CHALLENGING INEQUITIES

COVID-19 and economic pressures have worsened the problem. Large pharmacy chains are closing their less-profitable outlets. Independent pharmacies are endangered by the increasing vertical integration of major chains with insurance providers and pharmaceutical benefit managers. This gives big corporate pharmacies a market power that their smaller counterparts cannot match.

“The new South L.A. Pharmacy will further the school’s work in eliminating pharmacy deserts,” Papadopoulos says. “This is a critical issue nationally, and we believe this facility can serve as a model to help other communities throughout the U.S. ensure underserved populations gain wider access to vital medications and care.”

“If USC doesn’t use its resources and the incredible talent that we have on board to address a pharmacy desert in South L.A., nobody’s going to do it,” Neu adds. “Our core focus is outreach to the community, walking the talk, making a financial investment in the area, helping model what a successful pharmacy can look like in a pharmacy desert, and getting the community and some key partnerships involved. We already have a lot of national interest in this project.”

“We will be partnering with community members and leaders to find out what they would like to see in a pharmacy so that, when we open, it will meet their needs and not just what we think should be there,” Svadjian adds.

Papadopoulos and Neu are leveraging the diverse expertise of the Board of Councilors, as well as the school’s strong relationships with industry, to garner in-kind and other support to bring the pharmacy to fruition and ensure it can serve as a profitable model to help solve the national crisis of pharmacy deserts in both urban and rural settings.

It’s more to me than just a job. Most people rarely get opportunities in their careers to do something that really leaves an impact. This is one of those times.”

RAFFI SVADJIAN, executive director of Community Pharmacies

CHALLENGING INEQUITIES

The new USC Pharmacy in South L.A. gives Luis Larios, PharmD Class of 2025, a chance to give back to the neighborhood where he grew up and guide other healthcare professionals on how best to serve the needs of a vibrant but underserved community.

What made you interested in pharmacy?

Growing up, our family was mostly uninsured or underinsured. At a young age, I became aware of the health issues my parents and grandmother had. Throughout my youth I tried to navigate the healthcare system to help them find affordable and proper care. I also had to translate medical documents for my parents due to language barriers. The lack of accessibility to basic care frustrated me and I began to look for career opportunities where I could actively work to change the inequities in our current healthcare system. All of this motivated me to pursue a career in pharmacy.

What do you wish more people knew about South L.A.?

South L.A. has a false reputation for being unsafe. I wish more people would see past that and understand that there is a large population of hardworking families and talented individuals eager for success. My hope is that healthcare providers will challenge their perceptions and do their own research about South L.A. and begin to see themselves as valuable providers to the community.

How do you plan to be involved with the USC South L.A. Pharmacy?

I hope to educate pharmacy professionals on the issues taking place within the community and how to best support patients—not only in health, but also in accessibility and affordability. I would like to be part of the recruiting process and encourage administrators to hire healthcare professionals from the community to provide a more comfortable experience and better quality of care.

PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS

The new South L.A. Pharmacy at 8561 South Broadway Avenue will go far beyond simply filling prescriptions. It will provide patient-centered disease state and chronic care management, serve as a vaccination and clinic site, offer health and wellness education for the community, and conduct research on best practices and patient outcomes to reduce health disparities and inform health policy.

The site will also become a hub for the California Right Meds Collaborative (CRMC), headed by Associate Dean Steven Chen, the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy. CRMC strives to make medication management more efficient, safe and effective by utilizing pharmacists as the centralized medication experts for the healthcare team. In addition, the South L.A. Pharmacy will relieve a burden on area safety-net clinics, supporting their efforts through expert medication reviews for patients.

The facility will provide yet another valuable training and outreach location for students and residents in the school’s academic programs, including undergraduates. PharmD candidates will build frontline experience under the careful tutelage of alumni preceptors volunteering their time and expertise.

The devil’s in the detail on a project of this size, and that detail is something we’ll be spending an awful lot of time on to make sure that we have the most effective approach possible here.”

DAVID NEU, Board of Councilors chair and chair of the South L.A. Pharmacy steering committee

The new South L.A. Pharmacy will build on the school’s long traditions while innovating to revolutionize health. This is about more than just building a single pharmacy. It’s what it could mean to the field and to the patients who will benefit.”

DEAN VASSILIOS PAPADOPOULOS

Their consultation and health-screening services will be offered free to community members.

The South L.A. Pharmacy will carry medications not frequently available in neighborhood pharmacies in lowerresource areas, such as transplant, HIV and other specialty drugs that are expensive to purchase, refrigerate and house— but that are essential to quality care.

Discussions are underway with Keck Medical Center to hold health clinics at the new pharmacy, while collaborations with other USC schools and programs are also in the works.

“The devil’s in the detail on a project of this size, and that detail is something we’ll be spending an awful lot of time on to make sure that we have the most effective approach possible here,” Neu says. PASSION PROJECT

Enthusiasm for the project among the school’s leadership is palpable.

“I’m deeply passionate about this,” Neu explains. “I did this as part of my career, setting up pharmacies, helping buyers and sellers get together, and fostering independent pharmacy. And I have a deep love for USC as a tremendous institution that people trust.”

Svadjian adds: “It’s more to me than just a job. Most people rarely get opportunities in their careers to do something that really leaves an impact. This is one of those times.”

For Papadopoulos, it’s an opportunity to fulfill his vision for a transformative endeavor that combines key aspects of the school’s mission—from service to the community and training new generations of students to modeling best practices and conducting invaluable research that advances health and informs policy.

“The new South L.A. Pharmacy will build on the school’s long traditions while innovating to revolutionize health,” Papadopoulos says. “This is about more than just building a single pharmacy. It’s what it could mean to the field and to the patients who will benefit.”