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Bill

SD 718

Resolve relative to pharmacy deserts

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Lydia Edwards

Directs the Office of Health Resource Planning to map pharmacy deserts, assess access/cost impacts, and report policy options to address deserts by Sept 1, 2026.

House concurred
0
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Bill Summary · SD 718

Summary: Resolve relative to pharmacy deserts (Senate Docket No. 718)

Overview

  • Bill: Resolve relative to pharmacy deserts
  • Status: House concurred
  • Introduced: February 27, 2025
  • Provisions: A directive (resolve) directing the Office of Health Resource Planning to conduct a focused assessment of pharmacy and pharmacological services, identify “pharmacy deserts,” and analyze their impact on access and costs, followed by policy recommendations.
  • Legislative vehicle: A non-binding resolution that directs a state agency to study and report; not a new statutory program authorizing ongoing obligations.

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to determine where pharmacy deserts exist in the Commonwealth and how they affect residents’ ability to obtain medications and related health care services. It directs the state’s Office of Health Resource Planning to quantify supply, distribution, and capacity of pharmacy services and to assess consequences for health outcomes and health care costs. The goal is to inform policy options to address current deserts and prevent the creation of new ones.

Key provisions and requirements

Definition of “pharmacy desert”

A pharmacy desert is an area with one or more of the following barriers:
- Geographic access: nearest pharmacy >1 mile in urban areas, >5 miles in suburban areas, or >10 miles in rural areas.
- Distance and travel time: travel time >15 minutes by car or >30 minutes by public transportation.
- Transportation access: areas with infrequent public transit or where at least 20% of residents lack access to private vehicles.

Conduct of the assessment

  • The Office of Health Resource Planning (OHRP), established in section 22 of chapter 6D (as amended by 2024 Acts, ch. 343), shall perform a focused assessment of the supply, distribution, and capacity of pharmacy and pharmacological services.
  • The assessment must identify existing and potential pharmacy deserts and analyze their impact on access to medications and pharmacological care.

Reporting requirements and timeline

  • By September 1, 2026, the OHRP must present findings to:
    • Board of the Health Policy Commission
    • Clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives
    • House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means
    • Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
    • Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA)
    • Department of Public Health
  • The report must analyze, in addition to baseline findings, the impact of deserts on:
    • Neighborhoods and patient populations
    • Access to medications and health care outcomes
    • Geographical and financial barriers to obtaining medications
    • Average distance and travel time to a pharmacy and available transportation options
    • Overall health care costs (including ED visits and hospitalizations)
    • Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) business practices and their role in closures
    • Policy recommendations to address current deserts and limit the creation of new ones

Who is affected

  • Residents living in areas identified as pharmacy deserts
  • Patients and communities facing barriers to obtaining medications
  • Stakeholders in health care access, transportation, and PBM practices
  • State policymakers and health agencies involved in health access planning and cost analysis

Procedural and timeline context

  • Legislative action date: February 27, 2025 (referred to the Committee on Health Care Financing; House concurred)
  • Nature of measure: A resolute directive (non-binding guidance) intended to inform future policy decisions rather than create immediate regulatory obligations or funding mechanisms. The outcome is a detailed analytic report with potential policy recommendations for consideration by the General Court and relevant health agencies.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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