Pharmacy Students Provide Free Medical Services in Honduras

University of Mississippi pharmacy students recently spent a week in Honduras to provide medical services for those who could not afford health care.

Fourth-year pharmacy students Mary Claire Jarrell, Tate Davis, and Christine Hayden assisted with drug selection, dosage, and patient counseling at several medical clinics, according to a press release on the university’s website.

After patients saw a physician or nurse practitioner, they met with a student pharmacist to make a “clinical decision on what treatments were needed based on the medications in the group’s formulary,” the press release noted.

“I was instantly reminded of the importance of communication,” Davis said in the press release. “Whether a patient speaks English or Spanish, having them understand how to take their medication is just as important as receiving the medication.”

The University of Mississippi students and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs David Gregory worked with 23 other volunteers and translators. Over the weeklong trip, more than 2000 patients were served and 6000 prescriptions were dispensed.

“It was very rewarding to see the students take ownership of the process [of running a pharmacy] and watch them passionately care for the patients and their families,” Gregory said in the press release.