Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy has received one of only six National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation Pharmacy Partners grants.  The $20,000 grant will be used to develop a prototype model to facilitate improved patient care and enhance public health outcomes.

The NACDS Pharmacy Partners Program funds projects that hold promise to meaningfully improve patient care.  McWhorter School of Pharmacy's project will achieve this goal by testing the hypothesis that community pharmacies from the private sector have the capacity to facilitate public health goals by expanding access to products and services that might otherwise be unavailable in urban areas, especially for populations with limited resources and mobility.

"Our school has long been a leader in connecting community pharmacy and public health practice," said Michael Hogue, interim dean of the McWhorter School of Pharmacy.  "With the longest standing post-graduate residency in a public health department and faculty members committed to public and community health practice throughout Alabama, this award will allow us to further support the important role of the community pharmacist in public health," he added.   

The project will provide data to demonstrate how models of innovative care involving pharmacies can alleviate demands on the health care system by expanding access to public health services such as immunizations. It will also provide a tool for enhancing the role of pharmacists to improve patient care and conduct public health education. Upon completion of the research, the pharmacy school will produce a practical guide for implementing effective partnerships between community pharmacies and local governments.

The NACDS Foundation Pharmacy Partners Program began in 1997, and since that time has provided more nearly $3.5 million in scholarships for pharmacy students. The program is supported by a group of benefactors comprised of NACDS chain members and associate members.