“When I was in pharmacy school, we typed labels with a typewriter,” explained Shelley Chambers. “That was a while ago,” she added with a smile.
Chambers is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences where she teaches courses in drug preparation, labeling and dispensing to first-year students.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, several alumni of the pharmacy program, who were working in retail pharmacy management, provided Chambers with computer software and hardware for use in her courses.
“If I had to teach dispensing with two typewriters, instead of the six computers we have now, we would lose the quality of instruction. Our students need to practice with up-to-date tools. That is why these gifts are so important to our program.”
Well prepared grads
David Widen, director of pharmacy for Safeway Food and Drug at Portland, was the first donor. In 1994, when he was vice president of pharmacy for Payless Drug, he arranged the donation of computer hardware (including terminals, printers and modems), PDX dispensing software and ongoing maintenance and upgrades.
“The PDX system was state-of-the-art at the time,” said Widen, who received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1969. “We were hiring those graduates, and we wanted them to be well prepared.”
Since 1998, Safeway, through alumnus Gary Glennie, has continued the gift with PDX software upgrades, as well as piles of labels, patient informational handouts and receipts. More recently, the donation included a server to manage the dispensing process.
Glennie, who graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and works as the Spokane regional pharmacy manager for Safeway, said the donations are the same as those used in the stores’ pharmacies.
Working around limitations
“That is why these gifts are so great for our students,” Chambers said. “Using the PDX program gives the lab experience a more authentic feel. This allows us to provide concrete examples of how prescriptions are processed in real practice.”
In addition, Chambers noted that while this software includes the legal requirements of labeling and dispensing, students learn that the computer can’t do everything.
“Our students learn by using this program that the computer has limitations and that they need to incorporate their own training — to care for patients with drug allergies or drug interactions, for example,” she said.
“This gift allows us to offer an educational experience with authentic aspects of pharmacy practice, which results in better educated pharmacists. Improving my teaching and improving my students’ learning are both very important to me.”
This article is part of an occasional series on small grants and their impact at WSU. If you know of a newsworthy or creative program grant, please contact WSU Today writer Bill London at london@wsu.edu.
