INTRODUCTION

This residency is designed to develop practitioners who possess an expert level of competency in drug information practice. The program allows sufficient flexibility to adapt to the individual needs of the resident, while ensuring that all ASHP standards for drug information specialized residency training are met.  Upon completion of this program, the resident will be prepared to enter a variety of positions related to drug information practice.  

The residency provides two programs:

• 24-month program that provides a PGY1 with empahisis in Drug Information experience in the first year and a PGY2 Drug Information Practice in the second year.
• 12-month PGY2 Drug Information Practice specialty experience

GOALS OF THE RESIDENCY

• To develop expertise in providing timely, accurate, and comprehensive drug information and patient-specific pharmacotherapy consultation services in a state-of-the-art drug information center. 
• To actively participate in formulary management, drug policy development, the Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Program, and the Medication Use Evaluation Program. To develop expertise in interpreting and applying biomedical literature to improve patient care.
• To effectively communicate with patients, physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, and peers orally and in writing.
• To participate in staff development of physicians, nurses and pharmacists.
• To assist in the administrative and clinical aspects of planning and implementing new drug information services and sustaining existing drug information services.
•  To develop strong didactic and experiential teaching skills. 
  

THE RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE

Activities will include providing drug information services to health professionals throughout the region and to approximately 100 hospital pharmacy departments throughout the United States and Canada associated with a national hospital pharmacy management corporation. Other activities include preparation of scientifically based, unbiased drug evaluations for the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, management of the hospital formulary system, participation in ongoing medication use evaluations, and preparation of drug therapy newsletters. The resident will also participate in computer-assisted drug information services, adverse reaction surveillance, administrative and management activities of drug information services, assist with the maintenance of the information systems (ie, order entry system, computerized physician order entry, bar code medication scanning, electronic MARs), and educational programs for the hospital staff and students at the Medical University.

In addition to drug information activities, the resident is required to complete three elective rotations, to present one formal seminar, and to participate in the department's ongoing clinical service programs. All residents have access to the Department's computer network which includes word processing, database, spreadsheet and other software. The resident will also complete a residency service project. The objectives of the residency service project are to develop the resident's skills in problem identification, investigation, and resolution; to promote the resident's ability to contribute to the literature; to increase the resident's interaction with other professionals; and to assist in the scholarly development of drug information practice. Projects are selected by mutual agreement of the resident and the program director. It is strongly encouraged that the resident participates in either 1) independent activity under the preceptorship of a College of Pharmacy faculty member, or 2) collaborative activity with a faculty member on a project already in progress. On successful completion of the program, the resident will receive a Certificate of Residency in Drug Information Practice from the Medical University of South Carolina.

The Drug Information Service is a division of the Department of Pharmacy Services. In addition to over 350 major medical reference texts, available drug information resources include MICROMEDEX^® Healthcare Series, Facts and Comparisons Online 4.0, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and over 30 journal titles. Access to computerized databases and on-line literature searching is also available within the Drug Information Center. The MUSC Library, located nearby within the Medical Center complex, provides access to over 74,000 books including 735 e-books, over 15,000 e-journals and 70 print-only subscriptions, and 100 databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO.

  On-site interviews will be required.

Application materials must be postmarked by January 5^th.

For further information contact:

Residency Program Director
Kelli L. Garrison, PharmD, BCPS
Manager, Medication Use Policy & Informatics
Phone: (843) 792-4682
Fax: (843) 792-5532
e-mail: garrisok@ musc.edu

 
Program Preceptors

Last updated on 9/18/07 by Kathy Chessman