Student Pharmacy Needs

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What is the university doing to ensure students have convenient and affordable access to the medications they need? Are there plans to restore or replace the on-campus pharmacy?

Response provided by Scott Lapinski, Director of Student Accessibility Services, Kathleen Grace-Bishop, Director of Education and Promotion, Health and Wellness, and Lindy Salkin, APRN, Lead Clinician, Health and Wellness.

 

Since the closure of the Rite Aid in downtown Durham, Health & Wellness has been pursuing short- and long-term solutions to ensure students can access their medications. We’ve made progress and continue to develop additional options. Currently:

  • Health & Wellness is expanding the selection of prescription medications available at the time of service for students who receive care there. We stock over 25 different medications, with changes made based on seasonal demand.
  • We accept and store temperature-controlled medications that cannot be shipped to the mailroom.
  • We are partnering with Walgreens in Lee to streamline the prescription process for students. Delivery options are available (excluding refrigerated and controlled substances), and we are exploring transportation options to and from Lee.

Health & Wellness shares updates about these efforts and available options on our website and during clinical appointments. While there are no plans to reopen an on-campus pharmacy, we remain committed to identifying long-term solutions in collaboration with community partners and peer institutions.

Please continue to ask questions and provide feedback. Understanding the experiences of students will be vital to developing additional solutions and future decision-making.