At the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s annual Vaccinate the Dean event, Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm, rolled up her sleeve to receive her flu vaccine from a student pharmacist — a tradition that puts the profession’s role in protecting community health into practice.

The event highlights pharmacists’ growing role in vaccination and disease prevention. For student pharmacists, it’s also an opportunity to put their clinical training into action and demonstrate the skills they will use throughout their careers.

“This event is a reminder that pharmacists are not only experts in medications, but also accessible health care professionals who play an important role in keeping people healthy,” said Giacomini. “Vaccination is a powerful tool for protecting individual and community health, and pharmacists are uniquely positioned to make these services accessible to the people who need them.”

This year’s participating students included Ayaka Nakashima, Christie Dong, Kyla Yumang, and Martin Hernandez, vice president of policy for the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) at UCSF.

Celebrating pharmacists in the community

The event also recognized October as American Pharmacists Month. Rafael Mandelman, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and representative of the city’s district 8, delivered a proclamation recognizing the contributions of pharmacists and the profession’s role in supporting the health of San Francisco communities.

American Pharmacists Month provides an opportunity to recognize the many ways pharmacists contribute to patient care — from helping patients use medications safely and effectively to providing vaccinations and other preventive health services.

For UCSF PharmD students, vaccination is part of a broader education in patient-centered care. Through their training, students develop the clinical knowledge, communication skills, and hands-on experience needed to care for patients in a wide range of settings.

The Vaccinate the Dean event brings those elements together in a visible way: students take the lead in providing a preventive health service while faculty and community leaders demonstrate their support for the profession.

As pharmacists continue to serve as accessible points of care in communities across California and beyond, experiences like Vaccinate the Dean help prepare the next generation of pharmacists to meet that responsibility.