This week, pharmacists across the globe celebrated World Pharmacists Day by providing safe and effective medicines for all. See how this Milwaukee pharmacy emphasizes “for all” by serving their community’s most underprivileged.

Hayat: the Arabic word for “life.”

A better quality of life is what Hayat Pharmacy strives to give patients every single day. Earlier this month, the staff at Hayat Pharmacy, with the help of the Muslim Community & Health Center, worked together to provide for the homeless population residing in Tent City, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The combined pharmacy and clinic staffs were checking blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol; administering pneumonia and flu vaccines; and passing out OTC and hygiene items to residents of Tent City last month.

A nurse practitioner was on-site diagnosing and prescribing while the pharmacists filled prescriptions.

“It all started with an idea,” said Hashim Zaibak, CEO of Hayat Pharmacy, “and it ended up being a very successful story.”

Hashim continued, “I think we’re going to be able to offer more services and hopefully make this a regular part of our responsibilities as a pharmacy.”

When asked about barriers to accomplish an event like this, Hashim quickly replied, “Actually, it’s not hard at all.”

He explains, “If you’re an independent pharmacy, find a not for profit clinic in your area and talk to them about organizing a program like this. And usually, they will say yes, and then you can check in with your local state. I don’t know if there are certain states that restrict these kind of activities or require a permit or anything like that. But in our case, we didn’t have to. So we just basically had to invest into the resources.”

Hashim reveals that he serves others for the sake of God, but emphasizes that serving the underserved and helping those who don’t have the same resources and abilities is not a religious belief, but a human belief that we should all take care of one another.

He feels that one of the main ways that he and other pharmacists make an impact is through MTM.

“It’s not about dispensing the product. It’s about making sure that the medication the patients are using is improving the outcomes for the patient.”