COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — Rural communities across Ohio are set to receive a $3.15 million federal investment aimed at improving pharmacy connectivity and helping health care providers better coordinate patient care.
The funding comes through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and will support efforts across Ohio’s 73 rural counties.
The investment is designed to connect independent and retail pharmacies, federally qualified health centers and outpatient hospital pharmacies with better access to critical prescription drug information.
According to the announcement, $2 million will be used to improve pharmacists’ access to patient medical records, strengthen medication management and care coordination and reduce drug-related adverse events.
Another $1.15 million will be used to improve rural health care providers’ access to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, or OARRS. The funding will support needs assessments, outreach and onboarding assistance to increase integration between OARRS, electronic health records and pharmacy dispensing systems.
Officials said the improved connectivity could help prescribers and pharmacists identify potentially dangerous drug interactions and combat situations in which individuals fraudulently obtain controlled substances from multiple health care providers.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the investment will help address the need for improved health care in rural communities.
“We are very appreciative that the Trump Administration has prioritized the great need to improve healthcare in rural Ohio,” DeWine said. “This award will further that goal and make a real difference in the lives of many Ohioans.”
The pharmacy investment is part of a larger Rural Health Transformation effort in Ohio.
The state previously received $10 million for rural health workforce development, with Ohio University leading an initiative designed to recruit, train and retain health care professionals in rural communities.
Ohio also has a $61.7 million funding opportunity to develop and expand Clinically Integrated Networks and Rural Health Innovation Hubs across 73 non-urban counties.
The broader program is intended to improve access to care, strengthen rural health care workforces, expand chronic disease management and use technology to improve health care delivery.
Rep. Dave Taylor, whose district includes Appalachian communities, said the investment will help strengthen rural health care systems.
“For rural Buckeye families, this historic investment will strengthen our health care system, ensure access to quality care, and better serve the Ohioans who depend on it the most,” Taylor said.
The funding was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which provided $50 billion nationally for rural health transformation efforts.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is administered through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Officials say the goal is to give rural communities greater access to technology and resources while helping health care providers deliver more coordinated and sustainable care closer to where patients live.
Last Updated on August 26, 2026 by AVC News
