Increasing Global Access to Medicines
Roivant Sciences and Roivant Social Ventures (RSV) have partnered to host the Access to Medicines Intern and Fellowship Program, providing real-world drug development experience to talented PharmD students who are passionate about leveraging their career development to expand healthcare access to underserved patient groups.
This summer Mackenzie Greene is serving as an RSV Global Access Fellow, where she is using her grant award to volunteer at Goodlife Access and Goodlife Pharmacy in Rwanda, and is leading initiatives to:
Conduct community healthcare clinic days that are creating access to otherwise unavailable blood pressure and blood glucose screenings for hundreds of community members in Kigali.
Create patient materials for post-screening healthcare education that provide next steps for building better health.
Standardize screening techniques for providers to promote sterile practice, patient privacy, and continuity of care.
Assist in the opening of new pharmacies.
Create non-communicable disease screening/consultation rooms, including their scheduling, building, budgeting, staffing requirements, and educational marketing materials for community members.
We sat down with Mackenzie to learn more about what drives her work and how her summer fellowship in Rwanda will impact her career development.
Growing up Mackenzie's family struggled to afford her medications, which is a widespread issue that many patients in need of treatment can deeply relate to. As a young teen, she remembers sitting on the phone for hours with companies hoping to get coupons or entrance into programs which would ultimately determine if she would be able to take her prescribed medications or not. She tried stretching one-month supplies of medication to last longer, knowing that they would not be able to afford her next fill when she ran out. Mackenzie's experience trying to access the medications that she needed as a child taught her first-hand that when patients can afford their medicines, and have fewer hurdles obtaining them, they are more likely to take them as prescribed, and improve their health outcomes.
Mackenzie has developed a passion for leveraging her love of science, chemistry, and molecular biology to help serve patients in need of medical treatment. Prior to pursuing Eshelman's PharmD program, she received a Bachelor of Science with a focus on Microbiology, Genomics, and Bioethics from Michigan State University. As an undergraduate she pursued her passion for research through working at the Michigan State University's Department of Neuroscience and Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering.
Are there any particular areas of medicine that you’re especially interested in learning about and helping treat?
"My degree in Genomics and minor in Bioethics really sparked an interest in personalized medicine. Each patient’s unique upbringing, cultural background, and genetic makeup requires an individualized approach to care and providers who can recognize and advocate for their needs holistically. Unfortunately, the majority of the population struggle to gain access to any healthcare at all, let alone have a choice in quality care."
What type of impact do you hope to create with your work?
"In my work experience so far I have learned how intricate of a process it is to receive prior authorizations and set up patients with programs to improve affordability. Pharmacists are truly the experts needed for navigating these programs. We are able to improve adherence and health outcomes immensely just by increasing access to medications..."
"As a young professional, I work hard to grow as a provider that makes a real difference in the care of my own community ad those around the world, while empowering my patients to take control of their health. In exploring my passions for improving access for underserved populations, I actively seek opportunities to do so in an effort to strengthen my community and expand my cultural awareness as a future provider."
What caught your interest about the fellowship that you are engaged with this summer?
"Bringing quality care and medication access to all patient populations requires an innovative approach and a high level of resilience. I strongly believe my passions, sought experiences, and developed skills align thoroughly with the mission of Roivant Social Ventures. I have been truly excited by the opportunity to work for an organization with such determination for innovative healthcare which strives for true equity and long-term global impacts..."
"This internship has provided me with valuable insight into unique career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in expanding healthcare access on a global scale. Understanding the varying roles and reach of pharmacists on the other side of the world has truly opened my eyes to the global impact we can achieve as professionals through collaboration, sharing, and learning from one another. I am passionate about preserving and deepening the relationships I formed with hopes of remaining connected with this project and company and their continued progress in the years to come!"
Goodlife Rwanda serves over 23,000 people each month across 12 pharmacy locations. Goodlife Access works to expand access to healthcare in Rwanda, where 49% live in poverty and the average life expectancy is currently 10 years lower than in the US due to lack of access to primary healthcare. They work in partnership with others to identify crucial health needs, design interventions, and embed those into sustainable models - all while using data to continually refine their work. Working in Rwanda provides an excellent environment for public health: their government has made a long-term commitment to data-driven investments in health and wellness, addressing the root causes of disease, and encouraging the private sector.
Access to Medicines Internship/Fellowship Program
This May, Roivant Sciences and Roivant Social Ventures partnered to host our Access to Medicines Internship and Fellowship Program, providing real-world drug development experience to qualified PharmD students. The intentions of this program are to expand access to medicines to underserved populations, and to further UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy's goal of providing future industry leaders with pharmaceutical experience during their PharmD tenure.
During the Spring 2024 semester all interns completed RSV's "Making Medicines" course at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the top ranked School of Pharmacy in the United States. This innovative course was designed to introduce PharmD students to the new drug approval process and key issues in drug discovery, pre-clinical testing, clinical trials, FDA approval, and global access to medicines. The course is taught by Lindsay Androski, RSV Founder & CEO, and Scott Singleton, Associate Professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.