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Learning Experiences

REQUIRED ROTATIONS (6 WEEKS EACH)

Orientation/ Operation Training

The Operational workflow learning experience is split into an orientation and training period followed by a longitudinal learning experience. The resident will be involved in central pharmacy operations with responsibilities including but not limited to: verification of medication orders, maintaining accurate and complete medication profiles, enforcing hospital formulary by minimizing non-formulary procurements and utilizing therapeutic substitution protocols, promoting rational drug therapy selection, preparing IV admixtures (including neonatal admixtures and chemotherapy), and delivering medications to nursing areas including picks and delivery via Pyxis (automated dispensing cabinets) and MedCarousel (automated storage retrieval cabinet). The resident will also be involved in operational problem solving such as triaging phone calls from nursing and medical staff regarding drug information questions, reporting adverse reactions, and addressing missing medications.

Pharmacy Informatics

The Informatics learning experience will involve the resident in the Epic integrated software maintenance and optimization process. The resident will work closely with the Willow Pharmacy team and participate in meetings to learn about medication build and validation, workflows, policies & procedures, clinical decision support tools, and training curriculum development. The resident will gain experience working with Alaris Smart Pumps and the processes involved in maintaining a smart pump library. The resident will also have the opportunity to learn about inventory management by working with the Pyxis Logistics carousel and Pyxis ES Automated Dispensing Systems (ADS).

Infectious Disease

The Infectious Disease learning experience is a six-week rotation designed to expose the resident to various aspects of management of infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship. Under the guidance of the preceptor, the resident will manage the antimicrobial therapy for patients under their service which includes dosing of vancomycin and aminoglycoside pharmacy protocols and drug therapy review to optimize antimicrobial usage. The resident will also function as a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship interdisciplinary team consisting of infectious diseases physicians, hospitalists, intensivists, pharmacists, nurses, microbiologist, and infection prevention specialist. Clinical activities will include, but not limited to, reviewing patient profiles to promote the optimal use of antimicrobials; discussion of select cases with rotation preceptors, and on occasion, with infectious diseases physicians; attending and participating in Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee meetings; completing an antimicrobial stewardship project, and providing drug information on infectious disease-related topics. The rotation is designed to build upon the experience and knowledge gained in the academic years and previous rotations.

Internal Medicine

The internal medicine learning experience encompasses the provision of evidence-based patient-centered care to patients admitted to the medical-surgical units. The resident will take part in daily interdisciplinary rounds, managing medication therapy via pharmacy protocols and guideline-supported recommendations, and serving as drug information resources to the healthcare team amongst other activities.

Critical Care

The Critical Care rotation involves the provision of pharmaceutical care for ICU patients. The ICU consists of 28 critical care beds housed in 3 different pods. The resident will be expected to apply and build on foundational knowledge from prior rotations to provide recommendations tailored to a critically ill population. Activities broadly include participating in daily rounds and weekly interdisciplinary rounds with the ICU team, attending codes (code blue, code neuro, trauma alpha, among others) and intubations at bedside, managing pharmacy-led protocols, and presenting patients with emphasis on sound clinical assessment and plan formation. This rotation is designed to encourage independent practice and team integration; thus, the resident is encouraged to take initiative in the direction of the learning experience to optimize their personal development.

Emergency Medicine

The Emergency Medicine rotation provides clinical pharmacy services to the emergency department under the preceptorship of the ED pharmacists. The practice environment will require daily interactions with all other healthcare professionals necessary to optimize pharmacotherapy for patients. In addition to monitoring and consulting on pharmacologic issues, the residents will also provide educational presentations to nursing, pharmacy and physician staff members, and response to all medical emergencies.

Oncology

The Hematology/Oncology rotation allows the resident to gain practical experience in the management of neoplastic diseases as well as cancer-related and cancer treatment-related disorders. The resident will also manage the receiving, storage, preparation, distribution, and disposal of hazardous medications primarily in the outpatient / infusion center setting as well as in the inpatient setting when applicable. This rotation will provide a broad experience-based foundation in hematology/oncology, allowing the resident to develop skills and prepare him/her for a comprehensive clinical practice in hematology/oncology.

Medication Safety Administration

The Medication Safety longitudinal learning experience is designed to allow the resident to become well-versed in many aspects of medication safety. During this learning experience, the resident will be able to attend various meetings including PN&T (Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Therapeutics), Medication Analysis, and Alaris CQI. The resident will be involved in developing materials for the PN&T Committee, such as a formulary review, drug use evaluation, and guidelines/policies. The resident will be required to report and investigate adverse drug reactions and medication errors.

Pharmaceutical Care

During the Pharmaceutical Care Learning Experience, residents will have the opportunity to be trained in central pharmacy operations and apply their staffing skills in a longitudinal manner. They will work closely with pharmacists to complete tasks related to preparation and dispensing of medications, checking sterile IV compounds and unit dose medications, applying pharmacy-driven protocols, and utilizing their clinical knowledge to ensure accurate and appropriate medication orders.

Optional: Teaching certificate through Touro College of Pharmacy

ELECTIVE ROTATIONS (4–6 WEEKS EACH)

Emergency Medicine II
Infectious Disease II
Cardiology
Critical Care II
Oncology II