09/16/2026
Tuesday afternoon Florence 1 Schools was proud to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Pharmacy at Poynor, a mock pharmacy sponsored by Jarrod Tippins, Pharm.D., and Jill Tippins, Pharm.D., of THE Pharmacy of Florence.
This innovative program is designed to give students an opportunity to pursue pharmacy technician certification before graduating from high school, preparing them to enter the workforce immediately or continue their education in pharmacy or another healthcare profession.
“Our goal is to give students an opportunity to see themselves in healthcare before they ever graduate from high school,” said Jarrod Tippins, PharmD, owner of THE Pharmacy. “By placing them in a realistic pharmacy environment and allowing them to learn through hands-on experience, we are helping turn curiosity into confidence and confidence into a career pathway.”
The simulation pharmacy reflects the workflow and environment students will encounter in community pharmacies across the region. Through practical instruction and real-world experiences, students will develop the technical knowledge, problem-solving ability, communication skills, empathy, and attention to detail necessary to serve patients safely and effectively.
“What makes today so powerful is that we are connecting education to experience, experience to employment, and employment to a lifetime of opportunity,” Tippins said. “We are planting a seed that can change the direction of a student’s life,” Tippins continued. “Some students may use their certification to begin working immediately, while others may continue their education and pursue careers as pharmacists or in other areas of healthcare.“
We are thankful for The Pharmacy and their partnership! They are impacting the lives of Florence 1 students each day.
