Fresh smells of paint and pharmaceuticals along with Jamie the friendly technician greet the customers in the new MU Pharmacy in the Student Center.

Neil Schmidt, System Pharmacy Manager for MU Health Care, said MU students, faculty and staff have responded positively to the pharmacy.

“Even as we were in the building phase, there has been quite a buzz about the project,” Schmidt said. “Students would stop by and ask when it would open.”

After a smooth construction process beginning in July, the pharmacy has been fully operational for two weeks, Schmidt said.

The technician, pharmacist and per diem staff who operate the pharmacy transferred from other MU Pharmacy locations.

The addition of the MU Student Center pharmacy location is an opportunity to better serve students and staff by bringing the services to them, Schmidt said.

“We placed the pharmacy in the student center to go to the very place the student population is really centered upon,” Schmidt said.

Senior Jasmine Hayes said she uses the student center pharmacy because of its convenience.

“I live on campus, and it’s much easier to walk here than drive to a different pharmacy like Walgreens,” she said.

Along with prescription medications, the pharmacy carries hair dye, condoms, over-the-counter ointments and various other health and beauty items.

“We carry a fairly large quantity, for the size of our pharmacy, of over-the-counter products,” Schmidt said.

Once day-to-day operations stabilize, some of the services available at other MU pharmacies, such as delivery of medications, will be extended to the student center location, Schmidt said.

The delivery service brings medication straight to several on-campus locations including offices, dorms and the MU Student Recreation Complex.

The pharmacy is now open Monday through Saturday.