Restoring Pharmacy Access for the Residents of the Santiam Canyon
A pharmacy in Mill City would expand access to essential medications, directly advancing our mission of providing quality healthcare to our rural communities.
Why It Matters
- The 340B program allows eligible patients to receive medications at substantially reduced costs, helping underserved and underrepresented populations afford their therapies.
- Savings generated through the program can be reinvested into community services, amplifying Santiam’s ability to provide holistic care.
- For areas like Mill City and the Santiam Canyon, where healthcare resources are limited, a 340B pharmacy is uniquely positioned to reduce disparities and strengthen long-term health outcomes.
Impact Goals
- Dispense 15,000 prescriptions annually, reducing travel burdens and improving medication adherence.
- Vaccination expansion will increase immunization rates in rural Marion and Linn Counties. This includes vaccines that the Primary Care Clinic cannot provide (i.e., Shingles)
Key Facts
- Mill City and Santiam Canyon residents travel nearly 20 miles for prescriptions, creating barriers to care (farther for residents of Idanha and Detroit).
- According to the Lund Report in 2024, Oregon is the 2nd worst in the nation for retail pharmacy access.
- The population served is 5,500 residents, including low-income families, older adults, people with disabilities, and wildfire-impacted communities.
- Santiam Medical Clinic writes 925 new prescriptions monthly; the previous pharmacy filled 130 prescriptions daily. It is projected that the new pharmacy will be financially self-sustaining shortly after opening.
- 17% of Mill City residents live in poverty, higher than the state average. Wildfires in 2020 destroyed 80% of Detroit’s homes, exacerbating housing and food insecurity.
Currently, the absence of a local pharmacy forces patients to travel to Stayton or Salem for prescriptions, including essential and lifesaving therapies. For residents with limited income, disabilities, or transportation challenges, this distance presents a serious barrier to care. Too often, these challenges result in missed medications, worsening chronic conditions, and avoidable hospitalizations.
Mission Alignment
Opening a retail pharmacy in Mill City is a mission-driven initiative that will improve medication access, promote equity, and strengthen the healthcare infrastructure of the community. This location will be a 340b site dedicated to serving the underserved. By aligning directly with Santiam Hospital’s mission and vision, this initiative ensures that Mill City and Santiam Canyon residents have the care and resources they need close to home, laying the foundation for better health outcomes for years to come.
Santiam Hospital & Clinics is excited to bring a new pharmacy to Mill City and the Santiam Canyon region. The pharmacy will be located within the Santiam Medical Clinic. We are honored to provide quality healthcare to the community and our patients.
Please consider supporting the Mill City Pharmacy Campaign today!
