chronic medications and live in areas with varying pharmacy access.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with minimal impact from pharmacy access changes, such as those with strong mail-order options or nearby pharmacies.
What this research studies
If pharmacies close or change networks, older adults may struggle to refill their medicines even if they want to. The study will combine claims data with pharmacy locations to see how access changes relate to adherence over time. Researchers will build a detailed, county-level view of pharmacy access and link it to patients’ prescription patterns.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide policies and programs to keep pharmacies accessible for seniors and improve medication adherence.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked pharmacy access to adherence, but the specific effects of closures within Part D networks require further study.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qato, Dima Mazen — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Qato, Dima Mazen
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.