Becoming a skilled pharmacist is about more than learning to treat diseases with medication; it’s about compassionately caring for people — often people in underserved communities.
That’s why students at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy now go beyond the classroom and into neighborhoods throughout the state to complete their studies. It’s where the people are, and it’s where pharmacy students can get firsthand experience in serving Florida’s patients.
“As pharmacists, we are the most accessible health care workers,” said Chardaè Whitner, Pharm.D., a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy education and practice and the college’s director of community engagement. “We want our students to recognize that being a pharmacist requires more than being a medication expert; it also requires being a community champion and recognizing what you give to your patients beyond just medication expertise.”
To that end, Whitner helped spearhead a program last fall to weave community engagement requirements into the Pharm.D. curriculum. Students need to complete two hours of community engagement work in a historically underserved community each semester for their first three years of didactic training.
“As a practitioner, it can be difficult to navigate tough conversations around complex disease states in relation to a patient’s socioeconomic status, finances, or accessibility,” said Whitner, adding that the college’s Office of Student Success, Wellness and Community Engagement was established just a few months before the new requirements were created. “We wanted to prepare our students to have those conversations early on, before they get into a true practice setting.”
Branching out and building trust
This new curriculum requirement is just one of many efforts being made to help pharmacy students expand their community outreach opportunities. Fourth-year students, for example, participate in clinical training rotations called Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, or APPEs, in which they have already given 262,080 hours in service to Florida communities.
By engaging with underserved populations, students learn communication skills that prepare them to build trust with future patients. They cultivate empathy through these interactions and better understand when patients are having difficulties being transparent or vulnerable. They also learn to recognize when patients need referrals for service or extensions of care.
Such was certainly the case for Bryana Lopez, a third-year pharmacy student at the Gainesville campus and president of the student organization Organización Latina de Estudiantes de Farmacia. Last fall, Lopez organized a Trunk or Treat Point of Care Testing and Medication Education event at Rawlings Elementary with the National Community Pharmacy Association Student Chapter, as well as a testing event with the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists at St. Francis House for patients experiencing homelessness.
“These community engagement events really build the foundation for us as future pharmacists, allowing us to practice what we learn in the classroom out in the real world,” Lopez said. “We’ve had the opportunity to participate in blood glucose and blood pressure testing, medication safety education, medication reconciliation, and medication counseling. This has taught us how to communicate with patients and how to work as a team.”
In Jacksonville last October, third-year student Dylan Payne participated in a partnership with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to facilitate HIV/AIDS testing. UF pharmacy students recruited patients and helped them complete pre-screening paperwork — tasks Payne said will aid him in his future practice.
“I am extremely pleased to have provided an opportunity for the practice of pharmacy to be more visible to the community, while simultaneously helping increase health care access for a community that experiences unique health disparities,” Payne said. “I will continue to develop and carry these skills with me as I progress through my pharmacy career.”
Allen Scott, a third-year student at the UF Jacksonville campus, said volunteering at the Florida Department of Health’s citywide baby shower event — which provided health education, blood pressure checks, glucose screenings, and immunizations for expectant mothers — inspired him to commit to providing medical education to underserved patient populations.
“I plan to continue similar community outreach efforts, focusing on underserved populations and health education,” Scott said. “The most impactful part of this work was seeing how these services directly improved patient understanding and health outcomes.”
At the UF College of Pharmacy’s Orlando campus, members of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association have contributed more than 50 community engagement hours at various events. Third-year student Desrae Woods, president of the Orlando chapter, recently volunteered at a food drive with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and her experiences there taught her the true meaning of patient-centered care.
“As pharmacists, we can sometimes get lost in the routine of verifying medications, but this experience has shown me the power I hold with a Pharm.D. degree to make a difference in patients’ lives,” Woods said. “The skills I’ve gained — empathy, compassion, and selflessness — will stay with me throughout my pharmacy career, no matter where it takes me.”
Learn more about the UF College of Pharmacy Office of Student Success, Wellness and Community Engagement and its opportunities for students here.