A state-of-the-art pharmacy teaching facility was opened at Trinity College Dublin today.
The facility, which is a joint initiative between Trinity and Boots pharmacy chain, features a model pharmacy for students to experience a real life pharmacy situation and improve pharmacist-patient communications.
The unit also includes stand-alone teaching stations to help students become familiar with the more traditional tasks of dispensing and administration.
Professor Marek Radomski, head of TCD’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences said the facility is intended to be the most advanced in Ireland.
He said it would allow Trinity to provide the highest standard of professional and research training to pharmacists of the future.
Speaking at the opening, TCD provost John Hegarty said: "we're all very well aware of the current debate on healthcare and the high expectations of it everyone in this country have".
Minister for Health Mary Harney emphasised the benefit of students experiencing a real life pharmacy situation and stand alone stations, saying "16 per cent of medical errors occur because of the inappropriate dispensing of medication".