Pritzker announces $25M to strengthen pharmacy access in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association announced $24.7 million in funding for 434 entities through the Illinois Pharmacy Support Program.

The program was designed to help pharmacies most at risk of closure or financial strain, especially those in rural areas, low income areas, or populations that have limited access to health care.

Governor Pritzker said, "Local pharmacies are often one of the most accessible and affordable points of care for working families, seniors, and Medicaid patients, providing medications, vaccinations, and trusted health care services. With pharmacies facing growing financial pressures, Illinois is stepping up to strengthen and support these critical providers and ensure working families across the state continue to receive the care they rely on close to home."

Every eligible pharmacy that applied got the same amount of $56,892. The 434 pharmacies getting funding span almost all of Illinois' 102 counties. The full list can be found here.

Pharmacies had to meet one or more of the following criteria:

Critical access pharmacies serving rural or medically underserved areas
Small independent pharmacies with fewer than 10 locations
Pharmacies in rural counties with fewer than 50,000 residents
Pharmacies in larger counties located in federally designated Medically Underserved Areas or Populations
Pharmacies serving predominantly Medicaid patients, with at least 65% of claims from Medicaid and most services delivered in Illinois
Pharmacies in high poverty, low access census tracts, where residents live significant distances from pharmacy services