New Pharmacy Skills Lab at the University of Groningen
A brand-new pharmacy skills lab has been set up at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands in September 2024. The core of the skills lab are six simulated community pharmacy settings, a simulated home environment and a study area. State of the art audio-visual facilities to allow video-recording or live stream are available. The skills lab is used for all levels of teaching from first year bachelor to third year master students to train a wide range of competencies including patient-centered communication, leadership and interprofessional collaboration. Examples include simulated practice workshops to teach basic communication skills to counsel patients. The skills lab is also used to run the pharmacy simulation game “GIMMICS”, a unique concept combining simulation of the pharmacy practice environment with serious gaming (see https://pharmacygame.education/). Furthermore, the first plans to use the skills lab also in postgraduate education for pharmacists from practice have been made. If you happen to be in the Netherlands, come and have a look.