Structuring Clinical Pharmacy Residencies to Provide Future Patient Drug Therapy Needs

Abstract

There are currently several types of pharmacy residency offered in the U.S. Some are largely administrative in nature, some are largely oriented toward drug distribution activities and a few more are appropriately termed clinical pharmacy residencies.

The pharmacy practice objectives at The Buffalo General Hospital are based around insuring rational and safe patient drug therapy. One objective is to realize maximal pharmacist efficiency in managing drug use control so that every pharmacist can have a clinical practice with considerable educational opportunity. Another objective is to put maximal responsibility with each professional staff member. The clinical pharmacy residency is an integral part of the provision of total departmental services.

The main objectives of the residency are to insure that the resident has a firm foundation in advanced therapeutics, that he can apply this knowledge for the benefit of the patient in a variety of situations and that he can function as an integral part of the pharmacy department. Each resident spends four months in general medicine, two months in intensive care services, one month in medical ambulatory services, two months in drug information services, two months in research and specialty study and one month in administration. The residents share basic responsibilities with the professional staff. This clinically-based residency should be the general residency of the future.