The College of Pharmacy is helping bridge health care gaps in rural communities through its participation in RURAL-CP, the nation’s first multistate, practice-based research network dedicated to supporting rural community pharmacies.
RURAL-CP represents a collaboration among eight schools and colleges of pharmacy across the southeastern United States, led by Delesha Carpenter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tessa Hastings, assistant professor and executive director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation for the college, serves as South Carolina’s liaison for the innovative network, which spans more than 160 pharmacies, including 22 in South Carolina.
“Pharmacies are an incredible health care resource, and, in many rural communities, they’re often the only point of care,” Hastings says. “There’s so much vital work happening in these settings that deserves support and recognition.”
We want to hear directly from pharmacists what issues they are seeing in their communities and how research can best support their needs.
The network takes a unique approach by allowing member pharmacies to drive the research agenda. Instead of imposing predetermined studies, RURAL-CP asks participating pharmacies to identify their communities’ most pressing needs.
“This network didn’t begin with a specific project in mind,” Hastings explains. “We want to hear directly from pharmacists what issues they are seeing in their communities and how research can best support their needs.”
Recent projects have tackled COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy through randomized controlled trials and examined financial threats facing independent pharmacies, particularly related to pharmacy benefit managers.
“The network participation is outstanding because these pharmacists are already invested and engaged in the work,” Hastings notes.
The program also provides rich learning experiences for USC pharmacy students and faculty members, who participate in funded research projects, data collection and analysis. Students on rotation at RURAL-CP pharmacies help implement new services, including drug takeback programs and naloxone dispensing initiatives.
For South Carolina, the benefits extend beyond research.
“We’re partnering with pharmacists to generate insights that directly improve health care access and outcomes for rural South Carolinians,” Hastings says.
The network provides participating pharmacies with free continuing education, networking opportunities with other rural pharmacists and compensation for their time and expertise.
If your pharmacy is interested in becoming part of the RURAL-CP network, email Tessa Hastings at hastint@mailbox.sc.edu.
Topics: Research and Practice, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation