Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Programs represent a vital and rapidly expanding field within healthcare, focused on providing comprehensive pharmaceutical services to patients in outpatient settings. These programs are designed to optimize medication therapy, enhance patient outcomes, and promote overall wellness for individuals managing chronic conditions or requiring specialized pharmaceutical care outside of a hospital environment. For pharmacists seeking to specialize and excel in patient-centered care, ambulatory care pharmacy programs offer unparalleled opportunities for professional growth and impactful contributions to healthcare. UI Health Care stands at the forefront of this dynamic specialty, offering an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency with a distinct focus on ambulatory care, meticulously crafted to cultivate expert clinicians.
Elevating Pharmacy Practice Through Ambulatory Care Residency
The primary objective of UI Health Care’s ambulatory care pharmacy program is to empower residents with the in-depth knowledge, refined skills, practical experience, and professional demeanor essential for becoming highly competent and self-assured practitioners. This comprehensive one-year training program immerses residents in diverse ambulatory care settings within a leading academic medical center, ensuring a rich and varied learning experience. Through thoughtfully structured rotations tailored to individual needs and aspirations, residents will hone the advanced practice skills necessary for pursuing clinical pharmacist roles or further specialized training in a postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency. Upon successful completion of this rigorous program, residents will not only meet the stringent outcomes set by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) but will also achieve the following key competencies:
- Foster effective collaborative relationships within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
- Deliver efficient, evidence-based, and patient-focused pharmaceutical care.
- Apply leadership and management principles to refine practice methodologies, shape healthcare policies, and optimize medication utilization protocols.
- Serve as educators and mentors, effectively imparting knowledge to fellow healthcare professionals in various practice and training environments.
- Be well-prepared to pursue and attain board certification as a pharmacotherapy specialist, a recognized mark of advanced clinical expertise.
Diverse Rotational Experiences in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
The residency year at UI Health Care is structured around a series of strategically designed rotational experiences, encompassing both blocked and longitudinal formats to provide a holistic learning journey. The program commences with an intensive orientation period, setting the stage for a customized schedule meticulously aligned with each resident’s specific interests and developmental needs within ambulatory care pharmacy programs.
The initial eight weeks are dedicated to orientation, primarily focused on acquainting residents with the multifaceted responsibilities of clinical pharmacists and the essential staffing components of the residency. This foundational phase ensures residents are fully prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Throughout each rotation, residents actively engage in every facet of patient medication therapy management. This includes medication selection, comprehensive patient assessment, meticulous monitoring, medication reconciliation, stringent safety protocols, and strategies to enhance patient adherence. Residents function as integral members of interdisciplinary teams, providing expert guidance to physicians, nurses, and patients on the most appropriate and effective medication use. Rotations typically span four to five weeks, allowing for in-depth immersion in each specialized area, though durations may be adjusted to optimize the learning experience.
Alt text: Pharmacist in a white coat attentively counseling a patient about their medication in an ambulatory care setting.
Core Rotations: Building a Foundation in Ambulatory Care
To ensure a comprehensive and well-rounded educational foundation, residents are required to complete core rotations in the following essential clinical areas within ambulatory care pharmacy programs:
- Acute Care: Exposure to the fast-paced environment of acute care settings, managing complex medication regimens for patients with immediate healthcare needs.
- Anticoagulation Case Management: Specialized training in managing anticoagulation therapy, a critical aspect of ambulatory care for patients at risk of thromboembolic events.
- Family Medicine/Geriatrics: Focus on primary care principles and the unique pharmaceutical needs of geriatric populations within family medicine settings.
- Internal Medicine: In-depth experience in managing medication therapy for a broad spectrum of internal medicine conditions in the ambulatory setting.
- Practice Management: Developing essential skills in pharmacy practice management, crucial for leadership roles and efficient program operation.
- Specialty Clinics: Rotations in various specialty clinics, providing focused experience in managing complex disease states within specific patient populations.
This carefully selected core rotation group ensures residents gain a broad understanding of ambulatory care pharmacy practice. The specific patient care services within each core rotation are thoughtfully tailored to align with individual resident interests and learning objectives, maximizing the relevance and impact of each experience. Furthermore, residents have the flexibility to complete one additional elective rotation, allowing for deeper exploration of core areas or expansion into new areas of interest within ambulatory care pharmacy programs. A mandatory pediatric rotation ensures competency in addressing the unique pharmaceutical needs of children.
Specialized Ambulatory Care Rotation Options
Residents have the opportunity to further refine their expertise through a selection of three specialty rotations from a diverse range of clinical areas, including:
- Dermatology
- Digestive Health
- Hepatology/Virology
- Neurology: Specializing in Epilepsy/Movement Disorders and Multiple Sclerosis
- Pediatric Specialty Clinics: Options in Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, and Rheumatology
- Pulmonary/Cystic Fibrosis
- Rheumatology
- Substance Use: Medication for Addiction Treatment
- Transplant: Focus on Abdominal, Heart, and Lung Transplant patients
- Other areas as they become available, ensuring adaptability to evolving healthcare needs.
Primary Care Ambulatory Rotations (Mandatory)
Each resident will complete rotations in these essential primary care areas:
- Anticoagulation Case Management Service
- Family Medicine and Geriatrics
- Internal Medicine
Pharmacy Management Rotation (Required)
A dedicated rotation focused on pharmacy management principles and practices within ambulatory care settings.
Acute Care Rotations (Required)
- Internal medicine
- Medicine psychiatry
- Solid organ transplant
- General pediatrics
- General cardiology
Sample resident schedule – Link to a sample schedule PDF document for illustrative purposes.
Developing Educators in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
Recognizing the importance of education and mentorship, all residents are appointed as adjunct instructors at the esteemed University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. This appointment grants access to a wealth of informational, clinical, professional, and educational resources tailored for preceptors at the College. Throughout the residency year, residents are provided with numerous opportunities to hone their teaching and presentation skills. The program offers participation in the Pharmacy Educator Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR) in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, further enhancing their pedagogical skills. Residents who successfully meet program requirements will receive a certificate of participation and a comprehensive teaching portfolio showcasing their accomplishments throughout the year, solidifying their credentials as future educators in ambulatory care pharmacy programs.
Learn more about the Pharmacy Educators Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR) – Link to PEPPR program details.
Research and Scholarly Activity in Ambulatory Care
A cornerstone of the PGY1 residency is the completion of a year-long research project and a medication use evaluation. This requirement provides residents with invaluable experience in conducting rigorous research and effectively presenting project findings in professional poster format. The Residency Research Committee provides expert guidance throughout the research process, ensuring residents receive the support and mentorship necessary for success in ambulatory care pharmacy research.
Project selection is guided by resident interests and project ideas proposed by experienced residency preceptors, fostering a collaborative and engaging research environment. Residents present their research projects or other significant projects at prominent venues, including the Vizient® meeting during the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, the University of Iowa Research week, and as a platform presentation in the spring. Presentations at UI Health Care to relevant healthcare team members are also expected, ensuring the dissemination of valuable research findings. Prior to residency graduation, residents are required to submit a final research manuscript, and publication in peer-reviewed medical literature is strongly encouraged, promoting the advancement of knowledge in ambulatory care pharmacy programs.
Alt text: A pharmacist intently working on a computer, analyzing data for an ambulatory care pharmacy research project.
Staffing and Service Commitment in Ambulatory Care Pharmacies
To ensure residents develop into competent clinical practitioners, the program includes a service commitment, commonly referred to as staffing. Residents in the ambulatory care pharmacy program are primarily assigned to the ambulatory care pharmacies, with a focus on the Discharge Pharmacy. In this setting, residents play a crucial role in the transitions of care process, meticulously reconciling discharge medications with inpatient medication regimens. They deliver essential patient education and counseling services as part of the Meds-to-Beds Program, directly impacting patient safety and medication adherence post-discharge.
Based on individual interests and prior experiences, residents may have opportunities to staff in other pharmacy areas after completing appropriate orientation, further broadening their practical skills and exposure within diverse pharmacy settings.
Staffing Requirements:
- Upon completion of the initial orientation, residents are required to staff a total of 400 hours in the Discharge Pharmacy throughout the residency year. This averages approximately 32 hours per month, typically fulfilled by working every other weekend, ensuring consistent service coverage.
- Residents are scheduled to work one major holiday (Thanksgiving or winter holiday, including surrounding days) and two minor holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Labor Day, or Memorial Day), contributing to essential pharmacy services during peak demand periods.
- Staffing requirements are subject to adjustments as needed to meet evolving service demands and program needs.
Application Process for Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency
Prospective candidates are required to submit a complete application through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS), a standardized application platform for pharmacy residencies.
Required Application Materials:
- Completed PhORCAS application form.
- Compelling letter of intent outlining career goals and interest in ambulatory care pharmacy programs.
- Three letters of reference submitted directly through PhORCAS, providing comprehensive professional recommendations.
- Official college of pharmacy transcripts, documenting academic achievements.
- Curriculum vitae, detailing relevant experiences and qualifications.
- At least one letter of recommendation must be from a clinical preceptor, attesting to clinical skills and potential.
All application materials must be received by January 2nd to ensure timely consideration. A competitive interview process is conducted, with interview invitations extended based on a thorough review of application materials. Applicants must register for the ASHP matching program administered by National Matching Services, Inc (NMS) and ensure rankings are submitted by the specified deadline for successful matching to the program.
- NMS Code: 297413 – Unique NMS code for UI Health Care’s Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Program.
Candidate Qualifications for Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Programs
- Applicants must hold a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited program or possess equivalent educational qualifications as determined by the residency program director, with a minimum GPA of 3.0, demonstrating a strong academic foundation.
- Candidates must be licensed or eligible for licensure in Iowa by the residency start date. Refer to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy website for complete licensure requirements.
- Adherence to the rules and regulations of the resident matching program process is mandatory.
- The program is currently unable to consider candidates requiring a Visa. Pharmacy Residency positions at UI Health Care do not qualify for University sponsorship for employment authorization, limiting the program to US citizens and permanent residents.
Contact Information
For further inquiries or additional information about the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Programs at UI Health Care, please reach out to the program coordinators.
