Residency program gives back and grows future pharmacists

Pharmacists are in high demand and short supply -- one reason Community Medical Centers started a pharmacy residency program seven years ago. The program started with one resident, Staci Anderson, a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist (BCPS) who is now a full-time trauma and critical care pharmacist at Community Regional Medical Center.

A total of 14 residents have gone through the program and six have decided to stay in the Valley and work for Community, a 43% retention rate. Home growing future pharmacists is one major goal of the program.

Anderson is not only homegrown, but her mother Sharon James, a Community Regional registered nurse and house supervisor, recruited her.

“My mom’s worked here for 35 years and in that period of time she got to know people in the pharmacy. As parents talk about their kids with other parents, she mentioned that I was in pharmacy school and they said, ‘Oh, did you realize we had a residency starting?’ And I was able to interview with the people here and thought it would be really exciting and fun to start a new residency with these people.”

Anderson said being the first resident was fun and exciting. “It was a brand new program that very few people knew anything about,” she said. “It was exciting to go into the units and explain to the nurses and physicians who I was and what I was there for, and once they figured out I could help them, it was really neat to see them utilize me as a resource.”

Residents have come from all over the nation. The program is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Residents take five core rotations – ambulatory care, internal medicine, emergency care, infectious diseases and critical care. They also take three electives.

Pharmacist Alice Robbins, BCPS, has been the director of the program since 2005.

“The intent of our residency program is to give back to the profession of pharmacy, as well as providing excellent training for our residents,” Robbins said. “And we also want to introduce them to what a great place Community is to work and show them what a great place the Central Valley is to live.”

She said the program continues to expand with more rotations and more specialized pharmacists to teach residents.

Anderson has come full-circle and now teaches a new group of residents.

“We’re hoping by doing the residency program and teaching these residents and helping them become skilled clinicians that some of these residents will come back and help the hospital and help the patients.”

This story was reported by Bonni Montevecchi. She can be reached at MedWatchToday@communitymedical.org.

Thursday, July 30, 2009