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Missouri’s St. Louis College of Pharmacy (STLCOP) has begun
to develop two pharmacy technician training programs designed to help South
African healthcare personnel and healthcare systems overwhelmed with HIV/AIDS
patient treatment. STLCOP is collaborating with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to design the training
programs. CDC and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief provided
funding for the project through an American International Health Alliance
(AIHA) competitive grant.
During the AIHA grant period, Ken Schafermeyer, PhD, STLCOP
director of international programs, and two colleagues will make four onsite
visits to South Africa. NMMU colleagues currently are in St. Louis to meet with
STLCOP faculty and students, visit retail and hospital pharmacies, and discuss
distance-learning technology. STLCOP work on the AIHA grant would include
developing instructional materials and designing training and mentoring
programs for new instructors, according to Schafermeyer. The project ultimately
aims to create training programs that other African nations could replicate.
