HHS Medical Academy receives $7,500 grant to enhance pharmacy training program

The HHS Medical Academy has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Mountains, Rivers, and Valleys RC&D Council, a funding opportunity that promises to greatly enhance the academy’s pharmacy technician training program.

The grant was used to create a state-of-the-art simulated pharmacy environment designed to offer students hands-on experience. The new setup includes a fully equipped retail pharmacy counter and a compounding pharmacy laminar flow hood, both essential tools for students to practice the skills required to become Certified pharmacy technicians.

The new simulation lab will not only aid in developing technical skills but also provide students with a realistic environment to better understand the demands and responsibilities of pharmacy work, according to medical academy instructor Lynne Shelton.

Shelton said learning these skills in the classroom is like trying to bake a cake without a kitchen.

“Everything in healthcare is expensive, even equipment we use in our medical lab. Without this grant, I don’t think we would have been able to create this type of simulated learning environment,” she said. “When students can perform these skills in the appropriate context, they are able to apply the concepts they’ve learned in a more meaningful way.” By having a retail pharmacy counter that is like what is used in real life, students can receive and verify a prescription, create a patient profile, fill the prescription, create a prescription label and offer pharmacist counseling within the context of their future working environment.

Shelton said she has seen firsthand the impact this equipment has had on the students in the Medical Academy.

“I typically have five to seven pharmacy students every year. Next year, there will be 22 students in the class. I am really excited to use the equipment with the students and help them master the skills they will need to be successful,” she added.