Georgia pharmaceutical leaders respond to the rise in pharmacy deserts

WABE's "Closer Look" host Rose Scott talks with Mahlon Davidson, the interim CEO of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and Jonathan G. Marquess, the vice president of AIP, about how their organization is responding to the current state of the pharmacy industry. (Tiffany Griffith/ WABE)

According to a new pharmacy desert map, there are areas in Georgia where people must drive between 15 and 25 miles to reach their nearest pharmacy.

Mahlon Davidson, the interim CEO of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and Jonathan G. Marquess, the vice president of AIP, grew up seeing how their local pharmacists connected with people within their communities. That connection led them both to become pharmacists.

Now, as leaders in Georgia’s pharmaceutical industry, they are both working to spread the word about the importance of pharmacists’ work and alerting lawmakers about the concerns within their industry.

On Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Davidson and Marquess talked with host Rose Scott about how their organization is responding to the current state of the pharmacy industry, including a rise in pharmacy deserts, worker strikes and the closures of several big-box pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid.