College of Pharmacy wins practice category and secures honorable mention in AACP challenge

The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and Kroger Health were named the winners in the practice category of the 2026 inaugural Unite for Impact Challenge held by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). 

The challenge held by AACP is a national initiative designed to spark collaboration, innovation and measurable change. Teams of faculty, practitioners, students and their partners are challenged to create and launch new projects, campaigns or partnerships that would drive measurable change through advocacy, practice transformation and/or public engagement in community pharmacy.

The winning project, titled "Utilizing Pharmacy Students in a Value-Based Care Model," dives into the unique Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) rotation, made possible by a collaboration with Kroger Health and their centralized services department, Kroger Health Connect (KHC). Doctor of Pharmacy students gain experience operating a telephonic medication counseling program focused on medication reviews, targeted intervention and the common disease states of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. 

AACP notes that "the project created a scalable academic–practice partnership with Kroger Health that combines telepharmacy, population health and experiential education to strengthen student training while expanding pharmacist-delivered care to patients across a large healthcare network." 

Additionally, the College of Pharmacy received an honorable mention for its project titled, "Country Roads and Urban Streets: Developing a Service-learning Elective Focused on Social Drivers of Health." This project was a rural service-learning trip to southeast Ohio in October 2025. The trip capped off a seven-week inaugural course that challenged Doctor of Pharmacy students to learn about rural communities, identify health needs in the area and design outreach initiatives in response to those needs.