Lesshafft Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory

  
Dean Kenneth B. Roberts, left, with Dr. Charles Lesshafft, for whom the Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory was named. - more on Dr. Lesshafft

   In the mid-1990s the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy implemented a new curriculum to reflect the rapid changes taking place in health care. The curriculum is based upon practical experience and problem solving, rather than strict memorization, and provides students with the skills necessary to adapt to the changing needs of pharmacy practice.
     At the core of the curriculum lies the learning environment itself. The Lesshafft Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory has been designed to reflect the flexible nature of the curriculum and to take full advantage of state-of-the-art technology. The lab enables the College of Pharmacy to provide realistic training in patient care while remaining adaptable to changing practice trends.
     The pharmaceutical care laboratory and teaching demonstration area, which occupies nearly 6,000 square feet on the third floor of the College of Pharmacy, has six basic areas of instruction:

A central Decision Support Center for computer database searches, teleconferencing and continuing education programs.

A Nonsterile Area for compounding of the more traditional products such as suspensions, topical preparations and specialized dosage formations.

A Sterile Area for the preparation of intravenous (IV) medications, chemotherapy regimens and new biotechnology agents.

Two areas known as Practice Sets #1 and #2 to simulate training in patient management clinics, for use as a counseling and treatment room, a patient bedside, a clinical lab or many other practice experiences that reflect present and future opportunities.

A Distribution Systems Area to expose students to automated dispensing systems, specialized drug delivery systems and sophisticated counseling procedures. An important component of this area is the model pharmacy.

Two Small-Group Teaching Rooms equipped with computers for students to work individually or in groups in areas of home health, managed care, outcome measurements and fiscal management.

 
What began as a vision to provide a practice pharmacy
setting (below, shown during construction) 
is now a fully functional, well-stocked model
pharmacy that provides hands-on practical experience for
students in the college's professional program (above).

Above: The portion that once housed a compounding area 
(below, during construction) is now a Decision Support Center
for database searches, teleconferencing and
continuing education programs. The compounding areas are now
located at the rear of the lab, behind the windowed walls (above).

Lesshafft Lab Dedication - April 20, 2001