USC LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STUDENT-LED COMMUNITY PHARMACY

The Crenshaw Blvd. location addresses "pharmacy desert" issue in South L.A.

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T.H.E. Health and Wellness Centers CMO Dr. Derrick Butler, USC Trustee Amy Ross, USC Mann Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos, L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and USC Provost Andrew Guzman. (Photos by David Zong/USC Mann)

A new pharmacy in South Los Angeles does much more than provide benefits to a community that lacks services. It also provides a training ground for students at the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"The needs are there and we can mobilize the community and friends to fill the gaps," said Vassilios Papadopoulos, dean of USC Mann.

"People are watching and, if the model works, it can be implemented elsewhere." The pharmacy opening is the culmination of an eight-year process for the graduate school, which is consistently ranked as one of the top private schools in the nation. It has a total enrollment of 1,242 students, including 1,011 graduate students (652 Doctor of Pharmacy) and 231 undergraduate students. Last year, the school awarded 178 Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees and a total of 452 degrees and certificates across all programs.