To the Editor,

As the manager of the Pitt Student Health Service Pharmacy, I feel compelled… To the Editor,

As the manager of the Pitt Student Health Service Pharmacy, I feel compelled to respond to the editorial “OCC: the Overly Capitalized Curriculum.”

At Pitt Student Health Service, we take pride in helping our students navigate their independence in the area of health care. Our pharmacists always take great care to thoroughly review the students’ medications and to carefully discuss any complications or contraindications they might encounter when taking a particular medication.

Visiting the pharmacy also affords students the ability to ask any questions in an environment that caters specifically to Pitt students. For many students, coming to college is the first time they take control of their own health care. Many have no idea there is a difference between a medical, prescription, dental and vision insurance card. Our pharmacists and pharmacy staff take the time to educate our students on this process and how it works. In fact, the typical response from students is, “My parents usually take care of it.”

It is my view that offering OCC credit for a visit to the Pitt Student Health Service Pharmacy is appropriate. If the function of the OCC is to help students cultivate the knowledge, skills and experience to succeed after college, then participating in an experience that helps students learn how to independently manage their own health care certainly fits that charge. Not all OCC requirements have to demand a significant amount of time or effort to be meaningful.

Shannon Kellgren, Pharm.D.

Pharmacy Manager

University of Pittsburgh