TABLE 2.

Medication Access Barriers and Definitions

Barrier	Definition
Organizational health literacy	Organizational health literacy is how health literate health care systems are in providing patient care, which encompasses everything from management, organizational systems and interoperability, and the health care workforce.
Provider competencies and beliefs	How provider competencies and beliefs impact patient access to care (eg, lack of current medical knowledge, ability to provide culturally competent care, and outlook on stigmatized conditions).
Medical conditions	Diseases and/or conditions that can impact access to health care.
Health literacy	Health literacy characterizes the capability of the public to obtain and understand health information. It also includes the ability to make health decisions and to navigate the health care system in order to obtain medical services.
Insurance	Patient access to medical care/medications based on the type of medical insurance.
Patient attitudes and beliefs	Patient attitude and values towards the health care system and how negative attitudes can lead patients to not utilizing medical services, creating a barrier to accessing care.
Race/ethnicity	Racial or ethnic background and how it impacts access.
Gender	How gender impacts patient access to medical care.
Provider availability	Includes adequate medical infrastructure, facilities, and competent workforce to provide health care and medication after a need is identified.
Language	Examination of barriers experienced by patients whose primary language is not English in gaining access to needed medical care.
Public support	Examines if taxpayer-funded health care programs provide access to certain forms of medical care.
Transportation	Availability of transportation to medical care. This includes car ownership and the adequacy of public transportation.
Rural/urban	Examines barriers that are unique to urban and rural communities.
Costs	The costs of obtaining health care services. This includes the indirect costs of receiving care (eg, transportation and time off work).
Disability status	The unique issues that patients with disabilities can face in accessing health care and medications.
Income	Barriers related to the income of patients.
Education	Barriers related to patients’ educational level.