Cardiff Pharmacy students visit Washington State University for a learning experience of a lifetime.

This summer, three students from Cardiff’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences were given the opportunity to spend four weeks at Washington State University.

Abbie Shaw, Emily Walters and Laura Bolger were invited to participate in a number of pharmacy-related programmes and gained invaluable experience learning how pharmacy is taught and practiced overseas.

Here, Laura sheds light on her time exploring the profession of pharmacy stateside.

"Observing pharmacy in the US gave me real insight into how different pharmacy and healthcare in general can be practiced around the world. They used different drugs at different doses for different conditions, so it made me reflect on my own learning and what is done here, in the UK.

We overcame the challenges of having to travel independently, find and complete a placement in a foreign country and build up a rapport with colleagues and patients. We were really lucky to be able to experience a range of pharmacist roles, including in the Drug Information Centre, in a Community Pharmacy and with the Visiting Nurses Association, visiting patients at home.

We were even able to attend some of the classes and lectures at the University during the start of term.

The staff and students at the University were so kind and generous, inviting us to spend time with their families to make us feel very welcome, and a little bit like local celebrities! Getting to experience the American culture outside of our placement was a real highlight, as that was when we experienced the real America, from the perspective of a local rather than a tourist.

Our host was an Oncology Pharmacist, allowing us to spend time questioning him on the differences between pharmacy in the UK and US, and experience the whole role of a hospital pharmacist.”

For some years, the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has welcomed students from Washington State University and we recognise the importance of international collaborations such as these to enhance our education provision for students.