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Serving The Underserved
Giving back to the community is the very foundation of Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP). We strive to serve the underserved people of our region. The mission of serving the underserved is woven into the very fabric of our institution, and this core value is reinforced within numerous academic courses, outreach initiatives, the wellness clinic and pharmacy, and through student volunteer projects. It is our hope that each student leaves ACP with this same passion for service in their future endeavors.
Pharmacists in Community Service (PICS)
The PICS program is designed to actively engage students in service projects that support the College’s mission to promote community service, lifelong learning and service to underserved and rural communities.
The PICS program is a mandatory part of the Doctor of Pharmacy program and requires that all students complete 100 hours of community service over their three-year enrollment in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students must complete a minimum of 70 hours of community service by the end of the first two years of the program prior to beginning their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations.
Some community service activities are required as part of the curriculum. These activities are required as they exemplify service to underserved and rural communities. The Remote Area Medical (RAM) events in Wise County and in Grundy and the Brown Bag Days at area senior centers are examples of curricular events. Even though these activities are required, students have the option of submitting the PICS form for approval of the time spent at these activities.
All 100 hours of service and the aforementioned required activities must be accomplished in order for students to qualify for a degree and to graduate from the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Participation in the PICS program often requires students to work after school hours, on weekends and/or holidays in order to fulfill their PICS requirement.
PICS Requirements
All PICS hours fall under one of the following categories:
Counseling
- OTC
- Medication Therapy Management/Medication review (Brown Bag)
- Proper use of medical devices
Educating
- Distributing health information
- Specific to a patient
- General information to increase awareness of a disease, disorder, drug or class of drugs
Physical assessment
- BP
- BG
- BMI
- Weight
- Body fat composition
- Cholesterol screening
- DEXA scan
Activities
- RAM
- Brown Bag Day
- Wellness Challenge
Health Screening and Information Booths
- AHA Heart Awareness
- Asthma/COPD
- OTC
Health Advocacy
Health Promotion
Preparation of materials for Health-Related Patient Care Activities
Health-Related Non-patient Care activities include but are not limited to…
Health Organization fundraising and awareness (Health Advocacy)
- March of Dimes
- Relay for Life
Educating other Health Care Practitioners (Health Promotion)
Developing a health issue web page (Health Promotion)
Preparing for a Direct Patient Care Activity
- Handouts
- Posters
Blood Donation
Campus beautification
Working with a youth group
Coaching a team
Cleaning a park
Reading to children
Contact
Appalachian College of Pharmacy
C/O Dr. Randall Cole, Director
1060 Dragon Road
Oakwood, VA 24631
Email: rcole@acp.edu
Phone: 276-498-5260
