Pharmacy Residency Program

The American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) is a professional membership organization that has taken responsibility for accrediting pharmacy postgraduate year one (PGY1) and post graduate year two (PGY2) residency training pro-grams for the pharmacy profession. A PGY1 pharmacy residency training is an organized, directed, accredited program that builds upon knowledge, skills and abilities gained from an accredited professional pharmacy degree program. The first-year residency enhances general competencies in managing medication-use systems and supports optimal medication therapy outcomes for patients with a broad range of disease states.

Residents in PGY1 residency programs are provided the opportunity to accelerate their growth beyond entry-level professional competence in patient-centered care and in pharmacy operational services, and to further the development of leadership skills that can be applied in any position and in any practice setting. PGY1 residents acquire substantial knowledge required for skillful problem solving, strengthen their professional values and attitudes, and advance the growth of their clinical judgment.

PGY2 pharmacy residency training is an organized, directed, accredited program that builds upon the competencies established in postgraduate year one of residency training. The program is focused in a specific area of practice. The PGY2 program increases the resident’s depth of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities to raise the resident’s level of expertise in medication therapy management and clinical leadership in the area of focus. In those practice areas where board certification exists, graduates are prepared to pursue such certification.

Pharmacy Residency Program

RWJBarnabas Health offers an American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy practice residency programs. Residents are given the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary care teams to enhance their skills in evidence-based, patient-centered medication management, and to perform pharmacy practice research that is presented at ASHP’s Midyear Meeting and at the Eastern States Residency Conference. Learning experiences are offered in the following areas:

  • Administration
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Cardiology
  • Community Outreach
  • Critical Care
  • Drug Information
  • Emergency Medicine
  • General Hospital Pharmacy
  • Hospital Dispensing/Staffing
  • Infectious Disease
  • Internal Medicine
  • Medication Safety
  • Oncology
  • Pediatrics
  • Perioperative Services
  • Research
  • Transplant

As of 2021, each RWJBarnabas Health Facility offers the following number of PGY1 pharmacy residency positions per year:

As of 2021, each RWJBarnabas Health Facility offers the following number of PGY2 pharmacy residency positions per year:

Additionally, the following sites serve as primary training locations for the listed Rutgers University PGY2 Programs:

  • Monmouth Medical Center: One - Neuropsychiatric
  • RWJ New Brunswick: Two - Emergency Medicine
  • RWJ New Brunswick: Two - Drug Information
  • Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center: One - Pediatrics

The Pharmacy Enterprise in the past 8 years has retained more than 48 residents, representing a 39% retention rate.

RWJBarnabas Health has made a substantial investment to the education of future pharmacy practitioners by expanding the residency programs throughout the health system. The graph below highlights the historical milestones of our program.

RWJBarnabas Health Pharmacy Residency Growth

Residency Changes in 2020

  • The PGY2 residency program for Geriatrics underwent its accreditation visit with ASHP and is awaiting Commission on Credential meeting in April 2021. (CBMC)
  • The PGY2 residency program for Ambulatory Care underwent its accreditation visit with ASHP and is awaiting Commission on Credential meeting in April 2021. (Corp)
  • The PGY2 residency program for Psychiatry will be undergoing its accreditation visit in 2021 and currently has a resident (BHBH)
  • The PGY2 residency program for Specialty Pharmacy Administration and Leadership was granted Candidate status by and placed its first resident (Qualitas). They will be undergoing their accreditation visit in 2021.

Residency Advocacy for 2020

  • Continuation of an ASHP Midyear Newsletter
  • Continuation of the Residency Annual Report
  • Continuation of Leadership Forum
  • System PGY2 continue to serve as instructors
  • Big/Little Mentorship Program was started

Residency Marketing Changes in 2020

  • RWJBarnabas Health Website updated
  • ASHP Directory updated
  • Showcases Covered
    • St Johns, Rutgers, FDU, ASHP
  • Resident Instagram Takeover by each facility
  • 1 informational webinar hosted for students
  • Managing the Midyear—Nov 4, 2020—a panel of 3 Residency Ambassadors and 1 PGY1 resident
  • Social Media— rwjbhpharmacy: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
  • Impact—6.3K Instagram engagements (723 followers), 3.5K Facebook engagements