Pharmacy students providing medication safety education to senior citizens.

Empowering Seniors: How Pharmacy Students Are Revolutionizing Public Health Education

Nico Varela in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the innovative service-learning series where pharmacy students use the ADAPT tool to enhance medication safety and community health for older adults."

For years, pharmacists have been vital in improving public health, supporting areas like biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy management, and social and behavioral sciences. From addressing clinical needs in community pharmacies to participating in vaccination programs and medication disposal services, their role is constantly expanding.

Recognizing this expanding role, organizations like the American Public Health Association (APHA) have emphasized the importance of pharmacists in public health initiatives, advocating for enhanced education and training to prepare them for these responsibilities. Public health has become a core educational outcome, with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) setting standards that include patient-centered care, health and wellness promotion, and patient advocacy.

Service-learning, where students engage in activities that address community needs while promoting their own learning and development, offers a valuable way to achieve these educational outcomes. This approach allows pharmacy students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings, making a tangible difference in their communities. One such initiative is the Assessment, Development, Assurance: Pharmacist's Tool (ADAPT), developed to evaluate pharmacist-delivered health promotion activities within a public health framework.

How Pharmacy Students Are Making a Difference in Senior Health

Pharmacy students providing medication safety education to senior citizens.

At the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy (UNT SCP), a commitment to “Service Before Self” drives students to participate in various public health activities. As part of their experiential education, students complete service-learning hours each semester, collaborating with community partners to identify areas where they can make an impact. One such partner is Senior Citizen Services of Greater Tarrant County, Inc (SCSTC), which provides programs and services to help senior adults live independently.

Recognizing that many seniors face challenges managing medications and have questions about their appropriate use, pharmacy faculty proposed a service-learning series focused on health and wellness. This initiative aimed to build community relationships, provide valuable programming at SCSTC, and allow students to fulfill their service-learning requirements. To ensure the program's quality and effectiveness, planners turned to the ADAPT instrument for guidance.

Community Engagement: Building relationships with local senior centers.
Educational Programming: Delivering health and wellness programs focused on medication safety.
Practical Experience: Providing pharmacy students with hands-on service-learning opportunities.

The ADAPT tool, developed by Truong and colleagues, is designed to help pharmacists and student pharmacists plan and implement high-quality health promotion programs. Grounded in public health's core functions and essential services, the ADAPT instrument uses resources from organizations like the CDC, APHA, and the Association of Schools of Public Health to guide program development. By using this tool, the UNT SCP and SCSTC created a service-learning series that addressed the specific needs of the senior community.

The Future of Pharmacy Education: Community-Centered and Patient-Focused

The ADAPT instrument provides a comprehensive framework, ensuring that programs are well-resourced, address potential barriers, and achieve their objectives. By embracing such tools and fostering community engagement, pharmacy programs can enhance the quality of life for vulnerable populations and cultivate a new generation of healthcare professionals committed to service and public health.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.cptl.2017.05.015, Alternate LINK

Title: Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Service-Learning Series For Pharmacy Students Using A Public Health Tool

Subject: General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Journal: Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Katura C. Bullock

Published: 2017-09-01

Everything You Need To Know

How does the ADAPT tool enhance health promotion programs implemented by pharmacy students?

Pharmacy students use the Assessment, Development, Assurance: Pharmacist's Tool, known as ADAPT, to plan and implement health promotion programs. The ADAPT instrument is grounded in public health functions and services, using resources from organizations like the CDC, APHA, and the Association of Schools of Public Health to guide program development. This ensures programs are well-resourced, address potential barriers, and achieve their objectives. The service-learning series at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy uses it to focus on medication safety.

What is service-learning, and how do pharmacy students at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy use it to impact senior health?

Service-learning integrates community service with academic study, allowing students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings while addressing community needs. Pharmacy students at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy engage in service-learning by collaborating with community partners such as Senior Citizen Services of Greater Tarrant County, Inc to provide medication safety education and support to senior citizens. Through initiatives like the ADAPT tool, they gain practical experience and contribute to public health outcomes.

What role do organizations like the American Public Health Association and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education play in pharmacy education and public health?

The American Public Health Association emphasizes the importance of pharmacists in public health initiatives, advocating for enhanced education and training. Additionally, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education sets standards that include patient-centered care, health and wellness promotion, and patient advocacy, ensuring that public health is a core educational outcome for pharmacy students. This prepares them to address clinical needs, participate in vaccination programs, and offer medication disposal services.

What specific medication management challenges do senior citizens face, and how does the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy address these?

The University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy addresses medication management challenges among senior citizens through a service-learning series focused on health and wellness. This involves pharmacy students collaborating with Senior Citizen Services of Greater Tarrant County, Inc to provide educational programming on medication safety. By using the ADAPT tool, the program ensures it meets the specific needs of the senior community and promotes independent living.

In what areas of public health do pharmacists contribute, and what organizations support these contributions?

Pharmacists contribute to various aspects of public health, including biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy management, and social and behavioral sciences. Their roles extend from addressing clinical needs in community pharmacies to participating in vaccination programs and medication disposal services. Organizations like the American Public Health Association and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education support and advocate for expanding these roles through enhanced education and training.