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Pharmacy Residency Program Rotations

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Pharmacy Residency program main page

During each rotation, the pharmacy resident will collaborate with pharmacists, nurses and physicians to identify, prevent and resolve medication therapy issues. The resident must devise efficient strategies for accomplishing all required activities in a limited time frame. The focus of each rotation will be specific to the area, but may include other medication use issues as needed to care for the patients. Emphasis will be placed on the resident’s ability to improve their clinical skills in the selected area; however, the total care of the patient will also be taught. This includes the ability to multi-task and perform necessary dispensing functions. By the end of the rotation, the resident should be competent to work independently as a novice pharmacist in the particular area, including:

addressing routine clinical questions from nurses and physicians
efficiently and effectively completing patient chart and medication administration record review
completing order entry
developing an awareness of available resources.

The preceptor will be accountable for evaluating and providing feedback to the resident. The resident may work with several pharmacists during each rotation.

Clinical Rotations

Cardiology

The cardiology rotation is designed to give the resident an opportunity to interact with patients hospitalized for heart failure, arrhythmia, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), interventional, cardiac surgery patients and critically ill patients with a cardiology-related primary diagnosis.

Infectious Disease

The infectious disease rotation is designed to give the resident an opportunity to focus on the diagnosis, process, prevention and treatment of various infectious diseases. The resident will actively participate in daily antibiotic stewardship rounds with other members of the Antibiotic Advisory Team (includeing an Infectious Disease physician and pharmacist). The resident interacts with nurses, other pharmacists and microbiology/lab personnel daily..

Critical Care

The critical care rotation allows the resident to identify patient-specific problems in critically ill patients and apply clinical therapeutic knowledge to provide patient care. In addition, the resident will monitor therapeutic drug regimens for efficacy and toxicity and become familiar with disease states common to critically ill patients. Interaction with other members of the care team is crucial to gain experience and confidence. Resident will prepare for and attend daily ICU rounds.

Internal Medicine/Staffing

The Internal Medicine/Staffing rotation is a required longitudinal rotation. As part of this rotation, residents will learn about and practice medication therapy management, complete drug utilization evaluations, and present on internal medicine topics such as thyroid disorders, diabetes, and COPD. This rotation will also focus on further developing and discussing pharmacist skills required during staffing.

Oncology

The oncology clinical rotation focuses on both outpatient and hospitalized patients with cancer with an emphasis on supportive care. During this rotation the pharmacy resident will identify and resolve medication therapy issues for patients as it pertains to oncology care. The resident will use current treatment guidelines to develop, monitor, and adjust patient-specific pharmacotherapy regimens and monitoring plans. The resident will follow all patients admitted for chemotherapy, and other patients identified by either the resident or preceptor. Opportunities for patient to shadow oncologist and infusion center nurses are also available.

Practice Management

The purpose of the Practice Management rotation is to enhance the resident’s understanding of the role of pharmacy management and leadership in meeting the goals of the organization. Through assigned readings, focused discussions, projects, and observational and participative experiences, the resident will gain knowledge and skills related to financial operations, purchasing, medication safety, medication distribution, regulatory compliance, and collaboration with other disciplines. The resident will be challenged to evaluate and express insight related to their ongoing experiences, and the manifestations of leadership.

The resident will work routinely with our Pharmacy Director, Pharmacy Operations and Clinical Manager(s), participants in multidisciplinary committees and projects, Allina pharmacy leaders and other leaders on an ad-hoc basis. The resident will attend department staff meetings, director-manager meetings and other department meetings as assigned by the preceptor.

Mental Health/Geriatrics/Substance Abuse

This rotation is an elective rotation. During this rotation, the resident will attend daily rounds on both our inpatient adult and geriatric psychiatric units. The resident will also round with an inpatient psychiatrist and be available for questions and recommendations. The resident will also spend time focusing on geriatric health including fall risk reduction, medication adjustments, and other population-specific themes. The resident will also have the opportunity to work with a chemical dependency counselor to gain experience with the chemical dependency programs in our inpatient substance abuse unit.

System Formulary - Allina Center for Drug Policy

This rotation is directed through the Allina Center for Drug Policy (CDP). The primary functions of the CDP are to coordinate the activities of the Allina System Formulary Committee and to coordinate system-wide responses to medication safety alerts. CDP staff also participate in educational and policy initiatives regarding medications and medication use.

Each resident will be assigned at least one new drug monograph or therapeutic class review, which should be completed during the rotation, with a presentation of findings to the System Formulary Committee. Additionally, the resident may be assigned work on an additional formulary-related project and/or may be asked to contribute to the monthly Ambulatory Medication News newsletter. Each resident will participate in weekly topic discussions with the preceptor and also a single discussion with the senior buyer for Allina pharmacy. The resident may also attend and participate in various meetings related to CDP activities, as directed by the preceptor.

Emergency Care

The emergency care rotation is required. The resident will work evenings with an Emergency Room pharmacist and experience both the Mercy and Unity emergency departments. The resident will be an active member of the culture call-back team working under a collaborative prescriptive practice. Resident will be available to answer questions and provide recommendations to emergency physicians and nurses. Resident will also have the opportunity to experience a fast-paced pharmacy environment which includes responding to and assisting with critical and trauma situations.

Pain Managment

The pain management rotation is a required rotation given the importance of both properly assessing and treating pain in hospitalized patients. During the rotation, the resident will round with the hospital Pain Team which includes pharmacists and nurse practitioners specializing in pain management. The resident will work work with this team of nurses, physicians and their patients to assess and then recommend therapies to manage patients’ pain.

Solid Organ Transplant

This rotation is an elective rotation facilitated through Abbott Northwestern Hospital. There, residents identify patient specific problems in renal disease and heart/kidney transplantation and develop skills related to the identification, resolution and prevention of drug therapy problems in these patients. Rotation activities include: rounding with nephrology group, seeing and responding to patient consults and reviewing outpatient medication regimens and meeting with heart transplant patients in clinic twice weekly.

HIV/AIDS

This rotation is an elective rotation which is facilitated through Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Residents will work with infectious disease specialist pharmacists in the Infectious Disease Clinic, known as Clinic 42. This clinic is an outpatient facility dedicated to preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic conditions such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and STDs. The resident will focus on the diagnosing, treating, and treatment adherence of patients with HIV.

Medication Safety

This rotation will provide the resident knowledge and experience to identify, develop and implement safe medication practices. The resident will gain knowledge first through reading publications on mediation safety. The knowledge will then be applied to develop and implement initiatives to improve the medication use system. The resident will work with the manager of performance improvement and members of the Medication Safety Steering Committee which include Executive Vice Presidents, Directors, and Managers across Mercy and Unity. In addition the resident will work with the Nursing/Pharmacy Committee.

Pediatrics

This rotation is an elective rotation which is facilitated through Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis and St. Paul. During this rotation, the resident will be working closely with de-central pharmacists to solve patient-specific problems and apply clinical therapeutic knowledge to provide patient care in a pediatric-only population.

Ambulatory Rotation

This rotation is an elective rotation which will focus on several pharmacist opportunities in the outpatient setting. These include bariatric teaching, Comprehensive Medication Review and Medication Therapy Management visits, heart failure education, and geriatric medication review. Resident may also have the opportunity to see new ambulatory services throughout the Allina Health System.