LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHARMACY STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES

The projects described in this paper were designed to give pharmacy st udents insight into the need for their expertise and participation in the community through the provision of ambulatory pharmaceutical care services especially to underserved populations. The three programs dis cussed include formulary-specific drug information manuals for medical outreach clinics, pharmacotherapeutic assessments for the independent ly-living elderly, and a geriatric health and pharmacotherapeutic asse ssment fair. The goals of these programs were to refine and strengthen students' written and oral communication skills, patient counseling a nd assessment skills, and skills in making recommendations in patients ' pharmacotherapeutic regimens. Secondary goals were to spark students ' interest in providing community-based pharmaceutical care services a nd in potential career opportunities in the ambulatory care setting. A dditionally, the projects were implemented in an attempt to meet some of the health care needs of underserved populations. Students performe d well in all situations and enjoyed the opportunities to work with th e various populations involved. Similarly, recipients appreciated the care and information received from the students. Student and practitio ner evaluations are included in this paper.