RuralRx summer interns train in underserved areas
Designed to keep pharmacists in state, the program sent Doctor of Pharmacy students to Siler City, Robeson County and Rocky Mount.
This summer’s Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative internships showed three UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy students the critical role pharmacists play in improving health where access to care can be limited.
RuralRx is designed to inspire, recruit, train and retain pharmacists to serve North Carolina’s rural and medically underserved communities. Since launching in summer 2024 with three internship sites, the initiative has partnered with rural pharmacists who are advancing practice through innovative patient care, community engagement and experiential learning.
To see how pharmacists expand access to healthcare, three Doctor of Pharmacy candidates interned at rural locations in North Carolina: Siler City Pharmacy in Chatham County, UNC Health Southeastern in Robeson County and Rocky Mount Medical Park Pharmacy and McDowell’s Pharmacy, serving Nash, Edgecombe, and Halifax counties.
Madison Deese returned to her home in Robeson County, working alongside providers at UNC Health Southeastern and caring for patients recovering from diabetes emergencies. She saw firsthand how barriers in education, transportation, costs and access contribute to poor health outcomes and discovered a new appreciation for rural healthcare.
“I wanted to gain a better understanding of the challenges and strengths of rural healthcare while also finding ways to contribute to my county,” she said. “This internship showed me that rural healthcare is not ‘less than’ larger healthcare systems. It is unique, deeply personal and incredibly resilient.”
Luke Baker grew up in the Triangle and rarely experienced barriers to healthcare access himself. He wanted to understand the challenges rural communities face and the innovative ways pharmacists are helping meet those needs.
At Siler City Pharmacy, Baker worked with its “Pharmacy at Home” program, helping patients who are unable to leave their homes.
“I’ve been able to connect with patients on a personal level and give them tools to take better control of their health,” Baker said. “The pharmacy can then monitor those readings and continue educating patients between visits with their primary care providers.”
The experience expanded his understanding of the pharmacist’s role beyond medication dispensing.
“Working in a rural community helps you see how you can use your creativity and problem-solving skills to meet the needs of the patients you serve,” he said.
Braeden Watkins was raised in the small town of Bunn, North Carolina, and wants to own an independent pharmacy in a rural community one day. At Rocky Mount Medical Park Pharmacy and McDowell’s Pharmacy, he found that the most important part of rural pharmacy wasn’t simply clinical expertise; it was relationships.
On a monitoring call with a patient with an advanced illness, Watkins listened to her story, found common ground through their shared eastern North Carolina roots and faith, and offered encouragement.
“The patient-pharmacist connection is the most valuable part of working in a rural community,” Watkins said. “That connection allows pharmacists to provide holistic care that supports patients physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.”
Together, the interns’ experiences demonstrate the mission behind RuralRx, preparing student pharmacists not only to practice in rural communities but to become leaders who understand the unique strengths, challenges and opportunities of rural healthcare.
As RuralRx continues to grow, so will its impact. The initiative plans to expand to nine internship sites across North Carolina by summer 2027, creating opportunities for student pharmacists to train in communities stretching from the mountains to the coast.
For students like Deese, Baker and Watkins, the experience has done more than strengthen their clinical skills — it has inspired them to build careers serving the communities that need them most.
