Lifelike robot Simon is helping trainee pharmacists hone their skills.

The life-sized model takes realism to new extremes and can sweat and even vomit if he reacts badly to a drug.

The robot which 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 them practise diagnostic skills and treating patients.

The SimMan 3G, dubbed Simon by the students, talks, breathes and reacts to medicines in the same way as a real human. He can be examined for blood pressure and heart and lung operation, and can even be changed into a woman.

He has a pulse and his eyes react when a light is shone into them.

Simon is at the forefront of helping would-be pharmacists get to grips with the changing nature of the profession, which has seen every chemists' shop equipped with its own consulting room for one-to-one chats.

Dr Denise Taylor, senior teaching fellow in clinical pharmacy said: "He's amazingly lifelike.

"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 schools, the university's pharmacy department is one of the first to own one.

It is part of a new teaching suite opened recently by Vice-Chancellor Professor Glynis Breakwell.

The area 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 which the student can use to decide which medicines may be prescribed and dispensed safely.

Students are filmed while 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.

"They are increasingly offering more patient-facing services such as giving advice to patients about appropriate medicine use, minor illnesses and healthy lifestyles. Some pharmacists, with additional training, can also prescribe medicines.

"This calls on the pharmacist's clinical and communication skills – they might have to explain a medicine-taking routine to a patient, offer advice on quitting smoking, check an individual's cholesterol level or identify underlying issues, such as depression."

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for research, Professor Jane Millar, added: "Pharmacy practice has made great advances over recent years, and so this new pharmacy practice suite will ensure that University of Bath pharmacists have the best possible vocational education to equip them to meet the needs of their profession."