Name
Mapping Pharmacy Access in Ontario, Canada: A Geospatial Analysis of Availability and Service Distribution Throughout the Province.
Date & Time
Friday, May 23, 2025, 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Description

Rural regions face more barriers than urban areas in accessing healthcare, largely due to fewer allied health services. Without adequate pharmaceutical resources, these communities will face increasing challenges as healthcare demand rises. This study maps pharmacy access across Ontario, providing a geographically considerate measure of rurality based on pharmaceutical care availability. By modifying the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia, this service specific and province specific application of the Canadian Accessibility and Remoteness Index (CARI+) model measures proximity to service centres using population cut-offs, presented as standardized scores and normalized index values. Normalized index values were then used to develop meaningful groupings of rurality, comparable to current measures used by Statistics Canada. The study found that 69.86% of pharmacies in Ontario are in major metropolitan areas. There is a decline in pharmacies as population size decreases, reflecting a demand-based resource distribution. A key anomaly is that rural and remote communities, with populations under 1,000, account for only 0.56% of Ontario’s pharmacies. While this aligns with general trends, it is critical given these regions cover vast land areas. Travel times significantly impact access to healthcare, affecting residents’ ability to obtain medications. This study highlights disparities in pharmacy access in Ontario’s rural communities, where less than 1% of pharmacies are located. Future research should explore the availability of sexual and reproductive health services to better understand access challenges.

Location Name
Mackenzie (ME) 3356
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
196
Speaker Name
Emma Chisholm
Speaker Organization
Carleton University
Session Name
CS106 Measurement and visualization of rurality indicators