Opportunities for interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and hearing professionals in Pennsylvania: A descriptive geographic information system study

Abstract

BackgroundIn 2022, the Food and Drug Administration finalized regulations for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, available without professional hearing services and without a prescription. As a result, community pharmacies now serve as locations where adults seek self-care solutions for hearing loss such as OTC hearing aids. ObjectivesWe conducted a geographic information systems (GIS) analysis to identify Pennsylvania counties served by community pharmacies and hearing aid dispensaries, the practice locations of hearing professionals. MethodsWe obtained addresses of Pennsylvania pharmacies from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs. Hearing aid dispensaries were obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. GIS software was used to plot locations of pharmacies and hearing aid dispensaries. The number of pharmacies and hearing aid dispensaries was visualized on a Pennsylvania map, by county. Mean straight-line distances, in miles, from a hearing aid dispensary to its nearest pharmacy in any county and vice versa were calculated. This analysis was performed in early 2022. ResultsIn Pennsylvania, there were more community pharmacies (2769) than hearing aid dispensaries (945). All 67 Pennsylvania counties had more pharmacies than hearing aid dispensaries. Pharmacies outnumbered hearing aid dispensaries by 1 in some rural counties to 382 in urban Philadelphia County. The mean straight-line distance from a hearing aid dispensary, starting point, to the nearest pharmacy, end point, was 0.63 miles. The mean straight-line distance from a pharmacy, starting point, to the nearest hearing aid dispensary, end point, was 3.24 miles. ConclusionThis GIS analysis supports the participation of pharmacists in initiatives such as OTC hearing aids that increase population access to hearing care.