“When we began this journey in 2007, I don't think any of us could have imagined what it would become,” says Rajul Arvind Patel '01, '06, director of patient care clinics and professor of pharmacy practice at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy.

Patel was reflecting on two decades of the school’s Medicare Part D community outreach program at an Oct. 18 anniversary celebration in Lodi, California, which brought together past and present students, faculty and community partners. 

“We had an idea, we had a vision and we had a group of students who were willing to take a chance on something new. What we didn't have was any idea that 20 years later we'd be sitting in a room with hundreds of people whose lives had been connected through this one experience,” he shared.

Since 2007, Pacific's Medicare Part D Outreach Clinics have assisted nearly 13,800 beneficiaries with their Medicare Part D drug plan, helping beneficiaries save an estimated total of $14.76 million.

Through the initiative, Doctor of Pharmacy students work with community members to evaluate all Part D prescription drug plan offerings to lower out-of-pocket prescription medication expenses, improve drug therapy outcomes and enhance the quality of life of assisted beneficiaries.

Students have provided comprehensive medication reviews to nearly 9,700 individuals to ensure their medications are safe and effective to take together. Student pharmacists have also earned more than 50,000 experiential hours through the clinics.

At the heart of the program’s longevity and success is the connection students feel with one another and with the local community, a connection that is largely due to Patel’s mentorship. 

“I came back from Boston to celebrate this milestone because I'm very close to Dr. Patel,” said alumnus Chiron Tran ’24. “I think that I built a very strong relationship with him and most members of our class during my year in the Medicare program, and he's played a very significant role in my personal and professional development and getting me to where I am today.” 

Emma Musat ’28 said she too received impactful support from Patel during her program.

“Patel really puts in the effort to help out the students every single day. He made it important for us to do a wellness activity where we got to relax and reflect on our lives or how we're working with other people, and it was really meaningful for every student in the class to get that time to reflect. We're also very busy with the program, and Patel does a really good job at making sure we're all cared for,” she said.

Musat recently helped an elderly couple navigate a complicated health plan enrollment process during an outreach clinic. They were locked out of their accounts due to password issues, so Musat worked with each spouse to explore their options. 

“I felt like I had a really big impact on the patients' lives. They were a married couple, didn't have any children to help them, so no grandkids at home, no one to help them out with the technology. I went through the whole process of resetting passwords and navigating the site with them. 

“At the end, both of them hugged me, we were all chatting together, and it made me feel like they were my grandparents. It was really sweet to be able to have such a good connection despite what started as a difficult scenario,” Musat said. 

Stories like these were shared widely during the program’s 20th anniversary celebration. As the program looks ahead to the next 20 years, its mission remains the same: helping community members navigate the complexities of Medicare Part D while preparing future pharmacists to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care.

Medicare Part D enrollment is currently open through Dec. 7. Learn more about the pharmacy school’s community events.