USF Health Dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy Dr. Kevin Sneed discusses the role pharmacists play in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Sneed stresses how pharmacists are helping find promising treatments, connecting with patients virtually to go over their medication regimens and further strengthening the healthcare sector’s approach to fighting the pandemic. This is the seventh in an eight-part series looking at the way COVID -19 is impacting the way we live, work and access health care.

Aimed at changing the way patients tap into the expertise of their pharmacists to better manage their health, the USF College of Pharmacy is launching the USF Health Pharmacy Plus, an on-site pharmacy of the future that goes well beyond simply filling prescriptions by offering advanced support to patients, and a futuristic, hands-on setting for pharmacy student rotations.

Using the space recently vacated in the Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare in the heart of USF Health, Pharmacy Plus will create a national prototype for providing innovative patient engagement, education and monitoring, said Kevin B. Sneed, PharmD, professor and dean of the USF College of Pharmacy.

“The entire space offers technology at its core while providing a personalized experience with on-site pharmacists who are part of the entire healthcare team,” Dr. Sneed said. “It will be patient-centric  to optimize health.”

Among the offers will be an Rx robot that will dispense a vast majority of the medications, freeing the pharmacist to engage in therapeutic patient care. A system of integrated electronic medical records will provide seamless care with other health providers. A range of apps for tablets, smartphones and laptops will arm patients with ways to find more information and tools to help them manage their medications. QR codes will direct patients to the web for more details about their condition and the medications prescribed for them, including web videos that show how to properly use the medication and the side effects to look out for. A private space will be available for the emerging clinical applications of personalized pharmacogenomics counseling, and will explore innovative methods for pharmacists to interact with patients. Telehealth will be available to patients to enhance their communication experience with the pharmacist. And mobile health devices will be on display in the pharmacy for patients to learn how to more efficiently engage in managing their health.

The new USF Health Pharmacy Plus is scheduled to open in June.

From left, rising seniors in the USF College of Pharmacy ready to rotate through USF Health Pharmacy Plus are Dominique Nguyen, Mark LaBossiere and Kevin Cowart.