Bay Pines VA Pharmacy Resident Converts Loss into Purpose

For Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Pharmacy Resident Jacob Prevost, the drive to give back is rooted in an innate ability to transform heartbreak to strength.

“My dad was a Veteran. He served in the Army for about four years, and I think his mental health condition was potentially influenced by the experiences he had,” Prevost shared. “When I was 13, I lost my dad to suicide.”

There was a time when the infamous phrase “22 a Day” loomed large but, in recent years, that number has reduced to 17. The statistics indicate that this crisis is improving, but there is still more work to be done. Suicide has no single cause and no one approach can end it – but prevention is possible, especially when Veterans find support before a crisis happens. Resources like the Veterans Crisis Line are available 24/7 to every Veteran, everywhere. 

“The loss of my dad impacted me deeply,” Prevost shared. “In the years that followed, I knew I wanted to pursue something later on in my life that would help people.”

In the aftermath of his family’s devastating loss, it would take some time for Prevost, his mom, and his younger brother to find themselves again. Several years passed and, toward the end of his college journey, he discovered how he could combine two of his passions.

“I didn’t know how much of an influence a pharmacist could have in the setting of mental health until I started my rotations here at Bay Pines VA,” Prevost shared. “I really gained the understanding of how these concepts can come together.” 

Prevost has been a part of Bay Pines VA’s PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency since July 2024. The year-long program provides an opportunity for its participants to develop competency in the areas of acute patient care; ambulatory/primary care; drug information; practice management, and pharmacy operations. At the end of the residency, the goal is for the residents to evolve into compassionate and highly skilled clinical practitioners who actively contribute to positive patient outcomes. 

“One of the really great things about being in a pharmacy residency program here, is the exposure to outpatient mental health,” Prevost stated. “I’ve had an opportunity to go with my preceptor to meet with patients who have a wide variety of diagnoses, and talk to them one on one.”

The pharmacy team at Bay Pines VA supports all of Bay Pines VA’s facilities, which include the  C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center, the Lee County Healthcare Center, and seven VA clinics – in addition to the State Veteran’s Nursing Home in Port Charlotte, Fla. They provide a combined total of more than 1 million inpatient and outpatient prescriptions annually, so it is imperative that they possess a solid understanding of how these medications can contribute to an improved quality of life for those they serve.

“Throughout college and residency training, we spend a lot of time learning as much as we possibly can about these medications and their impact so that we can take the extra time to talk to educate our patient population about the medications that may be best suited for them,” Prevost said. “Being able to present all the information to the Veterans allows me to know I’m helping them make an informed decision.”

There are a plethora of mental health resources offered by VA, and the services can be confusing to navigate at times. Still, there are health care professionals like Prevost who remain steadfast in their determination to improve Veterans’ quality of life, one interaction at a time.  

“In my experience, it takes a different level of understanding and empathy to realize that the experiences Veterans had, may have exacerbated or caused some of the psychiatric conditions they live with,” Prevost shared. “It’s been very healing to see that there is a whole team of people who are working to prevent lapses in care. Working to help keep Veterans’ mental health as stable as possible and keep their families together, feels very rewarding.”