General Information
Can you tell me about your program, including how many candidates will be accepted into next year’s residency class?
Do you require a pharmacy practice residency to be eligible for your specialty program?
What clinical and specialized services does your department offer?
How do I apply for the program?
When are applications due?

Program specific information
How is the program designed?
What kind of experiences can I expect to have as a pharmacy informatics resident?
How does the OHSU program compare to other Pharmacy Informatics Programs?
How are residents evaluated?
What teaching opportunities exist?
Is research required?
Is staffing required? Must I be licensed in Oregon?

Compensation and benefits
What is the salary?
Do residents receive vacation time?
What are the other benefits of being a pharmacy resident at OHSU?

General information

Can you tell me about your program, including how many candidates will be accepted into next year’s residency class?

The OHSU Hospitals and Clinics Department of Pharmacy Services Pharmacy Informatics Specialty Residency Program is a full-time, 12-month program that provides extensive training opportunities in all aspects of pharmacy informatics, beginning on July 1. our program was accredited by ASHP in May 2006, becoming the first ASHP accredited program in pharmacy informatics. One residency position in pharmacy informatics is available annually.

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Does your program require a pharmacy practice residency to be eligible for your specialty?

Our specialty residency in Pharmacy Informatics is designed as a post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) program. As such, eligible candidates must be in the process of completing or have completed the equivalent of a post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) experience. The equivalent of a PGY1 experience may be considered in lieu of a pharmacy practice residency, however a candidate's previous experiences will be evalauted for equivalency with the goals and objectives set forth for PGY1 pharmacy practice programs.

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What clinical and specialized services does your department offer?

Patient evaluation, including identifying potential and actual medication-related problems and preventing and resolving medication-related problems, is provided by OHSU decentralized clinical pharmacist specialists and College of Pharmacy faculty. Clinical specialties include: solid organ transplantation, pediatrics/neonatology, critical care, infectious diseases, geriatric assessment clinic, nutritional support, pharmacokinetics/renal replacement therapy, outpatient DVT service, outpatient parenteral treatment unit, and oncology/bone marrow transplantation. The department also operates a drug information service, research pharmacy service, and a drug policy program.

A centralized distribution model serves the medical/surgical population and medical/surgical specialties. Pharmacists in these areas provide medication profile review and front-line drug information services. Redesign plans include providing more clinical services decentrally. Automated dispensing and order scanning technology is used throughout the hospital.

The Department of Pharmacy Services moved into a new facility in October 1997. A Class 100,000 clean room and the majority of inpatient pharmacy operations and offices are now located in the Hatfield Research Center building.

Outpatient prescriptions and patient care are provided from three on-site pharmacies serving adult outpatients, pediatric outpatients/discharge patients, and ophthalmology patients. Automated dispensing technology is used in the main outpatient pharmacy and in the new retail pharmacy on the OHSU Waterfront campus. A Medications Assistance Program is available to help medically indigent patients obtain their medications.

OHSU pharmacists serve as preceptors to in-state and out-of-state pharmacy students, technicians in training programs, and pharmacy residents in the Portland Metro area.

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How do I apply for the program?

Candidates for residency should have completed an academic program in pharmacy and must be eligible for full licensure in Oregon within four months of starting the program (for licensure information, visit www.pharmacy.state.or.us). Pharmacy practice residency training or equivalent experience is required. Candidates must provide official transcripts from all professional pharmacy education, a completed application form, a personal statement, and they must coordinate the submission of recommendations from three references.

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When are applications due?

Our application deadline is February 1. We understand that items such as pharmacy school transcripts and letters of reference may arrive later than the application deadline since you are relying on other people to complete those tasks for you. Please make sure you request them as early as possible; we do not begin reviewing applicant’s files until they are complete or nearly complete. You may send documents electronically and then follow up with hard copies if it will help you meet the deadline for submission.

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Program specific information

How is the program designed?

OHSU offers a structured training program in pharmacy informatics with ample opportunity for specialization through elective experiences. The resident’s knowledge base, past experience, and interests dictate the choice and length of experiences. The resident and the preceptors develop the residency schedule jointly.

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What kind of experiences can I expect to have as a pharmacy informatics resident?
Throughout the residency you will have an opportunity to:
• Strengthen skills in managing and communicating information in an interdisciplinary setting
• Develop clinical decision support tools for frontline end-users
• Develop skills in information technology, automation, and project management
• Quality assurance/improvement projects utilizing data warehouse query and analysis
• OHSU Pharmacy Web page development and maintenance
• Precept Doctor of Pharmacy clerkship students from Oregon State University, Pacific University and other colleges of pharmacy
• Manage and train in the Drug Information/Drug Policy Service
• Participate in Medication Safety and Adverse Drug Reaction tracking, evaluating and reporting
• Survey various pharmacy work areas for impact of information technology and automation implementation
• Information technology industry experience

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How does the OHSU program compare to other Pharmacy Informatics Programs?

The specialized residency training in Pharmacy Informatics is an emerging area. Our program in collaboration with other programs across the country are in the process of developing a set of goals and objectives specific to Pharmacy Informatics to be presented to the ASHP Commission on Credentialing to supplement the ASHP Standard for PGY2 programs.

Click here for a side by side comparison of some of the current post-grauate training opportunities in Pharmacy Informatics.

For More information on informatics pharmacists, see the ASHP position statement here.

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How are residents evaluated?

Residents receive a list of goals and objectives at the beginning of each rotation. During the rotation and at the end of the experience, the resident meets with the preceptor to review their performance. A written report assessing the resident is prepared based on the ASHP Residency Learning System (RLS). On a quarterly basis, the residency program director meets with the resident, providing an evaluation of their progress based on the comments of the preceptors and resident self-evaluation. At this time, the resident and program director adjust the resident’s schedule as necessary.

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What teaching opportunities exist?

OHSU pharmacy residents, in cooperation with the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy or Pacific University School of Pharmacy may lead small group case-based discussions as part of the third year pharmacy program, as well as precept clerkship students during fourth year rotations. Additional opportunities may be made available to residents seeking additional teaching responsibilities.

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Is research required?

Residents are required to design, conduct and evaluate a major project related to an aspect of pharmacy practice during the residency year. Additional experiences with the Research Pharmacy Service or with the Institutional Review Board are available to residents interested in research experience. Our previous IT resident's project involves the evaluation of decision support tools for renal dosing recommendations for front-line pharmacists and the clinical impact on patient care.

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Is staffing required? Must I be licensed in Oregon?

Consistent with the ASHP residency standards, the OHSU residency experience is primarily a practical, rather than didactic or classroom experience. After completing a training program, the resident will staff in an area to be determined (approximately 4 shifts/month). All residents must be licensed in Oregon within the first four months of the residency program. Visit the Oregon Board of Pharmacy web site for additional details.

Compensation and Benefits

What is the salary?

PGY2 residents receive a stipend of $42,000/yr (as of 2006/07), paid in equally divided amounts every two weeks. The budgetary cycle for the hospital does not coincide with the resident recruitment cycle. The offered stipend is based on the current residency year. It is customary for the program to review and request upward adjustments to the residents’ stipend to make it commensurate with the prevailing residency marketplace wage before the start of the next residency year. Residents also receive full medical, dental, and vision benefits for immediate family (employee chooses from a variety of offered plans, including co-pay and deductible plans), as well as life and disability insurance (you may elect to add additional coverage).

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Do residents receive vacation time?

Residents receive 80 hours of paid vacation; NTE 96 hours sick leave, plus all major holidays off except Christmas Day. Educational leave is granted at Program Director’s discretion (usually ~ 7 paid days/yr). Some coverage of educational expenses is also available (always cover registration for ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and OSHP Annual Meeting; portion of expenses covered for Western States Residency Meeting by industry grant; other expenses covered as funds are available at Department Director’s discretion).

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What are the other benefits of being a pharmacy resident at OHSU?

• Secured, on site office space within the pharmacy informatics group with personal files and cabinet. Computer with network, Internet, and email access. Network access includes: MS Windows 2000 Professional Package (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access), electronic medical record, pharmacy system, and drug information. Remote network and resource access.
• Alpha-numeric pager.
• Long distance telephone access code for professional business.
• Departmental, library, and campus photocopier access code.
• On- and off-campus access to the electronic and print holdings of the state’s largest medical library and drug information center that are both located on campus.
• An open invitation to any educational event held on the hill. A complete listing is posted on the weekly calendar of events that residents can subscribe to. Opportunities include sessions such as Medical, Surgical, and Pediatric Grand Rounds; M and M Report; subspecialty grand rounds such as the Citywide Infectious Diseases Conference; and career development topics.
• Residents also participate in the Citywide Pharmacy Residency Conference that is held monthly at a different residency site in the Portland Metro area. This forum is a great way to identify professional mentors and network for job opportunities and practice innovation ideas.
• Reduced rate Tri-met PASSPORT (bus and light rail public transportation annual pass, good throughout city for all zones, days, and times).
• Low cost fitness center located on Waterfront campus with gym, pool, and fitness classes included.
• Health promotion activities and information from the Employee Wellness program, including wellness screening, health coaching, stress busters, and group support.
• Secured, on site office space within the pharmacy informatics group with personal files and cabinet. Computer with network, Internet, and email access. Network access includes: MS Windows XP Professional Package (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access),

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