Pharmacy in Student Stores will open late fall

Campus Health Services will open a pharmacy on the third floor of Student Stores later this semester.

“The reason we’re building it is to try and be more convenient for students and to try and be convenient for faculty and staff,” said Amy Sauls, pharmacy director of Campus Health Services.

“We want them to be able to fill their prescriptions there as well. I think it will benefit both the faculty and the students to have a location that is central on campus.”

The new pharmacy will be a satellite location for the pharmacy currently located in the basement of Campus Health in the James A. Taylor Building, which is near Kenan Memorial Stadium and UNC Hospitals.

Director of Student Stores John Gorsuch said he expects the facility will be ready in November.

“Back in the fall of 2014, the UNC pharmacy contacted us at the Student Stores because they felt there was a need to have an easy, accessible, central-located pharmacy on this campus,” Gorsuch said.

“They started with (Student Stores), thinking that we had a very good location. We liked the idea, and the rest is history.”

Gorsuch said there will be a mutually beneficial relationship between the textbook and school supply shop and the pharmacy, which will all share the third floor of the building.

“I have not recognized any cons in this deal so far. It’s been an extremely smooth process; it’s an additional service to offer to students on campus,” Gorsuch said.

“I think the people coming to buy their books will see the pharmacy, and that will help the pharmacy sales. And people coming up to buy their pharmaceuticals will help the supply sales right next to it.”

This new pharmacy is not the only location outside the Campus Health building where students can pick up prescriptions; pickup is also available at the Walgreens and CVS on Franklin Street.

Sauls was confident local competition would not be a problem.

“I think there is probably enough business for anyone. We’re not going to be located on Franklin Street, and we’re a part of campus and Campus Health Services,” she said.

The CVS and Walgreens pharmacies both declined to speak about the development of UNC’s new pharmacy.

Gorsuch said only a few other schools have a pharmacy like this.

“I currently only know of two other universities who have a student store conjoined with a pharmacy,” Gorsuch said.

“I have peers at the University of Virginia and the University of Missouri, and both of them advised me to pursue the construction.”

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