Collaborative partnership for clinical pharmacy services in Kenya

Abstract

A collaborative partnership for clinical pharmacy services in Kenya is described. Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (PUSOPPS) agreed to collaborate with the United States Agency for International Development-Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare (USAID-AMPATH) partnership to provide pharmacy services necessary for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Kenya. In addition to assisting Kenyan collaborators, the full-time, onsite faculty member from PUSOPPS serves as a preceptor to pharmacy clerkship students from PUSOPPS and the University of Nairobi in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services in inpatient and outpatient settings. Through PUSOPPS's unique collaboration, Kenyan pharmacy technologist students and University of Nairobi pharmacy students partner with clerkship students from PUSOPPS to participate in eight-week rotations. In addition to inpatient activities, students spend one day each week at one of the rural HIV clinics or observing one of the burgeoning specialized care clinics. Students also participate in public health activities, such as providing adherence counseling for HIV-infected patients, participating in door-to-door HIV counseling and testing, and preparing educational and recreational activities for pediatric patients. PUSOPPS's sustainable involvement with this program has addressed many of the immediate pharmacy needs of providing antiretroviral therapy and medications for opportunistic infections throughout western Kenya. The collaboration between PUSOPPS and USAID-AMPATH in Eldoret, Kenya, has provided a bilateral educational exchange for Kenyan and American pharmacy students and has allowed for year-round clinical pharmacy services in both inpatient and outpatient settings.