In the United States, nearly one in ten new prescriptions, a total of 55 million, were never picked up at the pharmacy in 2020. However, medicine abandonment does not impact all populations equally. An analysis based on IQVIA data revealed that even with insurance, African American patients are less likely to pick up their medicines at the pharmacy counter than White patients. This can lead to worse health outcomes for these patients and further contribute to existing gaps in health equity.

As a committed partner in the health equity space, PhRMA is releasing the following report and appendix of data to help facilitate proactive research that expands our understanding of the drivers of health disparities and improves health equity.