Changes in pharmaceutical retail market and regional inequality of community pharmacists accessibility in mainland China: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

In general, the accessibility and centralisation of retail pharmacies in China have shown a steady growth with a sign of regional disparities. The availability of community pharmacists has increased significantly, although with an unreasonable composition of academic qualifications and a shortage of personnel. Further efforts are necessary to provide sufficient pharmacy resources for community settings and resolve regional disparities.