PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

Point of Contact

Residency Program Information

Site #44150
Match #123513

Overview of the Residency Program

The VA Central Ohio Healthcare System (VACOHCS) delivers primary and specialty outpatient care to Veterans throughout Central Ohio. Clinical pharmacy plays a vital and well-respected role in patient care within this system. The main facility is the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center. In addition to the main facility, the health system includes five community-based outpatient clinics located in Delaware, Grove City, Marion, Newark, and Zanesville. Conveniently situated about 10 minutes from The Ohio State University, the Ambulatory Care Center also serves as a training site for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from a range of accredited pharmacy schools.

VACOHCS offers an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program, providing residents with comprehensive training across a variety of clinical settings. Residents gain hands-on experience in disease state management through rotations such as Anticoagulation, Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) in primary care, Home Based Primary Care, Mental Health and Pharmacogenomics. Clinical pharmacist practitioners (CPPs) are further integrated into specialty clinics—such as endocrinology, cardiology, oncology, pain management, and infectious diseases—providing residents with exposure to medication management for specialized populations.
 

Residents also spend time in the outpatient pharmacy counseling and dispensing area. During the year, residents participate in many facets of pharmacy practice, including direct patient care, drug information provision, staff education, quality improvement initiatives, systems process redesign, pharmacy and therapeutics committee meetings, addressing medication recalls and shortages, and pharmacy practice management. Teaching experience is gained through co-precepting PharmD students from a variety of accredited colleges of pharmacy.
 

Purpose Statement

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum to further develop clinical pharmacists who are equipped to provide medication-related care for patients across a broad spectrum of health conditions. Graduates will be eligible for board certification and for advanced training through a postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency.

Pharmacists completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at the VA Central Ohio Healthcare System (VACOHCS) will be prepared to serve as competent, confident, and effective practitioners, delivering expert pharmaceutical care to adult Veteran patients primarily in ambulatory care settings. They will also exhibit strong practice management and leadership skills.

Residents will be trained within a collaborative healthcare environment to utilize evidence-based approaches in managing disease states and to provide comprehensive support to their Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). By leveraging the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program, graduates will be prepared for entry-level clinical pharmacy roles and possess the foundational skills necessary to develop new ambulatory care services within the VA or similar adult ambulatory care settings. Additionally, they will be adept at educating pharmacy students, patients, and other healthcare professionals.
 

Anticoagulation Longitudinal 
VA providers refer Veterans who are prescribed anticoagulant medications to the Anticoagulation Clinic, where CPP practice under their designated scope to initiate, adjust, and closely monitor these therapies for effectiveness and safety. This rotation centers on the management of warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), and the proper use of outpatient low molecular weight heparin. Residents are involved in making dose adjustments, handling anticoagulation referrals, and contributing to population health management by utilizing the DOAC dashboard.

Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) Block & Longitudinal 
CMM services are provided within Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), where CPPs work under a broad scope of practice. This allows them to continually adapt and support primary care teams in managing emerging disease states and addressing Veterans’ evolving healthcare needs. The rotation emphasizes chronic disease state management, including conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, tobacco cessation, hypothyroidism, COPD, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency. CPPs serve as licensed independent practitioners with prescriptive authority, enabling them to initiate, modify, discontinue, and monitor medications as appropriate. Patient care is delivered through in-person visits, telephone calls, or virtual appointments. Residents may also gain exposure to additional CMM clinic services, such as medication reconciliation, polypharmacy review, and deprescribing initiatives.

After the block rotation, residents transition into a longitudinal experience that continues for the remainder of the year. In the second half of the longitudinal experience, residents are expected to function with increased independence—taking on a larger patient panel, managing more complex cases, developing meaningful relationships with Veterans, supporting individualized health goals, precepting APPE students, and assuming the responsibilities of a CPP within the PACT team.
 

Education 
The education learning experience is a required, longitudinal rotation that offers PGY1 residents opportunities to develop and enhance their ability to deliver effective medication-related training. Residents engage in various activities, such as answering drug information questions, presenting a journal club, presenting continuing education (CE) programs, and teaching or precepting pharmacy students. This experience is integrated into the weekly schedule during designated project time, with additional preparation outside of scheduled hours as needed to ensure timely project completion.

Home Based Primary Care 
Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) supports patients with complex, chronic, and disabling medical conditions. Over the course of 8–10 weeks, the resident will spend two days per week collaborating with the HBPC pharmacist. Responsibilities include conducting chart reviews, completing comprehensive medication management (CMM), attending home visits as appropriate, and participating in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings when schedules allow. The resident will provide recommendations to optimize medication regimens in alignment with disease-specific therapeutic goals and reduce polypharmacy. During this rotation, residents will also engage in bi-weekly case discussions and article reviews and serve as a resource to the HBPC team for drug information and patient or provider education.

Mental Health and Pharmacogenomics 
During this block rotation, the resident will work in two practice areas, including the Pharmacogenomic Testing for Veterans (PHASER) Program. This program uses genetic testing to help personalize medication choices for common conditions such as pain, depression, anxiety, and blood clotting. The resident will complete and interpret e-referrals, assist providers in understanding results, and meet with Veterans to review test findings and address questions. Additionally, the resident will participate in the mental health (MH) pharmacist-run clinic, providing comprehensive medication management (CMM) for conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. The resident will work collaboratively with Veterans to improve mental health using both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies.

Orientation
The resident will begin the residency program with an orientation led by the Residency Program Director (RPD) and/or designee(s). Orientation lasts approximately one week with the RPD, after which the resident will meet staff members and work independently on assigned activities. Orientation includes introductions to staff and the work site, a review of the residency year schedule, Federal Electronic Health Record training, VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) introduction, Lean Six Sigma training, PharmAcademic orientation, initial skills assessments, rotation learning experience descriptions, and VA policy and procedures. Time management and organizational skills are emphasized from the start to prepare residents for key projects and deliverables. After the first month, formal orientation activities conclude and residents will be expected to manage their time and projects independently.
 

Pharmacy Administration
The resident will spend two days per month with pharmacy leadership, rotating quarterly among the associate chiefs of operations, clinical services, academic affairs, quality improvement, electronic medical records, and the chief of pharmacy. The primary goal of this rotation is to learn about essential management functions and processes that ensure the effective operation of a pharmacy department.

Pharmacy Project
This required, longitudinal rotation provides the resident with an opportunity to design, carry out, and report on a project focused on a pharmacy-related issue. Projects follow Lean Six Sigma process improvement principles to identify inefficiencies, determine root causes, and implement sustainable solutions. Residents will participate in a LEAN Yellow Belt training and engage in a systems redesign project over the course of the residency year. While some project work is scheduled during assigned project time, completion may require work outside of normal business hours.

Personal and Professional Development 
This required year-long rotation emphasizes personal and professional growth, with a focus on leadership skills. Learning is asynchronous, utilizing videos, articles, self-assessments, and reflection activities. Monthly discussions with PGY2 residents expand on these self-reflections, covering topics such as giving and receiving feedback, work-life balance, time management, and communication skills. Residents are required to complete a monthly self-assessment addressing emotional, mental, and physical health, sleep, and compliance with the ASHP Moonlighting hours policy. Issues and concerns are reviewed monthly with the RPD; residents are encouraged to seek guidance as needed. As no formal time is scheduled, residents are expected to independently manage completion of these assessments.
 

Elective Rotations

Residents select three elective rotations during the residency year. Availability is based on resident interest, space, and preceptor availability.

Cardiology: The Cardiology CPP at VACOHCS offers management of heart failure and other cardiac conditions, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, antiarrhythmics, and complex medication reconciliation.
Clinical Resource Hub (CRH): The CRH team provides care to Veterans across the VISN, using telehealth or in-person visits to assist with disease management at spoke sites. CPPs work within a broad scope in the Tele-Primary Care team.
Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC): CBOCs serve as rural extensions of the main VA facility, providing primary and select specialty care. CPPs independently manage comprehensive medication therapy and drug information, requiring the resident to travel to the CBOC site.
Endocrinology: Residents may work with endocrinologists and nephrologists on advanced diabetes management, including pumps, concentrated insulin, type 1 diabetes and use of continuous glucose monitors, as well as thyroid disorders, hormone imbalance, resistant hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. This rotation is led by a non-pharmacy preceptor in collaboration with a CPP.
Infectious Diseases: Residents work with the infectious disease CPP to manage medications for conditions such as hepatitis and pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Pain Clinic: During this rotation, residents will be integrated into the multidisciplinary pain management team under the supervision of a CPP with DEA prescribing authority. The resident works with a multidisciplinary team, gaining experience in chronic pain management, medication assessments, and developing individualized pain treatment plans including opioid and non-opioid therapies.
Teaching Certificate: An optional elective through The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy allows residents to participate in teaching-related activities and workshops, usually requiring attendance every other Monday from January through April. Residents also join roundtable discussions with pharmacy faculty.
Women’s Health: In addition to standard patient care, CPPs in women’s health provide reproductive and menopause care, review medications for safety during pregnancy, and support postpartum care.

Other electives are possible and determined based on resident interest and preceptor availability as the year progresses.
 

Residency Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FC9kMeaatU

Contact Information

Mallory Accursi, PharmD, BCACP

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

PACT Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Phone:     Email: Mallory.Accursi@va.gov 

Requirements for Acceptance

1. Have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from a fully accredited ACPE school of pharmacy within the United States or equivalent experience.
2. Have a license in good standing to practice Pharmacy from a recognized State Board of Pharmacy or in pursuit of and eligible for licensure.
3. Be a United States citizen.
4. Participation in the ASHP Match Process.
5. Submit application through PhORCAS (see below).

Supplemental Requirements for PhORCAS

1. Submission via PhORCAS by January 2nd.
   1. Letter of intent, including career goals and objectives for seeking a residency.
   2. Official College of Pharmacy transcripts.
   3. GPA ≥3 from pharmacy school as demonstrated on official school transcript.
      • For schools which use Pass/No Pass grading, require letter of standing from school indicating student is in top 25% of graduating class.
   4. ASHP standardized recommendation form from 3 references.    
      • A minimum of 2 references must be from preceptors from your work or experiential practice sites. 

Ensure to include in application package all information that demonstrates involvement in projects, presentations that you find valuable for our reviewing committee.

Do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) software in any component of your residency application. 

This residency agrees that no person at this residency will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any residency applicant.