In emergencies, Howard University student pharmacists answer the call.

Abstract

When public health officials in Washington, DC, needed medication management help for homeless residents during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city turned to Howard University’s Capitol City Pharmacy Medical Reserve Corps (CCPMRC) unit. For about a month, 8 student volunteers and 3 pharmacists helped homeless people obtain necessary medications and supplies to treat chronic conditions. The group worked out of a hotel that the city used to isolate homeless people whose age and health status put them at high risk for serious illness or death from COVID-19. CCPMRC faculty director Tamara McCants said the unit assisted as many as 20–30 patients per day at the height of the deployment. “It was a good experience, and it was good for the students,” said McCants, who is also executive director of the college of pharmacy’s experiential programs. “It was really meeting the patients where they are and ensuring all...