UNH students fight closure of pharmacy on campus: 'Student discount has been a lifeline'

DURHAM — The recent announcement the University of New Hampshire campus pharmacy will soon close did not sit well with some students and staff who regularly use it to fill prescriptions.

One student, freshman Isabella Aguiar, has set up a meeting with UNH President James Dean. In the meantime, she is collecting signatures on a petition asking UNH to reconsider the decision to close the pharmacy.

"I have a meeting with James Dean on May 6," she said, on Monday. "I hope to have 1,000 signatures on the petition by then. I already have 685."

May 6 is the same day the pharmacy is slated to close per a campus announcement.

"I, like many others, rely heavily on the University of New Hampshire (UNH) pharmacy for my medication," Aguiar said in the petition. "The student discount they offer has been a lifeline for me, reducing my $300 monthly pill cost to just $80. This is not just about affordable healthcare; it's also about job security for our dedicated pharmacists who are now facing unemployment due to UNH's decision."

Prescriptions at the student pharmacy will be transferred to the Durham Rite-Aid, said Tania deLuzuriaga, a UNH spokesperson.

Students are free to choose another pharmacy for their prescription needs, as well.

Aguiar said students fear the ocal pharmacy will become overwhelmed with the volume of students prescriptions, resulting in long wait times for refills and new prescriptions.

"But what is more disheartening is the fact that loyal UNH employees are losing their job," she said.

The pharmacy closing was not part of UNH's budget cuts announced earlier this year, according to deLuzuriaga.

"We continued looking at other costs and functions on campus," she said. "We looked at the pharmacy and combined with things like a decrease in usage at the pharmacy, higher drug costs, increased competition and lower insurance reimbursements, it was just not feasible to keep it open. And we can redirect resources to other operations."

In her petition, Aguiar said the closure of the pharmacy will have far-reaching effects on students' lives and their ability to access affordable medication.

"It also sends a worrying message about how much our university values our health and wellbeing," she said.

Prescription rates for all students who are on the student health plan will be the same when transferred to Rite Aid, said deLuzuriaga.

"I can't speak to other insurance plans," she said. "(UNH) Health and Wellness plans to stock some of the more commonly prescribed medications. And we are looking at the possibility of adding vending machines for commonly used over-the-counter remedies."

Aguiar said she hopes the petition will show faculty that students value, not only affordable health care, but also the jobs of pharmacy staff who she says serve tirelessly.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: UNH students fight closure of pharmacy on campus: 'Student discount has been a lifeline'