Editor’s note: This is the second story in a five-part community pharmacy series covering College of Pharmacy alumni who operate independent pharmacies in rural or underserved communities across Tennessee.
In downtown Memphis, amidst an unexpected summer downpour, the ShotRx mobile clinic stands outside the Hospitality Hub, an organization that aims to end homelessness in Memphis. As the rain intensifies, people wait in line, shielded by pavilions and pop-up tents, as ShotRx workers help them complete the necessary paperwork. UT Health Science Center student pharmacists administer vaccines to some of Memphis’s most underserved citizens within the sanctuary of the blue van.
ShotRx, an initiative founded by College of Pharmacy alumnus Ted Lyons, PharmD, alongside his wife Merica Lyons, PharmD, bridges health care gaps in underserved areas plagued by low rates of vaccination and limited health care access, a need magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mobile clinic mirrors the ethos of UT Health Science Center‘s commitment to building healthy communities in Tennessee and beyond.
Inside the blue RV that serves as a mobile clinic, Dr. Ted Lyons addresses each patient by name. The scene seems more like a reunion than a vaccination drive. “My role has always been to interact with your community, give education, build relationships, and get healthy people,” he says.
In Memphis, a majority-minority city, there are unique health challenges. Underserved populations face elevated risks of chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma, as well as high rates of poverty. In addition, there are growing numbers of unhoused populations and childhood poverty, which exacerbate community health needs. Traditional modes of health care for these underserved populations present additional challenges, including a lack of health care education, an inability to reach primary care facilities, and an increase in the costs of medical care. ShotRx has developed an innovative approach to address these challenges: providing care to people where they are, educating them, and building trust through community ties.
Dr. Ted Lyons leverages his experience as a pastor and fitness instructor to reshape health care delivery models. “There’s no one way to do it. So why not change the model?” he explains. “When you talk to the community leaders, pastors, teachers, community activists, the people who are trusted in the community, you’ll get a greater uptake of vaccinations.”
The Lyonses have prioritized increasing childhood vaccination rates and have established partnerships with schools in Memphis and beyond to provide vaccinations directly to children while they are at school. The success of the ShotRx van in administering childhood vaccinations has led the mobile pharmacy to visit schools across West Tennessee, including Fayette County, Tipton County, and Dyersburg. “Since 2021, we’ve visited approximately 400 churches here in Memphis, over 60 charter schools, and about 20 to 30 other cities,” Dr. Ted Lyons says.
As an independently owned clinic, ShotRx’s mission goes beyond providing vaccinations. Employing nurse practitioners, the mobile clinic offers primary care, counseling, yearly wellness checkups, and education in the most underserved neighborhoods. “We can do everything we need to do in the ambulatory setting out here that we try to do in a clinic,” he says. This accessibility is critical for many on Medicare, impoverished, unhoused, or with limited mobility. With the fully mobile clinic, underserved populations can now receive comprehensive care steps from their doorstep. “We’re inching our way into becoming a provider,” he says proudly. “This is another thing that says, ‘Hey, look what pharmacists can do.’”
Education is a paramount focus. Every interaction with the community is an opportunity to make a lifelong impact on someone’s health awareness. “We might only vaccinate 50 patients and provide health care to 10 people in this community. But we will impact everyone who comes here,” he says. “Whether housed or unhoused, every individual matters. Through education, we can help them identify early issues like elevated blood pressure, hypertension, and diabetes, which is crucial.”
As ShotRx looks to expand into Mississippi and beyond, Dr. Ted Lyons credits his UT Health Science Center education with empowering him to be a visionary in pharmacy care. “UT Health Science Center was always encouraging me to push the envelope. Do more. It’s always been at the top of producing great pharmacists and thinkers who think outside the box, logically, and laterally.”
This story was originally featured in the Fall 2024 issue of the College of Pharmacy Magazine. If you have a story to tell about making a difference in your community or would like to highlight your community pharmacy, contact Nathan Ball, communications and marketing manager for the College of Pharmacy, at nball2@uthsc.edu.