OPINION: Online pharmacies can help Albuquerque residents in pharmacy deserts

Access to essential health care services is a fundamental right, yet thousands of Albuquerque residents are facing a growing crisis that undermines this notion: The rise of pharmacy deserts. With the recent announcement by Rite Aid to shutter more than 1,200 of its remaining stores, the bankruptcy marks yet another chapter in an unprecedented wave of pharmacy closures. Some of the closures have been local community staples, but big chain pharmacy closures are accelerating at a concerning rate — now totaling more than 3,300 nationwide including hundreds across the city and state.

The closures are exacerbating the existing health care access crisis. Many of these communities are losing their only local pharmacy, forcing vulnerable patients to travel long distances, navigate unfamiliar systems, or outright slipping through the cracks without their essential medication.

This issue is compounded by a shortage of primary care physicians in many of these same areas. When pharmacies close in areas already short of doctors and other health care services, it creates a potentially life-threatening situation for people who have chronic conditions and depend on consistent medication access.

But amid this urgent reality, online pharmacies are emerging as a safe and effective solution to provide essential health care services. Unlike brick-and-mortar pharmacies, online pharmacies don't rely on physical infrastructure and can serve patients across the city and state with far greater efficiency. The ability to order medications online and have them delivered directly to their homes is transformative. It means fewer missed doses, less travel time and the ability to manage chronic conditions with greater consistency.

There are also cost advantages to online pharmacies. With lower overhead, medications are offered at competitive or even reduced prices, sometimes paired with digital tools that help with refills, guidance and virtual pharmacist consultations. For elderly patients, those with disabilities, or individuals without reliable transportation, these services aren’t just convenient — they’re critical.

With 1 in 4 Americans already struggling with medication access even before these closures, the situation is only getting worse. We need to eliminate the unnecessary barriers to health care especially as traditional pharmacies disappear at an alarming rate.

The continued decline of physical pharmacies in communities across Albuquerque will put many at risk and only widen the existing health disparities. But by embracing online pharmacies as a complementary — not competing — form of care delivery, those gaps can be narrowed and even eliminated. In a digital age, access to medication should not be tied to geography.

Pharmacy deserts are a public health failure. Online pharmacies can be part of the solution. Let’s give them the attention — and the investment — they deserve.