When Shayla Berrey receives her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from OSU this month, she’s embarking on a journey to do far more than simply fill prescriptions.
“Pharmacists are some of the most accessible health care professionals,” Berrey said. “We often work with doctors to find treatments that are both effective and within a patient’s budget, and we also check that medications are safe to take together and are the best choice for each person’s health needs.”
Berrey, 25, grew up in Corvallis and graduated from OSU’s College of Science in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in biohealth sciences. She says she fell in love with the university during undergrad, so it wasn’t a hard choice to stay at OSU for pharmacy school.
It’s not for the faint of heart: In the four years students spend in the pharmacy program, they’re required to complete 1,440 hours of hand-on clinical training, on top of rigorous coursework.
And Berrey’s not done yet. She plans to specialize in psychiatry and substance use disorders, which will involve an additional two years of residency at Oregon Medical Group in Springfield, Ore.
“At the heart of pharmacy is a commitment to helping people — especially those who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the health care system,” she said. “We’re part of the health care team, helping to fill gaps in care and making sure patients get the support they need.”
During her four years in the College of Pharmacy, Berrey says she was fortunate to watch pharmacists with various backgrounds, specialties and strengths interact with patients. Those experiences helped her develop her own style of patient care, and she’s looking forward to taking on patients of her own in clinical practice in the future.
A big piece of that practice is financial. While individual pharmacists do not have price-setting power over prescription medications, cost assessment is crucial to ensuring patient access, and Berrey said pharmacists can help patients by contacting insurance companies, finding alternative medications or using discount programs.
“In pharmacy education, we’re taught early on about the concept of ‘financial toxicity’ — the idea that the cost of a medication can be as detrimental to a patient’s health as any physical side effect,” she said. “If a patient cannot afford their medication, they may skip doses or stop treatment altogether, which can lead to serious health consequences.”
Pharmacists work to bridge that gap, she said: “We are advocates for both clinical efficacy and financial accessibility, ensuring that patients not only receive the right medication but can also adhere to their treatment plans without undue financial burden.”
When she’s not working or studying, Berrey enjoys going on hikes with her dog whenever she has a chance, and she’s excited to restart some old hobbies and have a bit more free time to spend with friends and family after graduation.
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