Take-Home Lab Kits Help Teach Key Skills
November 18, 2020
This past summer, College faculty, students, and staff channeled their energy into putting safety protocols in place, obtaining personal protective equipment, reorganizing classrooms and conference spaces, and laying the groundwork for our hybrid teaching approach in the Fall. Student leaders collaborated with the U-M Pharmacy curriculum committee to identify best practices for virtual classrooms. Pharmacy alumni and preceptors worked on creative and safe opportunities for our students to continue to receive their pharmacy practice experience hours.
Although the recent Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order is pushing us to virtual education again, the College’s commitment to ensuring a high quality educational experience for our students has never been stronger.
Teaching pharmacy laboratory skills is an important part of Michigan PharmD students’ education, but it is difficult to do safely in limited lab space. In response, faculty have developed pharmacy lab kits that students can check out and take home to practice these important dispensing skills.
The cost of a single lab kit is $95. Your gift will support the purchase, sanitization, and distribution of these essentials learning tools.
“First year pharmacy students prepared non-sterile compounds at home this semester as part of the P504 Pharmacy Practice Skills I class I teach,” explains Sarah Vordenberg, PharmD, MPH, clinical associate professor. “The students reconstituted an antibiotic with a small group facilitator on Zoom and then prepared a suspension, cream, ointment, and capsules. Students were able to complete the activities asynchronously or they could attend optional office hours with Michelle Nguyen (P4). Students documented their work by preparing short presentations for each product.”
Students overwhelmingly found the experience beneficial, noting that they enjoyed preparing the compounded products, the activities increased their knowledge of preparation, and it made them more interested in learning about non-sterile compounding.
This source of expendable dollars allows the College to provide students with support and extra skills that encompass a Michigan Pharmacy education. Please consider making a gift to the College’s Annual Fund, today.
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