In light of The Chronicle’s recent article regarding the closing of the Student Health Pharmacy, I wanted to share with you a reflection on an experience I had with the Outpatient Pharmacy. As a freshman, I was unaware that this pharmacy had even existed.
During my first week of college classes I began to feel sick. While I knew that it was probably just a case of the common cold, I thought there was a chance it might have been a sinus infection, so I figured the safest route would be to utilize the extra time in my schedule to visit Student Health. The care I received at Student Health was great—I was seen promptly, treated courteously, and I was impressed with the quality of the facilities and expertise of the staff. The doctor who saw me confirmed that it was just a cold, and wrote me a script for Flonase.
At the Outpatient Pharmacy, where a very nice pharmacist informed me that Duke would not accept my medical insurance. The pharmacist tried everything in her power to find a solution, even going so far as to call CVS to see if they would deliver. Eventually, I called my family back in New York, and one of the doctors there was able to write a script that was filled and mailed to me. While in this case my medical issue was rather nonthreatening, I am concerned about what might happen if I have a more acute illness and need to get a prescription filled.
Had I known at the time about the Student Health Pharmacy, I wonder what the outcome might have been. I just wanted to bring to your attention this unintended, and probably overlooked, consequence.
Eli Kozin
Trinity ’14
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