Conveniently located pharmacies foster healthier communities. But 1 in 3 urban neighborhoods is a pharmacy desert, meaning residents can't fill a prescription within one mile of home-or half a mile if they are low-income and don't have transportation. Research shows that the urban poor who lose access to a local pharmacy are less inclined to use online alternatives and more likely to let their medication regimens lapse, leading to poor health outcomes. Some pharmacies don't accept Medi-Cal, further exacerbating lack of access. ‚a mile may not seem like much, but if you don't have a car and have problems walking, bus connections are bad, the weather is inclement, the neighborhood is dangerous and you have a child who needed that antibiotic yesterday for a raging infection a mile can be impossible. Professor Dima Qato For Dean Papadopoulos, it's an opportunity to fulfill his vision for a transformative endeavor that combines key aspects of the school's mission- from service to the community and training new generations of students to modeling best practices and conducting invaluable research that advances health and informs policy. The new South L.A. Pharmacy will build on the school's long traditions while innovating to revolutionize health. This is about more than just building a single pharmacy. It's what it could mean to the field and to the patients who will benefit. Join us in creating this new health destination, the USC South L.A. Pharmacy, by giving a gift today!