BOTETOURT CO., Va. – More than half of Virginia’s zip codes lack a single physical pharmacy location, highlighting a growing healthcare crisis as rural and underserved communities struggle with diminishing access to prescription medications and pharmaceutical care.
The Virginia Board of Health has declared pharmacy deserts a public health threat after the commonwealth lost 62 pharmacies between 2022 and 2025, with 32 closures in 2025 alone.
“We actually in the Roanoke Valley alone have had multiple pharmacies closed recently,” said Tim Lucas, owner of Downhome Pharmacy in Botetourt. “Pharmacy deserts are traditionally just basically large areas where people don’t have quite an adequate supply of pharmacies to be able to get the prescriptions that they need.”…