The clinic, which is taking place at 500 apartment units across both apartment complexes, promotes better living and pharmacy related topics like a brown bag event. A brown bag event is when residents bring their medication to the clinic and get any questions answered by the pharmacy students alongside the guidance of an experienced pharmacy professional at the clinic. Other events that can take place at clinics are educational presentations like the proper disposal of medication, the importance of following dosage instructions, blood pressure screenings, or presentations on cognitive decline and dementia.

The clinics are an opportunity for pharmacy students to make connections from the classroom to real life.

“For students, it’s a great thing for them to be able to apply what we do in the classroom in real life situations,” Al Ramahi, a second year Pharm.D. student, said. “It’s also a good way to gain communication skills and confidence while working with future patients as well.

Merquina, a second year Pharm.D. student, agreed saying: I think it really helps students build empathy and get a chance to see all the different impacts that access to healthcare and barriers to access to healthcare has on people.”

Keough, a third year Pharm.D. student, mentioned that the clinics are also beneficial for the residents.

“Everyone is super grateful to have us there, so it’s really impactful to make a difference,” Keough said.

Keough mentioned that a previous Capital Towers and Shepard Park clinic board member has been helpful as well.

“School of Pharmacy alumni, Rebecca Rakiec, gave us a folder of contact information of people to communicate with when it came to licensed pharmacists or collaboration,” Al Ramahi said. “Rakiec also gave us presentation ideas and things that have worked for them as well.”

When setting up these clinics, preparation is necessary to their success. The pharmacy classes each student takes is a big reason why these clinics can be so successful.

“Our communications class definitely helped prepare us for patient counseling, what to tell patients and how you can properly explain medications in a way anyone can understand,” Keough said.

Al Ramahi added on other classes were helpful as well.

“I’d say skills class was helpful because it helps us know all the Over-The-Counter medications and how to answer their questions about that,” Al Ramahi said.

Even though Keough has been to previous clinics and knows what to expect, Al Ramahi and Merqina will be taking part in these clinics for the first time and are excited about doing certain clinic events happening at Capital Towers/Shepards Park clinic.

“I really want to go to the medication disposal clinic because that one was highly requested by the residents,” Al Ramahi said. “I feel like I would enjoy teaching that to them or even just listening to the other people present.

The board is also trying to get a mental health clinic scheduled for May, mental health awareness month, and the board members are excited about.

“I’m excited for the mental health awareness clinic because we just recently took our psychiatry module and I think it would be really cool to see how that knowledge applies to real life,” Merqina said.

Currently, the dates for these clinics are not set yet, but when they are, they will be sent to all pharmacy students via email with more information and a link to sign up to help. The Capital Towers and Shepard Park residents will find out via coordinator before the event.