PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program
Purpose Statement
Postgraduate year two (PGY2) Program Purpose: 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 or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.
Mission Statement
The mission of Cabell Huntington Hospital PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency is to provide a dynamic learning environment for pharmacy residents. The residents will practice within an environment that has been created to provide a high quality, comprehensive education that prepares residents to function as effective clinical pharmacists providing patient-oriented care in a critical care environment. The residency program is designed to provide the pharmacy residents with the essential skills, experience, and background to care for a broad spectrum of critically ill patients while providing quality pharmaceutical care to the patients, and caregivers they serve.
Goals
The primary goal of the program is to graduate compassionate critical care pharmacists who excel as both clinicians and scholars in an academic medical setting. This overarching goal will be completed through exposure to a variety of opportunities where the resident will serve as an integral member of interdisciplinary healthcare teams by participating in medication therapy management, answering key clinical questions and serving as a resource to the healthcare team. The resident will have an opportunity to enhance teaching abilities through didactic lectures to other disciplines in the medical center as well as at colleges of pharmacy, self and peer evaluation and being a preceptor to first year pharmacy residents and Doctor of Pharmacy students. The program will also develop research skills through completion of a longitudinal research project and manuscript preparation.
Program Overview
The PGY2 Critical Care residency program at Cabell Huntington Hospital provides the resident with in-depth training and practice experience in the core rotations (e.g. Medical ICU, Surgical-Trauma ICU) as well as elective rotations (e.g. Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases), which are provided to align with our resident's interests and career plans. Longitudinal activities during the residency are designed to expand the resident's experiences in pharmacy and health-system leadership, the formulary and medication use process, drug policy, code response, and medication safety. Additionally, residents will develop their skills to be competent in the provision of clinical and operational services within the acute care setting. Each resident will be responsible for completing a medication use evaluation, residency project, and manuscript. A Teaching Certificate Program is offered in collaboration with Marshall University School of Pharmacy.
The program is designed to develop competencies necessary for specialized practice in critical care pharmacotherapy. The primary focus of the residency is the enhancement of clinical skills. Upon completion of this residency, graduates will be prepared to lead practice as a critical care pharmacotherapy specialist. Residents are required to complete core rotations in order to build a strong knowledge base and have the opportunity to select elective rotations in many fields of interest. Additional program requirements, aimed at developing a skilled and competent practitioner are also required. Required elements of the program include completing a major research project, patient education, student precepting, providing pharmacy services, and developing leadership and communication skills. Upon successful completion of the program, residents will be awarded a program certificate.
The residency program is designed to comply with the published accreditation standards of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).
Teaching
Residents completing this residency program will be competent educators in pharmacy practice.
The program provides various opportunities for one to develop effective teaching skills to pharmacy students, medical residents, pharmacists and physician groups. Required teaching presentations include one patient case, one Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conference, one Grand Rounds presentation to Marshall Internal Medicine or Surgery physicians, two ACPE-accredited continuing education activities, and six journal clubs. Informal teaching will also occur on rotations to include nursing in-services, journal clubs, topic discussions, and education to medical teams. In addition, residents will serve as co-preceptors for pharmacy student and PGY1 resident rotations, participate in pharmacy staff development education, and provide informal pharmacy presentations to the medical residency and nursing staff.
Scholarly Activity
Residents completing this pharmacy residency program will be competent in scholarly activities through active participation in both service/research project management and publication. Residents will complete a service or research project and prepare a manuscript suitable for publication in a biomedical journal prior to graduation. The program utilizes a flipped model for research allowing the resident to complete a research project to present at the Society of critical Care Medicine’s Critical Care Congress and begin a second research project for completion in the following year.
Residents will be given the opportunity to complete one medication use evaluation to be presented within the health care system.
Residents will also take an active role in hospital administration and practice evaluation by completing order set reviews, formulary additions and deletions, drug monographs, and policy reviews. These will be accomplished through mentorship and regular attendance at the Pharmacy & Therapeutics meeting, Critical Care Collaborative meeting, and various other hospital committees contributing to evidence-based patient care.
Staffing Responsibilities
Residents are trained to independently function as a critical care pharmacist supporting both the pharmacotherapy consult and pharmacy practice service at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
The role and responsibilities of a critical care pharmacist in a staffing function is to support all pharmaceutical services for the intensive care units and may include but is not limited to the following:
- Verifying and checking pharmacy orders for critically ill adults
- Supporting the pharmacotherapy consult service including pharmacokinetic dosing of medication therapy
- Writing and monitoring orders for TPN
- Triaging and resolving medication problems
- Responding to overhead pages (code blue, rapid response, stroke alert)
- Supervising and overseeing pharmacy technicians and students
Residents staff in the intensive care unit every 3rd weekend.
Mentorship
The PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy resident will choose a mentor from the preceptor group after having the opportunity to meet with preceptors at the beginning of their experience through planned events. The mentor of their choosing will serve as their mentor throughout the year to provide insight and guidance in both professional and personal aspects of career development. We believe this opportunity provides our residents with a well-rounded experience with means to ensure they are provided with the tools and support to flourish throughout their first year of residency.
Rotation Experiences
Required Rotations |
Elective Rotations |
Longitudinal Rotations |
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Program Specifics
| ASHP Program Code | #39707 |
| NMS Code | #652552 |
| Accreditation Status | Accredited |
| Duration/Type | 12 Months |
| Number of Positions | 1 |
| Application Deadline | January 3rd, 2025 (Please note this program will participate in PhORCAS) |
| Starting Date | June 30th, 2025 |
| Estimated Stipend | $50,000 |
| Interview Required | Yes |
| Training Site | Hospital |
| Owner/Affiliate | Private |
| Model Type(s) | Academic Teaching |
| Tax Status | Nonprofit |
| Professional Staff | 33 Pharmacists |
| Non-Professional Staff | 38 Non-Pharmacist Staff |
| Total Beds (Licensed) | 303 total beds |
| Average Daily Census | 290 |
Benefits
- Access to the Employee Assistance Program
- ACLS and PALS certifications
- Medical insurance
- Office space and computer
- Paid time off (PTO), up to 10 days (80 hours)
- Professional travel reimbursement, up to $1,500
- Retirement plan available
- Sick leave
- Uniform stipend
Contact
Allison Fisher, PharmD, BCCCP
Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor | PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Interim Residency Program Director
Cabell Huntington Hospital | 1340 Hal Greer Blvd | Huntington, WV 25701
allison.fisher@chhi.org