Avita Pharmacy has been chosen by the University of Houston College of Pharmacy as the recipient of its 2022 Outpatient Pharmacy of the Year Award.
Bestowed upon an outpatient pharmacy that showcases excellence in mentoring students, the award recognizes the teaching efforts of Avita’s Houston location, headed up by Pharmacist-in-Charge Shane Goulas.
Students take part in the school’s Community Pharmaceutical Care Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience with the goal of applying the skills they’ve learned in class directly to patient care activities in a community pharmacy setting.
It's our goal that each student leaves our program with an understanding of what it means to unlock the full potential of health for patients with unique health needs, including an emphasis on compassionate care.
“We leverage a highly collaborative, hands-on mentoring process that allows our students to have real input into what they’re learning,” says Goulas, who has been a preceptor for more than 15 years. “Our approach is very down to earth. We find that this makes students more open to learning, and also is in keeping with Avita’s core values of compassion and resourcefulness.”
Educating pharmacy students about compassionate care
Avita specializes in caring for patients disproportionately affected by complex health conditions and offers its externship students unique insights into HIV, PrEP, STI, and LGBTQ+ care. “I feel a sense of pride in educating my students—who are usually in their 20s and did not witness much of the earlier history of HIV—about the progression of drug therapies and the vast advancements in patient care since the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Goulas says. “In a way, I’m honoring my friends and members of my community who were lost to HIV during those years.”
Avita’s externship program currently partners with over 30 schools and runs year-round for 6 to 12-week periods. Team members consider externship students part of the “Avita family” and are excited to help guide the next generation of pharmacy professionals.
“We thank The University of Houston for this honor and are proud to be the preferred choice for students who want a hands-on pharmacy experience,” says Avita CEO Michael Yount. “It’s our goal that each student leaves our program with an understanding of what it means to unlock the full potential of health for patients with unique health needs, including an emphasis on compassionate care.”
We leverage a highly collaborative, hands-on mentoring process that allows our students to have real input into what they're learning.
Goulas agrees. “That the students appreciate Avita means everything,” he says. “We’re thrilled to have been given the chance to serve as a resource to them, not just during their externship, but into the future. Even after they graduate, we often stay in touch—we’re always here to help them along.”
For more information about Avita’s externship program, click here to contact the Avita team. To learn more about Avita’s commitment to personalized patient care and our covered entity partners, click here.
