The Pharm.D. program is delivered in state-of-the-art instructional facilities. The first two years of the didactic curriculum are taught in the Avera Health and Science Center on main SDSU campus in Brookings. Classes for the third year of the program are taught in Sioux Falls, which allows for advanced experiential learning at the major health systems in the city.
The Pharmacy Care Skills Laboratory
The skills that every pharmacist needs to know to provide high quality care to patients in the community, health-system, ambulatory care and other settings are taught here. This teaching lab was initially opened in 2010 and was completely updated in 2018 to provide an even better learning experience. Students work individually and in small groups in a series of laboratory courses to learn pharmacy care skills. Active learning activities include simulation, role playing, patient cases, physical assessment and more.
The features of the Pharmacy Care Skills Lab include:
- The Innovation Pharmacy, a simulated community pharmacy - Student pharmacists learn how to educate patients on medications, the dispensing process and medication safety in the lab. The simulated pharmacy teaches students about pharmacy informatics through the use of PioneerRx pharmacy software and a ScriptPro dispensing robot.
- Over-the-counter medication section - Students can review over-the-counter products and practice interactions with patients on self-care issues.
- Simulated hospital room - The facility features a SimMan 3G human patient simulator. Using this simulation facility, pharmacy students gain experience working with patients and medications in the inpatient setting.
- Small group learning spaces - The lab features seven small group learning spaces featuring large television screens, computers, webcams and white boards to facilitate collaborative learning.
The Compounding Skills Laboratory
The newly remodeled compounding skills laboratory allows for instruction in nonsterile and sterile compounding. The laboratory features a large open lab space including movable tables and five wall monitors and a simulated sterile compounding room.
