Busola Oladeru Aims to Bridge the Gap Between Pharmacists and Patients’ Mental Health Stigmas

Busola Oladeru

Busola Oladeru, a University of California, Irvine graduate who earned a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences in June 2021, will be a part of the inaugural cohort starting the PharmD program at UCI’s School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences this fall.  

“I was looking for a career path that would allow me to grow and connect my passion for science and math with helping people, and pharmacy fits the bill,” Oladeru said. “I want to further my education with the PharmD program to learn more about the fast-paced field of pharmacy.” 

The UCI PharmD program is a four-year professional degree program that will prepare graduates to be practice-ready pharmacists who are problem solvers, independent lifelong learners, team players, and leaders who will drive transformative changes in the healthcare system. The curriculum will be taught by faculty from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and delivered using innovative instructional methods and applying evidence-based practices. 

Looking toward the future, Oladeru hopes to bridge the gap between pharmacists and patients’ mental health stigmas. 

“People are taking psychiatric medications, but they don’t want to talk about it because it’s seen as a negative thing,” Oladeru said. “Pharmacists dispensing medication are just as important as the doctor prescribing it, because we see patients with more frequency. The patient may be seeing multiple specialists, but they have one pharmacy.” 

UCI’s new PharmD program is unique for many reasons, including its integrative health approach to treating the whole patient with a wide range of preventive and treatment modalities. Many students, like Oladeru, are looking forward to the collaboration and interprofessional education within the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences and the clinical training at UCI’s academic medical center.  

In addition to expanding her knowledge of the industry, Oladeru decided to apply for the new PharmD program because of the support she received from her peers, faculty and staff while obtaining her bachelor’s degree at UCI.  

“The Pre-Pharmacy Society solidified my decision to further my education in order to become a pharmacist. I always felt that the Pharmaceutical Sciences staff wanted every student to succeed; they helped me during office hours, with advising and gave recommendations.” 

UCI graduates account for 45 percent of the incoming class. According to Oladeru, “the advisors and professors created a welcoming community, so it was an easy decision to apply to the new PharmD program. I’m looking forward to the next four years and spending more time on campus.”


The UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences will host its Inaugural White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 24 at 2 pm P.T.