PGY1/PGY2 Pharmacotherapy

Purpose

PGY1 Purpose Statement

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for post-graduate year two (PGY2) residency training.

PGY2 Purpose Statement

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care of other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete and accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized, along with board certification, if available.

Additional Program Description

The Pharmacotherapy Residency at MUSC Health is a post PharmD program which provides 24 months of training in a contemporary pharmacy practice. The experience is intended to build knowledge and clinical skills across all areas of pharmacotherapy and provide both institutionally-based and ambulatory practice. In addition, the pharmacotherapy residents will work with pediatric, adult, and geriatric patient populations. Rotations are one month long and are blocked according to specialty (e.g. pediatric rotations will be scheduled consecutively). Note, this blocking of specialties is subject to rotation availability and resident preference. The resident will have various levels of involvement in longitudinal clinical research, department of pharmacy service projects, and the education of others. A longitudinal clinic will be a portion of both years. Additionally, the resident will complete the academic preparation program and research certificates over the two year period.

Program Design

Required Learning Experiences:

Learning Experience Rotation Length

  • Orientation 1 month (July)
  • Acute Care* - 4 rotation minimum 1 month each
  • Ambulatory Care* - 2 rotation minimum 1 month each
  • Clinical Generalist Rotation 1 month
  • Critical Care* - 4 rotation minimum 1 month each
  • Drug Information 1 month
  • Pediatrics* - 2 rotation minimum 1 month each
  • Psychiatry* - 2 rotation minimum 1 month each
  • Electives - 7 rotations, customized to residents 1 month each
  • Longitudinal clinic - ½ day per week throughout residency. Clinics may very

*Certain learning experiences are required but selective in that residents may select the specific learning experience under a more general topic.

Clinical Staffing Service

Residents will gain clinical experience providing service throughout the year as a clinical pharmacist. PGY1 residents staff every 3rd weekend in one of the inpatient pharmacies (Ashley River Tower, Children’s Hospital, and University Hospital). PGY2 residents will staff every 4th weekend. Residents will be scheduled in a variety of central and decentralized roles so they gain experience providing a wide range of services. Activities include, but are not limited to, order verification, sterile product verification, completing pharmacokinetic monitoring, providing therapeutic consults, attending emergency codes, and delivering patient education.

24-Hour In-house On-Call

Residents participate in a Clinical Pharmacy on-call service for daytime, evening, weekend, and holiday coverage. Residents provide 24-hour in-house availability of clinical pharmacy services and patient-specific drug therapy issues to all MUSC Health care team members. Clinical pharmacy specialists serve as a clinical back-up for the residents. Weekend on-call responsibilities count towards the 32 monthly service hours. Note that during their required pediatrics rotation residents also participate in the weeklong pediatrics on-call program.

Research Project

Each resident will complete a major service or research project during the residency year. Project ideas will be generated by care team members of MUSC Health to address clinical and operational needs for Pharmacy Services and patients at MUSC Health. The resident will present the results of their project at a local, state, regional, or national meeting, and they must write a manuscript suitable for publication describing the results of their project. PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacotherapy residents are provided one project day each month during rotation hours to work on the project.

MUE

PGY1 residents will participate in small-group medication use evaluations to evaluate and implement measures to improve the quality of the medication-use process. The PGY2 year, the residents have the opportunity to work on an independent MUE in their area of interest.

Seminar

Each resident will present one ACPE-accredited seminar during each year of the residency program. The goal of the seminar is to expand the resident’s communication skills, presentation techniques, and knowledge in a topic of their choosing.

Longitudinal Clinic

Residents will gain clinical experience by participating in a longitudinal ambulatory care clinic one ½ day per week throughout the two years. The clinic will be chosen based on resident interest and preceptor availability. This clinic typically rotates every 6 months to 1 year depending on rotation availability and resident interest.

Required Certificate Programs

Academic Preparation Program

The MUSC College of Pharmacy offers a certificate program to residents who are interested in enhancing skills needed in an academic environment. Residents are assigned a full time faculty me not and will complete didactic lectures, student evaluations, small group facilitation, and precepting students. This can be completed over the 2 years of the program.

Research Certificate Program

The MUSC College of Pharmacy also offers a research certificate program for residents, consisting of live sessions aimed at improving residents’ ability to conduct, disseminate, and interpret research. This can be completed over the 2 years of the program.

Core Preceptors

Due to the unique nature of the pharmacotherapy residency, the pharmacotherapy resident will have the opportunity to learn under preceptors from many of the various residency programs at MUSC Health. SeePGY1 and specialty program pages for specific preceptor information.

Current Residents

PGY1/2 Pharmacotherapy Residents