Participation of pharmacist volunteers in the medication program of a
countywide health care program for homeless persons is described. Phar
macist volunteers were brought in to manage medications for a health c
are program serving homeless persons in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Afte
r the pharmacy program was structured, volunteers were recruited from
the community. Pharmacist duties initially focused on product manageme
nt but were expanded to include establishing and monitoring the progra
m formulary; reviewing patient records and prescriptions for allergies
, potential drug interactions, and appropriate dosage; counseling pati
ents on medication use; and consulting with other members of the healt
h care team. The pharmacists' efforts led to improvements in monitorin
g and stocking of necessary medications. The cost of the pharmacy prog
ram decreased from $1800 a month to as little as $300 a month. The val
ue of donated supplies and medications increased from $8,600 in 1991 t
o over $122,000 in 1994. Pharmacist volunteers helped to improve the c
ost-effectiveness and quality of medication use in a homeless populati
on.