Residency
Graduates of Doctor of Pharmacy Programs have been given fundamental knowledge, skills,
attitudes and abilities to provide medication-related patient care. However, most
graduates have somewhat limited practice experience. Pharmacy residencies enable graduates
to apply the knowledge and skills learned in school to a wide range of patients and
situations and, thus, further prepares them for professional practice.
The purpose of a pharmacy residency is to prepare pharmacists for practice. Residency
training is designed to provide residents experience working with a wide range of
patients. Residency training also offers other advantage
- A competitive advantage in the job market 鈥� More and more employers recognize the value of residency training. A pharmacist
who has completed a residency will have a clear advantage over applicants who have
not.
- Networking opportunities 鈥� Many opportunities arise for residents to establish or expand their network of
professional acquaintances and contacts including preceptors and other residents.
- Career planning 鈥� During the course of training, most residents gain a clearer picture of what type
of practice best suits them. Residency preceptors are committed to providing personal
attention to assist each resident in further defining professional goals.
- Professional vision 鈥� Many programs also offer the opportunity to see how pharmacy is practiced in different parts of the country, by arranging for residents to visit other residency programs or by allowing residents to complete a portion of the residency at another site (e.g., acute care, community care, home care, long-term care, managed care, etc.).
The ASHP accreditation standard provides criteria that every program must meet in
order to receive and maintain accreditation. Although the standard requires experiences
in certain core areas, there is room for concentration in a practice area and for
additional experiences. Programs vary in their strengths, but each program is flexible
and can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual resident.
*The information above is taken directly from the .