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Our program has completed recruitment and filled our PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Resident position for the 2025-2026 residency year.

Purpose

This PGY2 pharmacy residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in advanced or specialized practice. PGY2 residency provides residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into provision of patient care that improves medication therapy. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency should possess competencies that qualify them for clinical pharmacist and/or faculty positions and position them to be eligible for attainment of board certification in the specialized practice area.

Description

The PGY2 residents who complete this ASHP-accredited residency will provide pharmaceutical care in many patient care environments, trained to meet the challenges of current and future pharmacy practice. Graduates of the program will be prepared to function as independent practitioners in an adult intensive care unit as a critical care clinical pharmacist and have skills that will allow them to establish an area of specialty in cardiology, medicine, neurology, surgery and trauma management. Our graduates follow a personal philosophy of practice, have the ability to monitor and improve their own performance, and are committed to direct patient care and the pharmacy profession.

The accredited PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program adheres to the regulations and standards outlined in the ASHP Regulations on Accreditation of Pharmacy Residencies and the ASHP Accreditation Standard for Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Pharmacy Residency Programs.

We currently offer one position for the PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency.

Program Goals

  • Optimize outcomes in critically-ill patients by applying evidence-based medication therapy as an integral member of the interdisciplinary team
  • Participate effectively, efficiently and independently in the management of medical emergencies
  • Conduct and take ownership of a critical care research project from the initial concept/design to the preparation of a final publication-worthy manuscript
  • Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills and exhibit essential personal skills of a practice leader
  • Participate in the health-system formulary process for pharmacotherapeutic agents used in critically-ill patients
  • Establish excellence in the provision of training including preceptorship of pharmacy students and development of educational activities for healthcare professionals and trainees
  • Display attributes required to function in an academic setting and exercise teaching skills essential to pharmacy faculty

Learning Experiences

The first month of residency is an orientation to the Department of Pharmacy, after a 1.5-day hospital orientation. Activities include competency lectures on basic clinical skills, electronic health record (Epic®) training, and side-by-side decentralized training with clinical pharmacy preceptors.

Core Learning Experiences:

  • Orientation
  • Medical Intensive Care 1
  • Medical Intensive Care 2
  • Surgical Intensive Care
  • Medical-Surgical Intensive Care
  • Cardiac Intensive Care
  • Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care
  • Neurosciences Intensive Care
  • Emergency Medicine

Elective Learning Experiences:

  • Neurosurgical Intensive Care
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Burn Intensive Care
  • Other experiences based on the resident’s interest

Longitudinal Experiences:

  • Co-chair of the Critical Care Clinical Pharmacist Forum
  • Emergency Response
  • Medication Use Evaluation
  • Pharmacy practice experience: decentralized Intensive Care Unit clinical operations
  • Research project and manuscript development
  • Departmental, hospital, or health system committee involvement including resident officer positions
  • Residents teaching seminar / teaching certificate at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy (optional)

Contact Information

Russel J. Roberts, PharmD, BCCCP, FCCM
Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Cardiology, Cardiac Critical Care, Pediatrics and Transplant Services
Director, PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency
RJRoberts@mgh.harvard.edu

Natasha Lopez, PharmD, BCCCP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Critical Care-Medical Intensive Care Unit
Coordinator, PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency
NLopez8@mgh.harvard.edu