PGY1/2 Pharmacotherapy

Purpose

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 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 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 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-Pharm.D. 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

• Required Rotations (1 month each - required number months over 2 years):
  • Orientation 1 month (July)
  • Acute Care* - 4
  • Ambulatory Care* - 2
  • Clinical Generalist Rotation - 1
  • Critical Care* - 2
  • Drug Information - 1
  • Pediatrics* - 1
  • Psychiatry* - 1
  • Electives - 11, customized to resident interest
• Longitudinal Learning Experiences (yearlong):
  • Longitudinal clinic - half day per week throughout residency
  • Longitudinal staffing
  • Longitudinal inpatient adult on call (dependent on interest area)
• Additional Learning Experiences:
  • PGY2 MUE
  • PGY2 Project
  • PGY2 Seminar

*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 on average every 3rd weekend in one of the inpatient pharmacies (Ashley River Tower, Shawn Jenkin’s Children’s Hospital, or University Hospital). Additionally, during PGY1 year, the resident staffs 2 weekday evening staffing operational shifts (12:30 to 9:30 p.m.) in place of rotation twice monthly August through June.

PGY2 residents staff on average every 4th weekend. 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.

Adult Inpatient Off-site On-Call

In the PGY2 year, residents have the option to participate in the inpatient adult off-site on-call. To be discussed with each resident by the middle of PGY1 year so participation can be planned for the upcoming year if needed. There are alternative staffing expectations for residents that do not participate in this on-call program (i.e., infusion clinic staffing).

Research Project

Resident will complete a major service or research project during each 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 Pharmacotherapy residents get a project month in December. PGY2 Pharmacotherapy residents are provided the option of one project day each month during rotation hours or the month of December to work on the project.

MUE

PGY1 residents participate in small-group medication use evaluations to evaluate and implement measures to improve the quality of the medication-use process. During the PGY2 year, the residents complete an independent MUE in their area of interest.

Longitudinal Clinic

Residents will gain clinical experience by participating in a longitudinal ambulatory care clinic one half 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.