Simulation Pharmacy in Medical Simulation Center nearing completion

J.M. Long Foundation donation of $100,000 makes construction possible

By Jim Pinder and Steve Vodhanel

Construction nears completion on the Simulation Pharmacy located in the new Medical Simulation Center at the Loma Linda University Centennial Complex building. Scheduled for completion in Spring 2010, the Simulation Pharmacy will enhance student learning outcomes by providing a realistic and effective experience in which to prepare health professionals to properly counsel a patient with various medication therapies.

The Simulation Center Pharmacy addresses recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to make learning opportunities available in the curriculum that promote interdisciplinary education. At the LLU Medical Simulation Center, pharmacy students will train directly with students from the School of Nursing, the School of Medicine, and the School of Allied Health Sciences.

Enhancing patient safety, medical simulations are central to today’s health professions training. Medical simulations prepare health professionals for real-life emergency situations without real-life consequences. Some examples of training scenarios for pharmacy students include drug overdoses, medication error reduction and detection of adverse drug interactions. Highly relevant in today’s pharmacy practice, these medical simulation topics are critical for our students to learn in an environment that promotes exploration and instant feedback.

The photo above shows Linda Davis, Pharm. D., assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy, demonstrating how to effectively counsel a patient on their medicaiton in the Simulation Pharmacy.

The new Simulation Pharmacy is made possible by a very generous donation of $100,000 by the J. M. Long Foundation.