Pharmacy Students Provide Care to Farm Workers

A service trip in rural Georgia will give students a glimpse into a career path that diverges from retail pharmacy.

Next month, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy’s students will be providing pharmacy services to a farm worker community at a clinic in Moultrie, Georgia.

In addition to offering health care services, the students have been raising money to buy waterproof work boots for the 1000 farm workers in the Farm Worker Family Health Program, the school stated in a press release. These boots will help protect the farm workers from developing injuries and infections, which can develop as a result of the chemicals they work with. Aside from foot injuries and infections, this community is prone to musculoskeletal and eye problems.

Beyond boots, the students are accepting donated clothing, washcloths, diapers, artificial tears, aloe vera gel, and multivitamins for the workers and their families. Those interested in donating are asked to contact the college’s Director of Continuing Education and Outreach Trina von Waldner at 706-542-4539 or tvonwald@uga.edu.

From June 7 to June 19, students will run a mobile clinic with evening hours and manage medical records, in addition to their pharmacy services. They will also teach children about health in day sessions, the school noted.

According to von Waldner, this program lends itself to an interprofessional experience.

“The program is a 21-year sustained academic partnership between 6 colleges,” von Waldner said in a school press release. “All kinds of students—nursing, dental hygiene, physical therapy, psychology, and pharmacy—from the colleges participate. The students learn about working on a professional team and helping with public health initiatives.”