The Pharmacy Technology program at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College recently accepted a donation of a Laminar Flow Hood for teaching purposes from Advanced Infusion Care of Valdosta.  This piece of equipment is valued at $5,000 and used in the prevention of contamination of semiconductor wafers, biological samples, or any particular sensitive materials when handling medications.  “The donation came at the most opportune time, and allows the Pharmacy Technology students to have a “real-working” environment, with the correct tools and setup as an actual hospital pharmacy environment,” shared Frank Barnett, BAS, CPhT, Wiregrass Pharmacy Technology Program Coordinator.
 
The Pharmacy program is an accredited program through the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) and was recognized in 2018 as one of the top 10 Pharmacy Technician programs in the state.  The program is offered as a diploma or a degree program.  The diploma qualifies for the HOPE Career Grant, where if one qualifies for the HOPE and/or Zell Miller Grant, they could possibly qualify for additional monies that could pay for tuition, fees, and books for college.  The Pharmacy program also boasts of a 100% job placement rate.  
 
Tom Patterson, General Manager at Advanced Infusion Care of Valdosta, shared, “Donating our IV hood to the Wiregrass Pharmacy Technology program is an investment in our future. Many of our current Technicians are graduates of this program. As we grow, we will continue to depend on the Wiregrass program to produce strong, viable Certified Pharmacy Technician candidates of tomorrow.”