Program Design

Successful graduates will join over 200 past graduates numerous alumni who have careers spanning numerous pharmacy directorships, hospital health-system executive positions, executive informatics positions, clinical leadership positions, academic leadership, pharmaceutical industry leadership and many more directions, both domestically and internationally.

Pharmacists completing the 2-year MS/Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency at the University of North Carolina Medical Center will be equipped to be future leaders of health-system pharmacy. Through training across the many areas of our department, these individuals will gain competence in managing systems and people in both the acute and ambulatory care settings. They will also be confident practitioners that utilize critical thinking to address any problems that might arise.

Program Goal and Competencies

The residency program is complemented by a Masters of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership. The combination of the two will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to assume a variety of leadership roles and responsibilities, serving as vibrant, committed professionals with a focus on improving patients’ health, health-care delivery and the profession of pharmacy.

UNC Medical Center enrolls 4 residents into this two-year program each year.

Competencies

At UNC, our team will work with the HSPAL residents to develop them through both personal and professional challenges. During the training, a resident will gain competence in the following:

have a vision for the future practice of pharmacy and possess the tools to realize that vision
be clinically competent in the practice of pharmacy
be able to envision, plan, implement, coordinate and monitor pharmaceutical care and operational services
understand and assume the managerial and financial responsibilities in health-system pharmacies
be effective stewards of human resources including recruitment, mentoring, evaluating and leading professionals and technical support staff
be adaptive to changes and demands for health system pharmacy practice and the health care environment in general
be strategic thinkers and planners who see challenges as opportunities to contribute to improving health care delivery
be consistently ethical and professional in their practice
Residents will have the opportunity to participate in our development of the layered learning practice model as we work to learn how best to utilize pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents and clinical specialists to the fullest of their training
Residents will have the opportunity to participate in several pilot programs involving transitioning patients across the continuum of care
The PGY1 year provides the opportunity to learn from world-class clinical pharmacists who are dedicated to making you a better clinician or practice in a forward thinking, robust practice model
Residents will actively participate on rotations with Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners who have prescribing rights in their area of practice similar to nurse practitioners and physicians assistants
Work in a health-system, observing variations in practice from large teaching hospitals to community hospitals and critical access hospitals
More information about the PGY1 year can be found here
PGY2 residents develop human resource experiences through managing a practice area throughout the year. This experience provides practical experience in recruiting, performance evaluations, developing schedules, creating operational structures and other managerial activities
Work with leadership team to develop strategic partnerships within the health-system, national organizations, third party vendors and other entities
Work with the leadership team to identify new business opportunities such as mail-order pharmacy, sterile preparations, and developing new ambulatory care opportunities for pharmacists
Residents are eligible to serve as teaching assistants with the UNC Eshelman School Of Pharmacy
The University of North Carolina residency provides exposure to Duke University Health-System, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Mission Hospitals, Moses Cone Health, Novant Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, BayCare Health System, Penn Medicine, University Hospitals, and Eskenazi Health as well as other major hospitals and health-systems due to our relationship through the graduate coursework.

Unique Opportunities

PGY1 Year

Residents will have the opportunity to participate in our development of the layered learning practice model as we work to learn how best to utilize pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents and clinical specialists to the fullest of their training
Residents will have the opportunity to participate in several pilot programs involving transitioning patients across the continuum of care
The PGY1 year provides the opportunity to learn from world-class clinical pharmacists who are dedicated to making you a better clinician or practice in a forward thinking, robust practice model
Residents will actively participate on rotations with Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners who have prescribing rights in their area of practice similar to nurse practitioners and physicians assistants
Work in a health-system, observing variations in practice from large teaching hospitals to community hospitals and critical access hospitals
More information about the PGY1 year can be found here

PGY2 Year

PGY2 residents develop human resource experiences through managing a practice area throughout the year. This experience provides practical experience in recruiting, performance evaluations, developing schedules, creating operational structures and other managerial activities
Work with leadership team to develop strategic partnerships within the health-system, national organizations, third party vendors and other entities
Work with the leadership team to identify new business opportunities such as mail-order pharmacy, sterile preparations, and developing new ambulatory care opportunities for pharmacists
Residents are eligible to serve as teaching assistants with the UNC Eshelman School Of Pharmacy
The University of North Carolina residency provides exposure to Duke University Health-System, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Mission Hospitals, Moses Cone Health, Novant Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, BayCare Health System, Penn Medicine, University Hospitals, and Eskenazi Health as well as other major hospitals and health-systems due to our relationship through the graduate coursework.

PGY1 Experience

One of our administrative residency distinguishing features is the focus on clinical development. Residents who complete the PGY1 and PGY2 year will be awarded both a PGY1 certificate in pharmacy practice and a PGY2 certificate in health-system pharmacy administration and leadership. During the first year, administrative residents will participate in seven clinical rotations of their choice with the other PGY1 residents. Please visit the PGY1 program page for full details. Past residents of the administrative program have successfully completed and been recognized as a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) following the completion of the PGY1 year. This training provides a tremendous framework to residents interested in pursuing clinical leadership and management opportunities. Residents will have flexibility in pursuing clinical experiences throughout their first and second years based on their needs and career aspirations.

Typical Day in The Life of a PGY1

Pre-round reviewing appropriateness of therapy, continuation of home medications, dosing adjustments based on liver and renal function, laboratory values, and other individualized patient review
Meet with preceptor to discuss any pressing issues prior to rounds
Round with multidisciplinary team offering recommendations for optimal medication-related outcomes
Take responsibility for your own patients through verification of physician orders
Follow up with tasks assigned during rounds, counsel patients on medication use, meet with preceptor to provide guidance and clarification
Participate in topic discussions and other educational opportunities
Participate in pharmacy department committees
Attend online classes 1-2 nights a week

PGY2 Experience

The PGY2 year is dedicated to developing managers and leaders in all practices of health-system pharmacy. PGY2 residents will participate in departmental operations at every level. They will be afforded the opportunity to leverage their clinical skills gained during the PGY1 year to be effective leaders in pharmacy practice, education, and research. Preceptors will help the resident develop their vision for the practice of pharmacy, learn about interdepartmental conflict and team-building, hiring for excellence, and many other opportunities based on the learner’s interests.

Typical Day In The Life of a PGY2

Plan for the upcoming day with preceptors
Work with other UNC Hospitals Medical Center employees inside and outside of the department of pharmacy to optimize the delivery of pharmaceutical care
Participate in a variety of meetings to learn about the leadership and operational challenges and opportunities in the department of pharmacy
Develop assessments and recommendations on pertinent pharmacy related needs that are implemented in the department
Communicate with resident management area and address any needs by serving as the primary contact person
Serve as a mentor to PGY1 and pharmacy student learners through our layered-learning practice model
Gain insight into medication safety and the medication use system through longitudinal experiences
Follow-up with the preceptor on any outstanding issues and plan for the next day

Other Opportunities

Residents can also participate in the Teaching Certificate and the UNC Hospitals Medical Center Pharmacy Residency Leadership Certificate either year of the combined program.

Requirements for Program Completion (PGY1 Year)

In order to receive a certificate of Residency completion, residents must complete all requirements specified in the appointment agreement:

Complete all scheduled learning experiences
Receive an evaluation score of “Achieved for the Residency” (ACHR) for at least 85% of PharmAcademic objectives required by the program
Contribute approximately 400 hours of staffing support to the department through weekday, weekend, day/evening, and holiday clinical and/or operational staffing requirements based on departmental needs
Attend at least 15 hours of resident CE programming
Participate in all case conferences unless excused by RPD
Complete all evaluations in PharmAcademic, ASHP's approved tool
Provide a 60-minute ACPE accredited CE program for pharmacists and/or pharmacy technicians within and outside the Department of Pharmacy
Participate in required departmental “on-call’ services as necessary to support departmental functions
Serve on a designated hospital or health system committee as assigned by the program
Complete MUE and drug monograph/class review
Upload files to document completion of all required residency components into PharmAcademic (i.e CE, MUE, drug monograph, research project, manuscript)
Complete a pre-specified portion of a 2-year masters level thesis substitute which includes all of the following: data retrieval, data analysis, formal presentation (poster OR platform) at a local/regional/national forum, project proposal submission, creation of a data collection tool, and IRB submission (if appropriate)
Complete coursework and assignments required by the MS-Pharmacy program during both semesters. Receipt of one failing grade or 3 low passes will result in dismissal from the MS program and inability to progress to the second year of the residency program.

Requirements for Program Completion (PGY2 Year)