Through the Adopt a Health District (ADOPHD) Program, UConn’s School of Pharmacy gives students — most from allied health sciences — the chance to turn classroom knowledge into real-world impact. As interns, they partner with Connecticut communities on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. Their hands-on work ranges from learning and teaching how to use Narcan — the life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose — to raising awareness about the dangers of fake pills, and sharing essential information about opioids. They also help residents safely dispose of unused medications, reducing risks before they start.

Eva-LaRue Barber ‘25 was one of the allied health students who participated in the program last year. She interned in the Chesprocott Health District, which includes Cheshire, Prospect, and Wolcott. There, she and the other intern assigned to the district analyzed data to identify what groups were experiencing overdoses and how that compared to the district’s demographics.

“I was really curious about how larger prevention techniques could be employed by a community. For me, that’s something that was really important — recognizing communities and creating things for them.”