Duquesne University to Open Community Pharmacy in Hill District

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May 04, 2010, 10:24 ET

PITTSBURGH, May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Duquesne University announced that its Mylan School of Pharmacy will open a pharmacy in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The initiative is the first off-campus, community pharmacy in the nation designed and operated by a school of pharmacy.

"Responding to the needs of others, particularly the underserved, is at the heart of Duquesne's mission," said Dr. Charles J. Dougherty, Duquesne University president. "This effort provides accessible, affordable health and education services designed to improve the health and well-being of Pittsburgh residents. It is also a unique opportunity for student and faculty community engagement, professional education and clinical care."

The pharmacy will be located at 1860 Centre Avenue, in the Triangle Shops complex. The University and the School are investing more than $600,000 in the project. Renovations on the site will begin this spring, and the pharmacy is slated to open in late 2010.

It will be staffed by a director, licensed pharmacists, Duquesne pharmacy faculty and student pharmacists. In addition to providing affordable access to prescription medication, the pharmacy will offer private patient consultations, health and wellness education, medication therapy management services and health risk assessments.

"Through combined efforts of our pharmacy health care team, we aim to help community residents receive the maximum benefit from their medication therapy and achieve their health care goals in a confidential, convenient environment," said Dr. J. Douglas Bricker, dean of the Mylan School of Pharmacy. "It will be personal and patient-centered, offering a comprehensive evaluation of individual needs."

Residents will have the opportunity to meet with pharmacy team members on an ongoing basis to ask questions, set goals and monitor their progress. The University will seek additional qualification to operate the pharmacy under the federal "340B" program, which will enable it to provide lower-cost medications to patients of federally qualified health centers (FQHC).

"Duquesne's pharmacy is a welcome addition to the neighborhood," said Carl Redwood, president of the Hill District Consensus Group. "It will add to our strategic community and economic development efforts aimed at revitalizing the area."

The Hill District has long been a primary area of focus for Duquesne's community service efforts, and further enhancing outreach there is specifically noted in the University's second strategic plan.

"This is an important application of our new University strategic plan. And it is a homecoming for us. Duquesne was born in 1878 on Wylie Ave., just a block or two from the new pharmacy," said Dougherty.

Duquesne University

Duquesne is a private, coeducational university with more than 10,000 students. An extensive selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs is offered across 10 schools of study. Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and 132-year tradition of academic excellence.