Hospital Pharmacy - April 2018 - 118

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Regarding current hiring requirements at academic medical centers, 29% of responders to our survey now require a
minimum of PGY-1 pharmacy residency as a minimum qualification for a hospital staff pharmacist. Historically, no pharmacy residency training was required for a hospital staff
pharmacist position. With the increase in the number of
PGY-1 pharmacy residents graduating, we hypothesize that
this 29% will continue to increase.
Our data reaffirm currently available ASHP match data
that show continued growth in PGY-1 and PGY-2 residency
program participation. Despite this redundancy, our survey
provides unique and meaningful data about possible changes
occurring with program design. Notably, designs continue to
be highly variable between programs. While numerous
changes to individual program designs were evident from
our survey data, an increased emphasis on teaching experience was the only unifying change found across programs.
Limitations are inherent with a survey, and asking questions with percentage responses does lend some bias in this
study. Our incomplete response rate, at 45%, can be considered a potential limitation. However, current survey literature similar in design to our survey also suggests a response
rate between 30% and 60%.12-15 Evaluating changes over the
5-year survey period may have been a limitation as some
programs may have implemented major changes earlier than
5 years ago. Other limitations that come with a survey are the
potential for misinterpretation of survey questions and recall
bias when filling out the survey.

Hospital Pharmacy 53(2)
e.
f.
g.
2.

How long has your PGY1 Pharmacy Residency
Program been ASHP Accredited?
a. Less than 1 year
b. 1-5 years
c. 6-10 years
d. 11-15 years
e. Greater than 15 years
f. Currently in pre-accreditation status

Over the next 5 years, what plans do you have to expand
PGY1 or PGY2 Residency Program positions?
a. Increase PGY1 program positions
b. Increase PGY2 program positions
c. Increase positions for both PGY1 and PGY2
programs
d. No changes anticipated

Which learning experiences are REQUIRED for
completion of your PGY1 residency program (please
check all that apply)?
a. Administration
b. Ambulatory Care
c. Anticoagulation
d. Cardiology
e. Critical Care
f. Drug Information
g. Emergency Medicine
h. Endocrinology/Diabetes
i. Family Medicine
j. Geriatrics
k. HIV/AIDS
l. Infectious Disease
m. Internal Medicine/Adult Medicine
n. Medication Safety
o. Nuclear Medicine
p. Oncology
q. Orientation
r. Pediatrics
s. Pharmacy Informatics
t. Psychiatry
u. Transplant
v. Women's Health
w. Research
x. Pharmacy operations/pharmacy practice
y. Other (please specify)

Which learning experiences are elective experiences
offered by your PGY1 residency program (please
check all that apply)?
a. Administration
b. Ambulatory Care

Conclusion
Substantial variation between PGY-1 pharmacy residency
program designs exists at academic medical centers. Though
numerous design changes are occurring among individual
programs, an increased emphasis on training in the area of
teaching is evidenced across programs. An increasing number of PGY-1 program graduates from academic medical
centers are pursuing specialized training, which is congruent
with a national expansion in PGY-2 training opportunities.
This may suggest a shift toward increased specialization in
clinical pharmacy practice or overall changes in career
opportunities. The overall effect of these changes on current
and future pharmacy practice deserves further analysis.

Appendix
Survey Questionnaire
Section 1: Describe PGY1 pharmacy residency program design
among respondents
1. How many beds are there in your institution?
a. Less than 200
b. 200-299
c. 300-449
d. 450-599

600-799
800-999
Greater than or equal to 1000

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