FAQs

General Information

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

The OHSU Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency Program is a full-time, 12-month program that provides extensive training opportunities in all aspects of pharmacy administration, beginning on July 1. Our first resident graduated 2008 and the program was surveyed by ASHP in June 2009, and received ASHP accreditation in the spring of 2010. One residency position in Health-Pharmacy Administration is available annually. The OHSU Health-System Pharmacy Administration Specialty Residency is a structured one year program designed to provide concentrated training in the administration of health-system pharmacy.  The resident will obtain advanced knowledge and expertise in pharmacy administrative, management, and leadership activities.

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

Our specialty residency in Health-System Pharmacy Administration is designed as a post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) program. As such, eligible candidates must be in the process of completing or have completed a post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) experience.

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 pharmacist practice areas include: solid organ transplantation, pediatrics/neonatology, general medicine, adult and pediatric critical care, general surgery, family medicine, cardiology, infectious diseases, geriatric assessment clinic, nutritional support, outpatient parenteral treatment unit, HIV ambulatory clinic, hepatitis C ambulatory clinic, rheumatology ambulatory clinic, and pediatric and adult oncology/bone marrow transplantation. The department also operates a mail order pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, community pharmacies, 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. Automated dispensing, an electronic health record with provider order entry technology and bar code medication administration is used throughout the hospital.

The Department of Pharmacy Services moved into its current facility in June 2011. An ISO 7 class 10,000 clean room, an ISO 8 class 100,000 ante room and the majority of inpatient pharmacy operations and offices are located in the OHSU Hospital building. A satellite pharmacy in the operating rooms provides service to peri-op patients. 

Outpatient prescriptions and patient care are provided from four on-site and three offsite pharmacies serving adult outpatients, pediatric outpatients/discharge patients, and ophthalmology patients. Automated dispensing technology is used in the main retail pharmacies. 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.

How do I apply for the program?

Candidates for residency should have completed an ACPE accredited academic program in pharmacy and must be eligible for full licensure in Oregon within three months of starting the program (for licensure information, visit www.pharmacy.state.or.us). Pharmacy practice residency training 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. OHSU participates in the ASHP Residency Matching Program.

When are applications due?

Our application deadline is January 10. 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.

What happens after I submit my application?

After we receive completed files, we use a series of pre-determined criteria to evaluate each applicant before deciding who will be invited for interview. Multiple preceptors review the files to make sure we give each applicant a fair assessment. We do not have a set number of applicants that we invite for interview.  Our interviews are primarily scheduled in February. We do our best to accommodate applicant's requests for certain dates if they will already be in the Portland metro area.

Program Specific Information

How is the program designed?

Based on the resident's background and available projects, he/she will have the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of healthcare administration areas including financials, clinical management, human resources, operations, informatics, project management, and medication safety.  In addition, the resident will complete a research project, to be presented at the Western States Pharmacy Residency Conference.  The project will be written in a format suitable for publication.

What experiences are required to complete the program?

Throughout the residency you will have an opportunity to:

• Strengthen skills in managing and communicating information in an interdisciplinary setting
• Develop skills in information technology, automation, and project management
• Precept Doctor of Pharmacy clerkship students from Oregon State University, Pacific University and other colleges of pharmacy
• Participate in Medication Safety programming and development
• Professional development and leadership
• Build Human Resource skill by taking the Pharmacy Supervisor On-Call pager
• Senior management and strategy
• Retail and ambulatory operations, including Specialty Pharmacy
• Vendor supply chain management
• Financial management including billing, budgeting, and reimbursement
• Clinical operations
• Academics

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 including a teaching certificate program.

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. Practice skills are developed throughout the program in all aspects of pharmaceutical care. After completing a training program, residents staff every other weekend during the residency program. Staffing responsibilities include patient care, distribution and drug information.

All residents must be licensed in Oregon within the first four months of the residency program. Visit the Oregon Board of Pharmacy website for additional details.

Compensation and Benefits

What is the salary?

Residents receive a stipend of $50,000/year, 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).

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). Coverage of educational expenses is available as the annual budget allows.

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

• Secured, on site office space with personal files and cabinet.
• Computer with network, Internet, and email access. Network access includes: MS Windows Professional Package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access), electronic medical record, pharmacy system, and drug information. Remote login possible.
• 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 are provided weekly didactic learning sessions with the preceptor team that focuses on controversies and pharmacy pearls.
• 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 with gym, pool, and fitness classes included just a tram ride away.
• Health promotion activities and information from the Employee Wellness program, including wellness screening, health coaching, stress busters, and group support.