Training the next generation of vaccinators

Clinical Associate Professor Robert Wahler oversees first-year PharmD students at an immunization training session.

Clinical Associate Professor Robert Wahler oversees first-year PharmD students at an immunization training session

By Kara Sweet

Published March 26, 2021

Hands-on clinical training is an essential part of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum at the University at Buffalo (UB).

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“What the nation is seeing now is a workforce of health care professionals that are ready, willing and able to tackle this worldwide health care crisis. ”
Robert Wahler, PharmD '00, Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice

Now, it’s more important than ever with the increased demand for COVID-19 vaccinations.

All first-year PharmD students at UB recently participated in immunization training sessions, preparing them to be the next generation of vaccinators.

Clinical Associate Professor Robert Wahler, PharmD ’00, was one of several faculty members leading the training. He is proud to be educating future pharmacy leaders. 

“I think what the nation is seeing now is a workforce of health care professionals that are ready, willing and able to tackle this worldwide health care crisis,” he says.

The training began in January with American Pharmacists Association (APhA) pre-study reading material. This was followed by asynchronous didactic video lectures and Zoom sessions that explored federal and New York State immunization laws, small group casework, and communication and injection technique.

In-person training followed in March, with students injecting saline into an orange before practicing on their fellow future pharmacists.

Student immunization training.

“The in-person training was so informative and eye-opening,” says Kathryn Krchniak, PharmD ’24. “It depicted what the immunization process will look like at a vaccination clinic, which we will be able to support after this semester.”

The student trainees have had a unique, and sometimes challenging, first year. With safety guidelines in place, the immunization training clinic was also an opportunity to see professors and one another in person for the first time in a safe, on-campus environment.

“Getting a chance to be in the pharmacy school and interact with some of our professors and classmates even with the short time allotted was exciting,” Krchniak says. “It gives me so much to look forward to next semester when we are back in person.”

For over 130 years, the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has continually been a leader in the education of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, renowned for innovation in clinical practice and research. The school is accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education and is the No. 1 ranked school of pharmacy in New York State and No. 14 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information about the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences visit pharmacy.buffalo.edu.

Media Contact
Kara Sweet
Assistant Director, Communications and Alumni Relations
kasweet@buffalo.edu
716-645-7789