June 21, 2023
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy was recently awarded $815,000 over three years from The Duke Endowment to launch rural pharmacy hubs as part of the School’s Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative. This grant, led by principal investigator Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., enables the School to extend its reach into underserved communities across North Carolina to improve access to care in these areas while creating new, sustainable models for rural health care.
The Duke Endowment grant will support two pharmacy hubs that will launch over the next three years across Eastern North Carolina. The hubs will create the infrastructure needed to build and deliver innovative models of practice to provide high-quality care for underserved patients. Ultimately, it’s a collective approach to improving health in small communities.
These hubs will help address rural health care provider shortages by having pharmacists work on interprofessional teams to optimize medication use. Community pharmacists are well-positioned to fill the health care workforce gap as accessible and trusted health care providers.
“We are super excited about this new opportunity to train community pharmacists with our outstanding partners in Eastern North Carolina and to build these rural pharmacy hubs so that pharmacists can work on health care teams and help patients better understand how to use their medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure and to prevent hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes,” said Sleath, Ph.D., Regional Associate Dean Eastern North Carolina and George H. Cocolas Distinguished Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy.
The Duke Endowment funded two hubs—New Bern and Rocky Mount. These rural hubs will provide unique educational opportunities to develop the pharmacist workforce Eastern North Carolina needs while at the same time serving as an important patient resource.
Stephanie Kiser ‘92, BScPhm, will lead the Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative as executive director. Under her leadership, she will coordinate all rural pharmacy hub activities and guide them to be self-sustainable.
“My commitment lies in fostering the development of a thriving rural hub network working actively to engage learners, pharmacists, community members, health care providers and those invested in improving the health of our rural communities,” said Kiser. “The generosity of The Duke Endowment positions us for success as we collaborate to bridge the gaps between health care accessibility and rural communities, enhance the growth of comprehensive pharmacy services and foster a culture of wellness. Through our shared vision, we will ensure that rural Eastern North Carolina becomes a beacon of equitable health care, where individuals receive the care they deserve, regardless of their geographic location.”
The initiative also plans to double rural representation in the future pharmacy workforce, improve patient health and economics in rural communities and develop proven models of care for regional and national impact.
This is central to the School’s BEYOND strategic plan. The Rural Pharmacy Health Certificate Program shows the School’s commitment to a statewide program that addresses our state’s workforce needs and delivers value-based care for rural and underserved communities.
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