Auburn University Pharmacy School holds mock trial

Twelve jurors and 150 students were present; but in the end, there was only one important lesson to be learned.

“We want to find ways to drive home the point that as a professional, your actions have consequences. Even if it’s something you didn’t intentionally mean to do,“ said Paul Jungnickel, associate dean of Pharmacy at Auburn University.

That point was driven home judiciously Friday as Auburn University’s incoming pharmacy students were introduced to a little professional responsibility, as local attorneys and the AU School of Pharmacy faculty staged a mock malpractice trial.

In the mock trial scenario, a 25-year old female was prescribed a blood thinning medication, only to be prescribed an antibiotic for a different ailment a few weeks later.

The attending pharmacist overlooked the effect the two drug prescriptions will have in tandem, resulting in the young woman’s death.

The young woman’s parents represent their daughter in a multi-million dollar negligence lawsuit against the pharmacy that prescribed the medications.

Two members of the Lee County district attorney’s office, Robbie Treese and Kenney Gibbs, played the roles of prosecutor and judge, respectively.

And while there were humorous moments during the mock trial proceedings, the lessons the students learned were all too serious.

“We’re kidding around some, but we’re making this trial as informative as possible,“ Treese said.

Ryan Dunne was one pharmacy professional who left the mock trial better informed, to say the least.

Dunne, 26, played the role of the defendant in the mock trial and ultimately was found to be negligent by the jury.

“This was a mock trial, but the situation is one that could easily happen in our profession,“ said Dunne, a recent graduate, who is now employed at a family practice clinic.

David Brackett, a professor at the AU School of Pharmacy, agreed with Dunne.

“You can call it a scare tactic if you want; but as a pharmacist, you have a responsibility to your patients to have good results from the medication you prescribe for them,“ Brackett said.

This is the third year the pharmacy school has presented a mock trial.