Pharmacist-led COVID-19 response at a private university

Category: 2021
Author: Michael Rush
Institution Affiliation: Ohio Northern University

Since 2010, the Raabe College of Pharmacy has directed ONU Healthwise, a multidisciplinary clinical practice of Ohio Northern University. The services under the umbrella of ONU HealthWise include a campus wide employee/student health and wellness clinic, rural mobile clinic, a community pharmacy, and drug and health information services, a telephonic pharmacy services center and student service learning/community outreach. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, ONU HealthWise adapted its operations to meet the safety and healthcare needs of the campus and surrounding communities. In collaboration with the Student Health Center, Department of Athletic Training and University administration, a safety plan was developed that incorporated rapid antigen COVID-19 testing for campus surveillance (3%), symptomatic individuals and student-athletes, contact tracing and vaccination. In total, the clinic provided 12,275 point-of-care rapid antigen tests with an overall campus positivity rate of 1.69%. The highest positivity rate (15.51%) was seen in symptomatic individuals. All university students and employees who tested positive for the virus were provided contact tracing services by trained university personnel in conjunction with the local health department following state and federal protocols for isolation and quarantine. In addition to contact tracing and antigen testing, the clinic was designated an Ohio Mobile Mass Vaccination Regional Clinic, providing 3,230 vaccines in a 6-county area in a 60-day time period. As a result of this interdisciplinary effort, the University was able to maintain in-person instruction for the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year and provide a meaningful service to our community.

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