Post-Graduate Year-1 (PGY-1) Pharmacy Practice Residency

Practice Site

UnityPoint Health - Des Moines, located in Des Moines, Iowa is a part of UnityPoint Health, a network of hospitals, clinics, and physicians that serve as health care providers across the state. UnityPoint Health - Des Moines includes:

Iowa Methodist Medical Center

A community teaching hospital located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is the third largest hospital in Iowa. Some of Iowa Methodist's areas of specialization include cancer care, cardiovascular care, vascular services, critical care, pulmonary care, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, physical rehabilitation, bariatric surgery, maternity care, women's services, emergency care, and one of two level 1 trauma centers in the state. 

Iowa Lutheran Hospital

A community hospital also located in Des Moines, Iowa. The hospital specializes in cardiovascular care, maternity and women's services, emergency treatment, chemical dependency treatment, behavioral medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, critical care and older adult services.

Blank Children's Hospital

A children's hospital located on the same campus as Iowa Methodist Medical Center and includes services for general pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care.

Methodist West

A state-of-the-art community hospital featuring general medical/surgical adult inpatient services, surgical services, 24/7 emergency department, orthopedic services, maternity services and a special care unit.

The resident's training will be conducted primarily at the hospitals. However, nearby clinics and hospitals (all in Des Moines) may serve as practice sites depending on the goals of the resident and the program. Travel to Drake University, also in Des Moines, will be required for academic activities. More information on UnityPoint Health - Des Moines can be found at www.unitypoint.org.

Outcomes

Upon completion of this PGY-1 residency, the pharmacist will:

• Demonstrate proficiency, confidence and compassion in providing pharmaceutical care to multiple patient populations
• Design, conduct and evaluate investigations of pharmacy practice-related issues
• Demonstrate professionalism and maturity in all aspects of practice
• Exhibit proficiency and confidence in all areas of pharmacy practice, including drug provision, distribution, and pharmacy management
• Educate patients and health care providers on effective and safe drug use
• Manage the medication use process including programs to promote patient safety
• Competently and efficiently teach pharmacy students in both didactic and experiential settings

Purpose

Pharmacists completing this residency will be able to provide proficient, confident and compassionate pharmaceutical care in multiple patient environments. They will be accountable for promoting safe and effective drug usage and achieving optimal drug therapy outcomes as vital members of the healthcare team. These practitioners will exercise skill in educating other healthcare professionals, patients, and the community on drug therapy-related topics, and they will gain experience in conducting pharmacy practice-related research. They will be proficient in managing all segments of the medication use process. Furthermore, they will demonstrate professional maturity by developing and following a personal philosophy of practice and exhibiting commitment to the profession. Finally, experience gained during the residency will allow the pharmacist to effectively teach the concepts of pharmaceutical care to pharmacy students in both didactic and experiential situations.

Overview of Resident Learning Experiences

Core Rotations:

Infectious Disease (4 weeks, Acute Care) 
Internal Medicine (6 Weeks, Acute Care) 
Medical Intensive Care (4 weeks, Acute Care) 
Hospital Pharmacy Practice (Orientation, 4-6 weeks, then longitudinal experience throughout residency year) 
Pharmacy Management (4 week block and longitudinal experience throughout residency year) 
General Pediatrics (4 weeks, Acute Care) 
Ambulatory Care Clinic (1 clinic, [including diabetes, anticoagulation, and hypertension management] longitudinal experience throughout residency year,  8 hours/every third week) 
Medication Safety (longitudinal experience for 4 months)

Elective Rotations:

Cardiology (4 weeks, Acute Care)
Ambulatory Care (1 clinic, 4-week block experience)
Drug Information (see Projects/Activities)
Emergency Medicine (4 weeks, Acute Care)
Oncology (4 weeks, Acute Care)
Pediatric Intensive Care (4 weeks, Acute Care)
Pediatric ID (2 weeks)
Surgery/Trauma (4 weeks, Acute Care) 
Renal/Transplant (2-4 weeks)
Others as discussed

Projects/Activities:

• One clinical/practice research project to be presented at regional resident's conference
• Medication usage evaluations
• Drug information projects: author or contribute to a formulary monograph and/or class review. 
• One Pharmacy Grand Rounds presentation 
• Completion of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) Resident Course
• Various practice management projects
• Other activities as determined by the program and the resident

Teaching:

The resident receives an appointment as Clinical Instructor at the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Drake University. He or she will precept Doctor of Pharmacy students from Drake. This will include day-to-day instruction in patient care rounds, participation in Journal Club, Pharmacy rounds and other activities. The residents will also teach one course in the spring, and have the opportunity to participate in additional didactic teaching at Drake.

Staffing Responsibilities:

The resident will provide one-half shift/week and two eight hour shifts every third weekend, as well as two holiday season shifts.

Qualifications

Candidates for the residency must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (or equivalent) from a school of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) and be eligible for licensure in Iowa. Residents will become licensed in Iowa as soon as possible after acceptance into the program.

Application Requirements

The deadline for receipt of all application materials is January 1, 2018. An on-site interview is required and will be scheduled either in January, February or early March. This will take approximately 4 hours and will require the candidate to give a 20-minute presentation on a pharmacotherapy related topic.

Resident Matching Program

As an ASHP-Accredited site, this pharmacy practice residency program will participate in the ASHP residency matching process. Applicants must be enrolled in the match to be considered for this program. Our ASHP match number is: 153813. More information about the ASHP residency matching process may be obtained at: www.natmatch.com/ashprmp.

PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency Summary Information

Accreditation: ASHP Accredited
Program Code: 61500
ASHP Match #: 153813
# of Residents: 3
Hospital Size: 712 beds
# of Preceptors: 14 
Salary: To Be Determined
Staffing: Two eight hour shifts every third weekend, ½ shift/week
Vacation Days: 10
Health Benefits: yes
Other: Convenient parking, reimbursement for Midyear Meeting, Resident Meeting, clinical appointment with Drake University