November 6, 2023
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty and staff joined United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Mandy Cohen, former health secretary for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to discuss rural health, health equity and a commitment to lowering the cost of medications.
Stephanie Kiser ‘92, BScPhm, executive director of the rural pharmacy health initiative and professor of the practice at the School’s Asheville campus, spoke on the pharmacist’s role in rural health and the School’s commitment to impacting the health and economics of the state. As the nation’s No.1 school of pharmacy and the only public pharmacy school in the state, leading the way in rural health is a top priority.
“We believe pharmacy is in an ideal position to address these significant issues of access to care, affordability and health equity within our rural communities, as we work together to connect these vital services to sustainable programs,” Kiser said.
Secretary Becerra also touched on the importance of community pharmacies. He said, “When you walk into a place like this, you feel like you’re a million bucks… It’s more than just having a place that dispenses medicine. It’s about dispensing love and care and family.”
The School’s Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative was developed to advance pharmacy practice while building the workforce North Carolina needs to provide high-quality health care for rural and underserved communities. There are alumni practicing in all 100 counties of North Carolina and at any given time, nearly 225 students are out in the field, training and providing care to patients.
Kiser touched on the importance of focusing on creating financially sustainable models of care for community pharmacies in an effort to avoid the risk of pharmacies like Medical Arts and others to closing due to unfair pharmacy benefit management (PBM) pricing schemes.
“We cannot allow more medical deserts to be created. Pharmacists can work collaboratively with medical teams to provide a broad range of health care services, from chronic disease management, substance use disorder treatment, increased access to oral contraception and much more,” she said. “We can help fill gaps in rural health care and ensure that no one is left behind.”
The event was held at Medical Arts Pharmacy and Medical Supplies in Henderson, North Carolina, owned and operated by alumnus Chocky White ‘68, B.S. in pharmacy.
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