The development of an in-house dispensary in a college health center.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A small college health center discovered that students perceived obtaining prescribed medication was a barrier to adherence to short-term antibiotic therapy. To address this specific barrier, an in-house dispensary was developed and modified over the past several years to meet the needs of students. Partnering with a local pharmacy has made the process of obtaining prescriptions easier for the students.

DATA SOURCES: Data were extracted from the electronic health records at Student Health Services for the academic year 2014-2015. A total of 910 prescriptions were filled in-house during that time, compared to 102 prescriptions written for purchase elsewhere.

CONCLUSIONS: Students are utilizing the in-house dispensary more often than taking a prescription to a pharmacy and generally regard the service as convenient. Despite challenges in changing drug prices and other factors that influence medication adherence, dispensing a small number of drugs in the clinic has been feasible and well received.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS: Nurse practitioners must be aware of specific perceived barriers for their practice population and develop interventions to overcome them. The evaluation of such interventions is imperative for modifications and sustainability.