2026 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 288-295
Objective: Inadequate provision of medical resources in depopulated areas is a challenge in many countries, and Japan is currently experiencing an aging society with a declining birth rate. In other countries, the shortage of medical resources, including community pharmacists, in depopulated areas has emerged as a salient issue, necessitating the development of effective solutions. With the emphasis on the separation between prescription and dispensation, the number of community pharmacists in Japan has increased over time. This study examined whether the increase in the number of community pharmacists over time has contributed to improving the distribution of pharmacists in depopulated areas.
Methods: Data from 2012 to 2022 were analyzed. The distribution of community pharmacists was assessed using Gini coefficients.
Results: In 2022, the number of community pharmacists had increased by 37,723, or 124.7%, from the corresponding number in 2012. The difference in the number of community pharmacists per population between depopulated and non-depopulated areas was large (the number in depopulated areas was approximately 60% of that in non-depopulated areas), and this difference remained similar over time. The increase in the number of community pharmacists from 2012 to 2022 resulted in a more equal distribution relative to the population. However, the Gini coefficient in municipalities classified as depopulated areas was significantly higher than that in municipalities classified as non-depopulated areas, and this situation did not change despite the increase in the number of community pharmacists.
Conclusion: Although the number of community pharmacists increased, it had only a limited impact on correcting the imbalance between depopulated and non-depopulated areas, leaving the problem unresolved in depopulated areas. We hope that these results will facilitate efforts to optimize medical resources in depopulated areas.
