Pharmacy School Field Trip In Nigeria

Pharmacy field trip

The curriculum of Pharmacy in Nigeria understand the importance of exposing students to the real world. This they achieve with the use of Industrial Training (I.T).

However, another avenue that offers students such opportunity is pharmacy field trip.

Pharmacy field trip can be in either Pharmaceutics and Industrial or Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine Department. It usually involves a paid trip to a known company where pharmaceutical activities such as drug development and design are carried out. It gives students a different perspective.

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There is a time for it depending on the school of pharmacy. The year is fixed in is not constant. However, the majority is usually during 400 level of study. For students to enjoy and get maximum benefits from the field trip, a lot has to be known before embarking on it.

What Is A Field Trip?

A field trip or excursion is a journey by a group of people (in this case pharmacy student) to a place away from the normal school environment. The sole purpose is for education and provides students with the experiences outside their everyday academic activities. It can be within a day of more. The process normally involves preparation to visit the place including getting information, lectures, tours etc. and discussion. Popular sites to visit are where drugs are produced and manufactured e.g. Pax Herbal in Ewu, Edo State, Nigeria.

The school will have to make contact with the establishment beforehand. The cost of entertaining students will be communicated to which students are to pay. The students may pay for their own fair or may be fortunate to get a sponsor.

On The Day

Knowing where you are going is very important. This will enable one to plan cash at hand and the available nearest Automated teller machine or bank in case of an eventuality. Students are also expected to come along with:

• A clean white Laboratory coat
• Tag (if available) indicating students from lecturers
• Head net

Above all dressing should be corporate.

Other optional gadgets to bring along are

• Camera
• Notebook
• Pen

The movement is going to be early in the day. Most of the time, the school bus is used and it is more secure. There is going to be lecturers on the ground from the school.

On arrival, lecturers introduce the location to the students. This includes the dos and don'ts of the trip. The person in charge from the company will welcome the students. He will be responsible for grouping the students into manageable size when they exceed a particular number after introducing the company and himself.

During the tour, the activities of each unit are explained in details. Students are free to ask questions at each unit. Taking photograph is allowed in many units. However, there should be caution in the use of flash light. Moreover, permission should be sought out for when about to use a camera.

At the end of the excursion, students will be assembled into a boardroom where all questions, query, and observation will be aired to the staff or manager.

Students that are fortunate may receive gifts in the form of souvenir from the company. They are mostly products from the company. Mind you, it is not only drugs pharmaceutical companies produce. A little time may be permitted for students to have a little self-tour of the facilities; shop within if need be by buying a product that impresses them.

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Every student goes back to the bus after a little assembly with lecturer discussing what has been learnt and achieve before going home.

The final phase consists of writing a report on activities during the trip. This formed part of the score if well written.

The field trip is one of the fun course in pharmacy. It is a different thing entirely from what the pharmacy curriculum offers. If every other course in pharmacy is like this, most pharmacy students will hardly complain. However, the fun ends with series of lectures.

I strongly advise students to take field trips seriously as it helps to inculcate some from of knowledge into students who did their Industrial Training (I.T) in a community or hospital pharmacy.

Thank you for reading. If you want to share your own personal experience, please kindly use the comment box.

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