About Our PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program

Valley Children’s Hospital offers a one-year, postgraduate residency program in pharmacy practice, with an emphasis in pediatrics. Residents will be trained to be effective independent 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) pharmacy residency training. 

Our pharmacy residency program is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHSP) as a PGY1 pharmacy residency with a pediatric emphasis. Our pharmacy residents here at Valley Children’s have a wide variety of rotation experiences available for them, from acute care to critical and ambulatory care. They also have medication safety and regulatory opportunities as well as numerous elective options.

ASHP Required Competency Areas

• Competency Area R1:  Patient Care
• Competency Area R2:  Practice Advancement
• Competency Area R3:  Leadership
• Competency Area R4:  Teaching and Education

Program Schedule

A 12-month schedule of rotations is created for residents prior to the start of the residency to meet the required competencies, goals and objectives of the program. Each resident will also have a personal Development Plan created at the beginning of the year to address their personal career goals. As the resident acquires additional knowledge and learning experiences, his or her individual professional goals may change (these will be updated in each resident's Development Plan that is evaluated quarterly). Rotation changes can be made on a case by case basis and must be approved by the Residency Program Director (RPD) as well as the preceptors.

The resident’s schedule during each rotation is determined by the rotation preceptor and outlined to the resident at the beginning of each rotation (or just prior to rotation start). It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure that all duties and expectations are understood and to ask for clarification and feedback regularly. It is also the responsibility of the resident to, in a timely manner, personally inform the preceptor of all time/schedule conflicts. This includes additional meetings that might arise, staffing, absences to attend meetings, teaching responsibilities, etc.

Presentations and Teaching

• Residents will be assigned to prepare a didactic lecture to present to pharmacy students from local schools of pharmacy APPE classes. This will be scheduled in the fall or winter.
• Residents will be assigned Journal Club presentations, Patient Case presentations, Drug Consults and Formulary Reviews regularly throughout the year. The schedule coincides with the start of pharmacy student rotations.
• Residents will also provide a continuing education lecture of their research project to members of the local pharmacy organizations and at a regional or national pharmacy conference.
• Residents will take an active role in precepting pharmacy students on rotation at Valley Children's Hospital. Once trained, residents will review pediatric core disease states with pharmacy students on rotations.

Additional Learning Opportunities/Experiences

• In addition to required core rotations, weekly service, and longitudinal experiences, residents will also be required to attend pediatric core lectures given by pharmacist preceptors. These lectures give residents an overview of pediatric disease states and they will be scheduled throughout the year.
• The research project is also a required component of the residency. Residents will identify a research project on a relevant topic beneficial for the department, propose it to the hospital Investigational Review Board, carry out the study and ultimately present the research project at a regional or national conference.

Examination & Licensure

It is required that residents take the California Pharmacy Licensure Exams prior to the start of the residency. Exceptions made on a case by case basis. Residents must have a valid California Intern License if not pharmacist licensed prior to the start of the program. All residents must successfully pass both pharmacy licensing exams (NAPLEX and California Jurisprudence) within 90 days of the start of the residency or disciplinary action will be taken that may include failure to receive residency certificate and termination from employment.

Leaves of Absence

For successful completion of the program, residents must complete 12 months of the residency in an active work status. If a resident must take extended time off during the program due to an approved leave of absence, this may require the resident to remain in the program beyond the planned completion date, until the full 12 months of the residency are completed. This extension would affect the granting of the residency certificate and would be approved on a case-by-case basis. (Additional employee leave information in hospital policy HR-1125; contact hospital Human Resources for details.)

Residency Certificate

A criterion for receiving the residency certificate at the end of the 12-month term, is that the resident ACHIEVES 77% of the required objectives set by ASHP. In addition, those that must be achieved are: (see ASHP Guidance document)

• R1.1.1, R1.1.2, R1.2.1, R1.2.3, R1.3.3
• R2.1.6
• R3.2.2