Student Stores pharmacy set to open in December

The Campus Health Services pharmacy in Student Stores is set to open in early December — regardless of privatization talks.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration received the request for licensing this past week and contacted Campus Health Services with notification of licensing in under a week.

“We should be launching in early December for sure now,” said Amy Sauls, pharmacy director of Campus Health Services.

But Sauls said other factors like insurance contracts could still keep the pharmacy from opening in early December.

“It could, worst case, be on into January, but we’re really trying to get it opened in early December,” Sauls said. “Those things are beyond our control.”

Sauls said while there is a pharmacy in the bottom of Campus Health, she is excited about offering a more convenient location for customers.

“We really look forward to being a very convenient place for students and employees to get their prescriptions filled and experience great service.” Sauls said.

In addition to filling prescriptions, the pharmacy will offer flu shots and medical consulting about prescriptions.

Sauls said the location has the potential for a “minute clinic” where a nurse practitioner would be available a few afternoons a week, but the service won’t be available anytime soon.

“We would have either a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant that could provide some level of very basic primary care services. Then, obviously, based on evaluation, we’d be able to get them over to Campus Health,” Director of Administration at Campus Health Ken Pittman said.

Pittman said the pharmacy will also sell over-the-counter medication and supplies, similar to the Healthy Heels Shoppe in the bottom of Campus Health.

“While obviously limited, it would be similar to what is found in retail establishments,” he said. “We would supply things that we have found from experience and provider recommendation that are appropriate for our patient population.”

Sauls said the pharmacy will not be affected if Student Stores becomes privatized.

“We’ve been aware of those talks and extremely pleased with our partnership with Student Stores,” she said. “They’ve been wonderful to work with and we will be very happy to work with whoever is running Student Stores. We have assurances in place that any potential purchaser will honor our contracts with Student Stores.”

The renovation on the top floor of Student Stores came with a budget of $222,000, and Pittman said the project has stayed within budget.

Director of Student Stores John Gorsuch said Campus Health and Student Stores have found themselves in a win-win situation.

“The third floor is relatively quiet outside of book rush, so this will help pull traffic through the store, which helps our business too,” he said. “It’s an excellent situation and we’re excited for what’s going to happen.”

university@dailytarheel.com