Food City Donates Equipment to Walters State Community College

PRESS RELEASE

A generous donation from Food City Pharmacy has made training more realistic for students in Walters State Community College’s pharmacy technician program. The company’s donated pharmacy equipment has transformed a room of cabinets into a complete pharmacy lab.

“The college is very grateful for this donation. This equipment will enhance the real-world experience of our pharmacy technician students,” said Dr. Wade B. McCamey, president of Walters State.

Food City Pharmacy has worked closely with Walters State for many years, serving as a clinical teaching site and hiring many of the program’s graduates.

“We are proud to be a long-time partner of this program,” said Mickey Blazer, vice president of pharmacy operations for Food City. “We enjoy hosting the students who complete their clinical rotations in our pharmacies. When we became aware that Walters State was in need of this equipment, we were pleased to have the opportunity donate it to the college,” Blazer said.

Kimberly Brown, head of the pharmacy technician program, learned that a Morristown Food City would be moving to a new location from a student employed at the store. She approached the company, hoping to perhaps get a few items heavily discounted.

“Food City graciously agreed to donate the equipment that was not being relocated to their new site. The lab experience is so different that one of my recent graduates saw it and said she was jealous of our new students,” Brown said.

Once the equipment became available, Walters State’s Plant Operations staff began the difficult process of moving and re-installing the equipment.

“The Plant Operations staff did an excellent job. Now, the clinical training we provide on-site is of the highest caliber. Before, we did not have a register, a narcotics cabinet or a dispensing cabinet. Now, we have everything,” Brown said.

No actual medications are kept at or used in the pharmacy lab. Students instead use placebos for training purposes.

Graduates of the three-semester program are eligible to take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification exam.