A robot that can be programmed to have a range of medical conditions, from heart disease to constipation, is being used by Pharmacy students at the University of Bath to help practise diagnostic skills and treating patients.
The SimMan 3G, dubbed "Simon" by the students, is a life-sized model that talks, breathes and reacts to medicines in the same way as a real human. He can be examined for blood pressure, heart and lung function, and can even be changed into a female!
Dr Denise Taylor, Senior Teaching Fellow in Clinical Pharmacy said: "He's amazingly life-like. He has a pulse, his pupils constrict when you shine a light in them and he also reacts to drugs in a similar way to a real person. If he has a reaction to a medicine, he might have a seizure, sweat or vomit.
"He's an amazing resource because he gives students a chance to practise examination skills, including diagnosis and treatment of patients, in a safe environment."
Whilst SimMan 3G is widely used for training doctors in medical school, the University of Bath is one of the first pharmacy departments to own one.
It is part of a new state-of-the-art teaching suite opened recently by Vice-Chancellor Professor Glynis Breakwell.
The suite is set up like a real pharmacy, with a dispensary and patient consulting rooms. Each student is assigned a set of fictitious patients, each with medication records that the student can use to decide which medicines may be prescribed and dispensed safely.
The new laboratory also includes six pharmacy consultation rooms, where students are filmed whilst role-playing encounters with patients, played by teaching staff or professional actors. This gives students valuable feedback as to how well they communicate with patients.
Head of Pharmacy Practice Professor Marjorie Weiss said: "The role of the pharmacist is changing significantly.