College of the North Atlantic – Qatar has officially reopened its two Pharmacy Technician laboratories after they underwent complete redesigns to better equip students for their careers in community and hospital pharmacies.
“These new labs really tailor the teaching experience for our students,” explained Irene O’Brien, dean, School of Health Sciences.
“Walking into these rooms you would think you were in a real pharmacy anywhere in the country, and that is exactly what we hoped to achieve with these remodels.”
The two laboratories have distinctive designs, with one tailored to mimic a hospital pharmacy, while the other replicates a community pharmacy, complete with waiting area and patient consultation desk.
This design was incorporated to meet the changing needs of Qatar, which is moving to a more patient-education focused pharmacy system, and also to meet the updated requirements of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authority, which awarded CNA-Q with the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programmes (CCAPP) accreditation in 2011.
The accreditation, the first international accreditation by CCAPP, ensures that CNA-Q students meet the highest of global standards upon graduation.
“These labs are the epitome of what we do here at CNA-Q,” Dr Ken MacLeod, president, CNA-Q said to guests at the reopening ceremonies. “We pride ourselves on providing hands-on, experiential learning to our students. With their experiences in these labs, our graduates are in prime position to aid in the transition to the community pharmacy model throughout the country while also ensuring better health for their clients.”