A once-empty patch of ground behind Coker Life Sciences has been transformed into a medicinal plant garden by a dedicated group of student pharmacists. The project originated from Kathy Quarles Moore, director of the Community and Compounding Laboratories.
“I love compounding, and I love functional medicine,” Moore says. “I started thinking, ‘Wouldnʼt it be great if we could have an herbal garden.’ That idea grew to having a medicinal garden, which inspired the plan to extract the oils to use in compounded lotions and lip balms that students learn to create in lab, so they could see the process from start to finish.”
Many medications originally came from plants — the earliest attempts at pharmaceuticals were plant preparations.
Planted in September, the garden includes a wide variety of herbs and flowers and serves as both an educational resource and a sanctuary for pharmacy students. Noah Raganschmalz, a second-year student pharmacist, played a key role in the gardenʼs development.
“I have always loved gardening and think that it goes hand in hand with pharmacy in so many different ways,” he explains. “Many medications originally came from plants — the earliest attempts at pharmaceuticals were plant preparations.”
The project blends pharmaceutical education with mental wellness. “The garden will be a great way to help create a space to practice mindfulness and act as a restorative place for the mental health of students,” Raganschmalz says. “There is significant research that suggests positive physical and psychological benefits from planting and maintaining a garden.”
The garden project originally launched with student pharmacists Katelyn Ditch, Rebecca Axson, Anne Abrams, Katie Hindman, George Hannah and Thomas Taylor. Current students, including Raganschmalz, Emily Fisher, Riley Buckwell and Brock Johnson, now manage the garden, dividing responsibilities between maintenance, harvesting, planning and outreach. They have already presented research at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists conference and plan to submit updated findings for ASHP 2025.
Future plans include expanding the plant selection, adding a sitting area with inspirational quotes and installing a small water feature to create a microhabitat. Through this innovative project, student pharmacists cultivate a deeper understanding of pharmacyʼs botanical roots and the importance of holistic well-being.
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Student Experience