Ole Miss Pharmacy Expands MOMS Pilot to Boost Prenatal Access Across Mississippi

The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and a network of alumni pharmacies launched MOMS - Medications Optimizing Maternal Safety - in August 2025 with three pharmacies on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to increase prenatal access and wraparound services in parts of Mississippi. The pilot serves 43 pregnant patients, with participants enrolling as early as five weeks gestation and services continuing throughout pregnancy and beyond, as the program aims to improve outcomes for mothers and babies in Mississippi, which suffers the nation's highest infant mortality rate.

Pharmacists in the pilot are delivering targeted clinical supports including vaccine gap closures and initiation of aspirin therapy, alongside education on fetal movement, safe sleep and car-seat safety. The School of Pharmacy is also working with independent pharmacies to provide expectant mothers with vitamins, supplements and health screenings as part of the MOMS model.

Amy Catherine Love Baggett, an Ole Miss alumna and owner of Love’s Pharmacy on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is a front-line collaborator in the pilot and described an early milestone: “The first expecting mother enrolled is due any day now. It is so rewarding to see her excited and prepared for this journey into motherhood knowing we have been able to be a small part of it.” That enrollment and the program’s outreach to very early pregnancies underscore MOMS’ emphasis on early access to prenatal care.

Lindsey Rayborn, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and CPESN Mississippi network facilitator, has worked with Baggett on the pilot and has helped to assess early findings from the three Gulf Coast locations. Those assessments have informed plans for a near-term expansion: the initiative is preparing to expand to 17 more pharmacies statewide, with the goal of bringing pharmacy-based prenatal services into underserved Mississippi communities.

The School of Pharmacy promoted the initiative across its social channels, including a LinkedIn preview reaching the university’s 143,835 followers, and visual materials for the story included an illustration by John McCustion/University Marketing and Communications showing a pharmacist handing a bottle to a pregnant patient. As the pilot moves from three Gulf Coast sites toward the planned statewide onboarding of 17 additional pharmacies, program leaders say the focus remains practical and local - helping one mother at a time to quell the maternal health crisis.