PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program

The AH PGY1 pharmacy residency program builds 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 postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training. Abington Hospital is a community teaching hospital providing an innovative residency training program established on a foundation and culture of patient and medication safety.

To be considered for the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program, you must be registered with the ASHP-affiliated National Matching Service. You must then apply online via the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS). Completed applications are due by the deadline listed on the ASHP Residency Directory. Selected candidates will receive an invitation for an on-site interview, typically in January or February, with the program director, preceptors and residents. The program will fill the available positions in accordance with the National Matching Service agreement and ASHP accreditation rules and guidelines.

Candidate Qualifications:

• Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy or BS in pharmacy degree with three years of hospital experience.
• Must be a registered pharmacist in Pennsylvania or eligible for and complete the Board of Pharmacy licensure process within 90 days of the residency program start date.

Currently the program has three available PGY1 positions which are filled on a yearly basis. The program begins in mid-June and residents are contracted for 53 weeks to allow overlap between residency classes.

The mission of the Department of Pharmacy Services is to advance pharmacy practice while supporting all of the goals of the health system.

Pharmacy Care Services

• Abington Hospital's (AH) inpatient pharmacists deliver care in a hybrid staffing model, 24 hours/7 days per week. Pharmacists have centralized roles and responsibilities.
• AH utilizes technicians, students and automation to provide exceptional drug distribution services. Automated systems include AcuDose machines, with a drug storage carousel, medication bar coding system, fully interfaced inpatient CPOE, and e-prescribing for all patients.
• The AH Pharmacy supports the hospital through multiple specialty satellite locations including Oncology and Critical Care.
• AH also has an outpatient pharmacy open to employees, patients and the public.
• All pharmacists work collaboratively with nurses, physicians and the Health Information Systems (HIS) department to develop easy-to-use, evidence-based treatment protocols and order sets.
• Clinical drug information services are provided 24/7 via staff pharmacists, pharmacy residents and pharmacy care pharmacists.

Darshan (Shawn) Parekh, PharmD, MHA, FACHE
Health System Director of Pharmacy Services

Salary and fringe benefits for the residency program:

• Salary: $47,500
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage are provided
• 10 paid vacation/sick days
• Travel stipend for ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Eastern States Residency Conference
• Two AH lab coats
• Office space, desktop computer, laptop and Spectralink phone

Pharmacotherapy

• This learning experience has three main objectives: learning the process for patient care data retrieval, analysis and presentation during multidisciplinary rounding; developing assessment and self-evaluation skills during one-on-one dedicated time with preceptors; and building a foundation of knowledge in core pharmacy areas including basic hospital infectious diseases, anticoagulation, critical care, general medicine and pain management.

Internal Medicine

• The resident actively participates in rounds with the Internal Medicine Team; a team that generally consist of an attending physician, one to two medical residents and a medical student. This learning experience serves as a foundational experience as the resident will manage medication therapy for a variety of diseases and conditions, provide education to the medical team, and perform medication reconciliation and discharge counseling.

Infectious Diseases

• The resident actively participates in rounds with members from the Division of Infectious Diseases including, an attending physician, a fellow, a medical resident and a medical student. Pharmacokinetic monitoring, antimicrobial dosing and stewardship initiatives build upon the basic foundations of hospital infectious diseases previously learned in the Pharmacotherapy experience.

Pain Management/Palliative Care

• The resident actively participates in rounds with a pharmacist, the Palliative Care Team, and the Pain Management Team. The goal of this rotation is for the resident to understand the key concepts and current practices for managing a patient's pain so that the resident can design appropriate medication regimens for individual patients.

Pharmacy Management

• During this experience the resident becomes an active and engaged pharmacy management team member. The resident is exposed to operational, financial and clinical management of pharmacy practice which includes interactions with hospital administration as well as physician and nursing leadership.

Critical Care

• The resident actively participates in rounds with the critical care team, including a critical care attending, surgical resident, one to two medical residents and a medical student. This experience focuses on the management of critically ill patients located in one of our five intensive care units where emergent medication treatments are monitored on a daily basis.

Medication Safety

• Abington Hospital prides itself on its culture of safety and the resident will be actively engaged in the multidisciplinary approach to patient safety. Projects during this rotation involve analyzing and managing actual and possible patient safety issues by implementing pharmacy and hospital-wide interventions.

Anticoagulation

• This experience allows the resident to gain experience in the contemporary management of anticoagulation patients with VTE, stroke, atrial fibrillation, aquapheresis and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Ambulatory Care Experience

• The ambulatory care experience is based out of Abington Family Medicine, a practice located approximately 1.5 miles from Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health. Drug information, medication recommendations, physician education and patient education are routine activities in a unique, teaching environment with Family Medicine residents and faculty.

Pharmacy Practice Experience

• The current job market and PAI have led to increasing “hybridization” of the pharmacist role. The pharmacy practice experience is crucial for the development of operational skills in tandem with clinical services. Pharmacy residents are responsible for the duties of a frontline pharmacist, which include; order verification, drug distribution, medication checking, double checking pediatric doses and triaging physician and nursing inquiries. Clinical services include participation in anticoagulation monitoring, therapeutic drug monitoring, renal dosing, and therapeutic interchanges.

• Internal Medicine II
• Hematology/Oncology
• Trauma
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP)
• Emergency Medicine
• Neurology Critical Care

• Research Project
• Formulary Monograph and/or Drug Class Review
• Medication Utilization Evaluation (MUE)
• Monthly Pharmacy Newsletter
• Monthly Pharmacy and Therapeutics Meeting Minutes
• Pharmacist CE Program (ACPE - accredited) and Staff Development
• Residency Recruitment Activities
• Preceptor Certificate Program

Question: Are residents required to work holidays?
Answer: Each resident covers three holidays during the year.

Question: How are residents evaluated?
Answer: Residents are evaluated after each rotation based on ASHP's Residency Learning System (RLS) model using the PharmAcademic system for documentation.

Question: How many hours do you work per week?
Answer: It varies from rotation to rotation; however, the residents are limited to 80 hours per week based on departmental policy. On average, they work approximately 67 hours a week.

Question: Is the research project assigned?
Answer: The research project is chosen according to the resident's area of interest. Project mentors will help with topic selection, identification of resources, and research project guidance.

Question: Are there teaching opportunities or requirements?
Answer: Residents will be expected to help precept IPPE and APPE pharmacy students during their clerkships/rotations at AH. Residents will also present agenda items to medical healthcare professionals, to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, various sub-committee meetings, and in-service the medical and nursing staff. Residents will also participate in the newly developed Preceptor Certificate Program.

Question: How long is each learning experience?
Answer: Core and elective learning experiences are typically five weeks in length, however they can range from four to six weeks based on the schedule and how they fall in the residency year calendar.

Question: How many elective experiences may I choose?
Answer: Elective experiences are blocked in 4-6 week groups and can be filled with one or multiple learning opportunities with the smallest time period being two weeks.

Question: Does your residency program sponsor candidates who do not have current citizenship in the US?
Answer: Due to the limited time between NMS match results and the accelerated starting schedule for the residency program (early June), we are unable to commit to sponsorship of candidates at this time.