North Liberty campus preview: Pharmacy services
New campus brings accessible pharmacy care closer to home; now hiring for pharmacy positions
University of Iowa Health Care’s new North Liberty campus will offer essential pharmacy services for patients and the community when it opens in spring 2025.
The pharmacy will manage all the inpatient and outpatient medication needs of the new facility while also providing an accessible space—and a 24/7 drive-thru option—for community members to fill prescriptions and purchase over-the-counter medications.
“We’re excited to bring pharmacy services closer to home for our patients and employees with the opening of our new North Liberty campus,” says Mike Brownlee, PharmD, MS, FASHP, chief pharmacy officer for UI Health Care. “Being able to get a prescription filled on-site after a clinic visit, procedure, or hospital stay is important to patients and families. Having a full-service pharmacy with an anytime drive-thru option is another example of providing access and convenience to patients and the community.”
Pharmacy services at North Liberty
For inpatients, the pharmacy will prepare medications for inpatient care and operating room procedures and stock medications at the facility. Pharmacy services will include meds-to-beds prescription filling, which delivers patients’ medications directly to their bedside before they are discharged and eliminates the need to make an additional stop after leaving the hospital. Patients also may pick up their medications and durable medical equipment (DME) items at the pharmacy pickup window, located directly next to the discharge lounge.
The pharmacy will include a retail lobby where patients can pick up their prescriptions after their visit or purchase over-the-counter medications.
The pharmacy lobby will be open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. This lobby will share a space with a gift shop and a shop to purchase DME, over-the-counter medications, and supplies.
24/7 drive-thru pharmacy: greater access and convenience
Additionally, it will feature a 24/7 drive-thru option for patients to pick up their prescriptions outside of pharmacy lobby hours. This new pharmacy will be one of only two pharmacies in the area to offer around-the-clock access, the other being the discharge pharmacy at UI Health Care’s medical center on the university campus.
Once the North Liberty campus is open, UI Health Care patients will have the option of requesting prescription refills through their MyChart account and selecting the North Liberty pharmacy as their pick-up location.
Providing specialized clinical expertise
As key members of the health care team, pharmacists play an important role beyond preparing and dispensing medications. With their expertise and knowledge on drug development and delivery, they provide clinical insights to physicians, nurses, and other care providers. They monitor patients’ medication dosages and combinations of drug regimens, identify possible drug interactions, and recommend interventions or changes to therapies, if needed. They also provide education and follow-up to patients on how to take their medications properly and safely.
“Drug therapy is such an important part of a patient’s care, so it’s crucial that it’s safe, effective, and based on the latest pharmaceutical science and best practices,” Brownlee says. “In any patient care setting, we add value as collaborators and trusted experts.”
Now hiring for pharmacy positions
UI Health Care is hiring pharmacy positions at the North Liberty campus in preparation for its spring 2025 opening.
“Excitement is building. The entire campus is very beautiful, and it's coming along nicely,” says Courtney Gent, RPh, PharmD, director of pharmacy services at the North Liberty campus. “We are beginning to welcome new team members for that campus, and we're looking forward to continued recruitment.”
External applicants interested in pharmacy positions or other career opportunities at the North Liberty campus may visit uihc.org/NLjobs to search for positions that match their skills and interests.
Current UI Health Care or UI employees may view and apply for open positions at the North Liberty campus through the university’s Employee Self-Service portal. Under the “My Career” tab, select "Career and Performance” and click on “Apply for Job Opportunities.”
