The University launched a delivery service for healthcare products last week in partnership with two local pharmacies, allowing students to order over-the-counter items online, including a lower-cost emergency contraception pill.
The initiative comes after over a year of student concerns about access to medication following the closure of the Forty Acres Pharmacy in 2021. Through the University Health Services website, students can order healthcare products from either Tarrytown Pharmacy or the H-E-B Pharmacy on Trinity Street, depending on where they’d like the items delivered. Tarrytown Pharmacy will deliver to select University-owned locations, such as on-campus residence halls and 2400 Nueces, while H-E-B can deliver to any off-campus residence within a 10-mile radius of the pharmacy.
Katy Redd, UHS director for prevention and development, said the UT Student Government resolution promoting emergency contraception vending machines on campus demonstrated a clear demand for medication access that needed to be addressed. The University decided a delivery system better suited the community than vending machines, Redd said because orders can be placed from home.
Last year, SG spearheaded the initiative to establish the 24/7 vending machines for accessibility and comfort to students, with the hopes of subsidizing the cost of emergency contraceptives at $10.
“We ultimately chose to go in a different direction because we wanted products to be available in more than one location and meet students in a private way,” Redd said. “We’re thinking about how do we provide more access to more students.”
Products available for delivery include allergy and cold relief, first aid supplies, menstrual products, condoms and an oral emergency contraceptive.
Through the new delivery service, students can purchase the emergency contraceptive New Day for $20, a generic alternative to Plan B, which retails for $50 in most pharmacies. These items are also available at the CVS and Target on Guadalupe Street, but Redd said a delivery option is a good alternative to ensure the privacy of students.
Editor’s note: A source has been removed from this story after publication. The Texan regrets this error.
