Students in the Pharmacy Technician program at St. Clair College were going about their business at school when suddenly, their classroom experience turned into a high-intensity learning exercise.
As part of a collaborative project between the Pharmacy Technician and Protection, Security and Investigation (PSI) programs, a staged mock robbery took place in the campus pharmacy lab, challenging students to react in real-time to a realistic crisis.
Two student actors, playing the roles of drug-seeking individuals, stormed the lab, loudly demanding narcotics while taking control of the pharmacy technician students. The scenario was designed to be as true to life as possible, incorporating realistic commands, threats, and high-pressure moments to test the students' reactions.
During the simulation, one of the student actors demanded the pharmacy technicians put their hands up and not to touch their mobile phones, while the other marched a technician into the medicine storage room, demanding she fill his bag with narcotics. During the mock robbery, no one was physically touched or harmed, and the actors made off with their fake stash inside two minutes.
"It was nerve-wracking, but I feel more prepared for what to do if this ever happened in real life," one of the pharmacy technician students.
The following day, policing students stepped in to conduct witness interviews with the pharmacy technician students. Their goal: extract and compare crucial details about the suspects, including distinguishing characteristics, tattoos, clothing, facial hair, speech patterns, and physical mannerisms. By analyzing similarities and differences in witness statements, students honed their investigative skills and learned the importance of detail in police reports.
"This was as close to a real-life scenario as you can get in a controlled learning environment," said Prof. Ed Marocko, the program coordinator for PSI. "The students were fully engaged, and the realism of the event made it a truly valuable experience."
"I can tell you that this is an activity that is valued and enjoyed by my students," said Kristina Ricord, a PSI Instructor. "All semester we have been working, in theory, on report writing skills and communication techniques, so being able to apply these skills in a real-life setting is invaluable. The students are forced to put into practice what they have been learning."
With faculty and administration in attendance, the exercise was widely praised for its effectiveness in bridging the gap between public safety and healthcare professions.
"This hands-on exercise provided valuable learning opportunities for both groups, fostering cross-disciplinary teamwork. The event was a resounding success, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration in the future," said Prof. Kaitlyn Harnden of the Pharmacy Technician program.
The interprofessional collaboration between multiple programs is a model which allows experiential learning without even leaving the school facilities, according to School of Health Sciences Chair Stephanie DeFranceschi.
"Through joint exercises and debriefing sessions, they refine protocols for handling emergencies, safeguarding both medication supplies and community safety," said DeFranceschi. "This collaborative approach underscores a holistic commitment to community health, emphasizing prevention, intervention, and support."
"By leveraging their complementary strengths, the students forge a formidable alliance dedicated to building safer, healthier communities," she said.
The initiative, now in its second year, has received positive feedback from students and faculty in both programs and is set to continue in the future.
As the two programs work together to enhance community safety and preparedness, exercises like these ensure that students leave the classroom with practical skills that could one day make a critical difference in the field.
"We want our students to graduate not just with textbook knowledge, but with hands-on experience that prepares them for real-world challenges, and this collaboration is a perfect example of that," said Prof. Marocko.
