Community pharmacies play a crucial role in a comprehensive health system. In addition to dispensing medication, they can be sources of medical advice, consultations, harm-reduction services, health screenings, medication management, vaccine schedules, and more.
Where we place pharmacies can impact which communities have reliable access to medications, screening, advice, etc. Many of Lansing's pharmacies are on busy commercial corridors like MLK and Cedar. We have experienced our share of neighborhood pharmacy closures, which is associated with a decline in adherence. So: how many people can easily access a neighborhood pharmacy and who can walk to their local pharmacy?
On a related note: the Allen Neighborhood Center recently opened a pharmacy on the East Side, which closed a large gap in pharmacy coverage for those nearby.
In this map, red buildings have a 15-minute walk (or less) to their local pharmacy. (I've written about the walkability of Lansing in general before.) You can see the coverage gap closed by the ANC in pink.
How Was This Visualization Created?
If you are curious about the methodology for this viz:
Walkshed was determined by paths, sidewalks and all roads with speed limits of 45 or less.
A lot of information came from OpenStreetMap. Do you see an error? Maybe you want to become a contributor and make it better for the next person.
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