Apotex Pharmacy Professional Practice Centre moves to new home in Health Sciences Expansion
Students in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition have a new space to help them in the advancement of their studies and careers. The Apotex Pharmacy Professional Practice Centre was originally created in 2008 with support from a $1.5 million dollar donation from Apotex Inc.― the largest single gift ever received by the college.
By Kelsey TopolaUntil recently the centre was housed in the Throvaldson Building; but late last year it moved to its new home in the E-Wing of the Health Sciences Building. “Our pharmacy students will now have access to the first of many state-of-the-art spaces here at the University of Saskatchewan that they will use for their training for years to come” said David Hill, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. Professor emeritus and former dean of the college Dennis Gorecki added, “[This] generosity has significantly contributed to our research and education programs.”
The Apotex Pharmacy Professional Practice Centre continues the colleges' tradition of excellence by providing students with a state-of-the-art skills and simulation laboratory. Students learn to counsel patients and work as a team; better preparing them for work in real-life pharmacy settings. President Ilene Busch-Vishniac noted that the University of Saskatchewan is fortunate to have such fruitful collaborations with industry saying, "We are fortunate to have the partnerships with industry like the one we have with Apotex, because they are absolutely critical to strengthening the communities we serve. When those partnerships support our educational goals and contribute to the development of the next generation of leaders in critically important fields like pharmacy and nutrition, the impact is even more substantial."
The relocation and grand opening of the centre comes in the centennial year of the college; helping it to mark the integral part it has played as part of the U of S and Saskatchewan as a whole for the past 100 years. Over that time the college has produced over 4,500 graduates who have shaped healthcare not only in Saskatchewan, but throughout Canada. "Without incredibly generous supporters such as Apotex, the successes of the past 100 years and the potential for the next hundred would not have been possible" said Hill.
The Apotex Pharmacy Professional Practice Centre is located in the E-Wing of the Health Sciences building which will have its official grand opening on May 8, 2014.