Pharmacy Program Partnership with Medicine Hat College

South Country Co-op is proud and excited to be part of a new Pharmacy Technician diploma program, with Medicine Hat College, and Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), who donated $30,000 for scholarship funding to the initiative. The two-year program will kick off in Fall 2025 and will make use of South Country Co-op’s former pharmacy space at our 13th Avenue mall in Medicine Hat for instruction.

South Country Co-op’s growing relationship with Medicine Hat College is just one way we’re Enriching Lives and Communities, our guiding statement in everything we do. The new Pharmacy Technician program, the first of its kind in southern Alberta, will have incredible impact on western Canada, as these students apply their hands-on learning to the communities around them.

Techs are trained to compound, prepare, and dispense prescriptions and pharmaceutical products under the direction of pharmacists and help handle the flow of the pharmacy environment. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of community pharmacies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities and can also find employment with health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and pharmacy suppliers.

“South Country Co-op is proud to support initiatives that align with our Purpose Statement of Enriching Lives and Communities—values we share deeply with both Medicine Hat College and the broader Co-operative Retailing System. It’s been a privilege to work alongside dedicated partners like Medicine Hat College and FCL to help bring this important program to life. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on students and the communities they go on to serve across Western Canada” shared Carmen Hudson, Vice President Brand Development & Facilities at South Country Co-op.

South Country Co-op is proud to be part of this community partnership with Medicine Hat College. In 2022, South Country was honoured to be part of the College's new Co-op Wellness Commons, a facility with three key components: Indigenous teaching and learning, wellness, and health simulation programs. The Pharmacy Technician program is just one more step in our partnership.

“Co-op is proud of this continued partnership and investment in cultivating the next generation of leaders. At the heart of Co-op is a commitment to nurturing and empowering individuals in local communities to feel at home, and to find success, community, and purpose,” said Shauna Wilkinson, FCL Vice-President of People and Culture. “Offering students financial relief breaks down barriers, fosters connections, and grows dynamic talent streams with fresh perspectives in local communities and industries – ensuring sustained success in rapidly evolving markets.”