Rite Aid donates teaching pharmacy

Drug Store News, April 26, 1999

CAMP HILL, Pa. -- In a major outreach to pharmacy education, Rite Aid Corp. has built a model pharmacy on the campus of West Virginia University's Center for Pharmaceutical Care Education to provide pharmacy students with a hands-on learning experience in community retail pharmacy practice. The center, which will have been dedicated April 24, will be used by up to 250 students a year as part of their education, accompany spokesperson said.

Rite Aid provided a crew to transform an ordinary room at the school into what it dubbed a state-of-the-art model pharmacy. The 3,900store chain also provided carpeting, shelving, tiling and furniture for the pharmacy setting, which includes a consultation room. Students began using the new practice setting Jan. 11.

The model pharmacy is valued at nearly $116,000.

"Rite Aid is proud to help prepare students for a pharmacy career through this unique and innovative learning environment," said chain president and chief operating officer Tim Noonan.

Added school of pharmacy dean George Spratto: "West Virginia University is grateful for Rite Aid's commitment to our pharmacy program. This state-of-the-art facility will be a significant and valuable resource for the university's pharmacy students."

Since 1992, Rite Aid has also donated as much as $5,000 each year to the James Kyle Harman Memorial Scholarship. Harman was a Rite Aid pharmacist for 18 years.