Lifespan Specialty Pharmacy PGY-1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program

The residency program will provide specific learning/practice experiences designed to enable to the resident to expand the scope of their practice skills. The program objectives and goals are based on a standard list provided by ASHP and reflect our program’s purpose.

This program is designed and structured to offer opportunities to develop skills and abilities to successfully practice in the community which includes one or more of the following areas: chronic disease management, MTM services, specialty pharmacy services, primary care, clinic-based care as well as pursuit of a PGY2 residency in ambulatory care.

Training focuses on access, dispensing, adherence, and clinical management of a full range of disease states in specialty pharmacy and chronic diseases. The program also provides exposure to the fundamentals of administration, research, accreditation, and quality improvement.

Graduates will be prepared to function as adjunct faculty for pharmacy students on rotation and in classroom learning experiences at a college of pharmacy. Finally, graduates will be prepared for board certification in pharmacotherapy. 

The resident is expected to achieve the objectives of the residency program related to both administrative and professional practice skills. The resident reports to and is supervised by the rotation preceptor and the residency program director. During staffing, the resident is under the supervision of the pharmacist in charge.

Hours of practice vary according to the requirements set forth by the preceptor and director. The resident is expected to be present in body, mind and spirit at all assigned activities of the service they are currently a part of, including clinic visits and administrative activities. An eight-hour day is expected for physical presence on site during assigned workdays.

The residency program is the resident’s most important commitment. Working extra shifts outside the residency program requirements (moonlighting) is strongly discouraged, especially at the beginning of the residency. To work overtime, the resident must be trained in the area. Extra work moonlighting and overtime work must be requested and approved by the residency director. Hours worked will be reported monthly by each resident. Consideration will be given to residency workload, current assignments, and the resident's  standing within the program.

1. Bachelor of science in pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited school/college of pharmacy
2. Eligibility of Rhode Island licensure
3. Application must be submitted through Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS)
   • Formal letter of intent
   • Curriculum vitae
   • Official university/college transcripts
   • PhORCAS recommendation form from three references
4. Personal interview

This program consists of required/core and elective rotations. The rotations are calendar month rotations (e.g., four weeks) or longitudinal (occur during different blocks of time throughout the 52 weeks).

Required/core rotations:

• Orientation
• Inflammatory
• Oncology/Hematology
• Population Health/MTM
• Practice Management
• Primary Care
• Pulmonary
• Transplant

Elective rotations:

• Cardiology
• Hormone Therapy
• Infectious Disease & Immunology
• Inflammatory (different focus area)
• Informatics
• Neurology
• Pharmacogenomics
• Primary Care (different focus area)

Longitudinal rotations:

• Academia
• Health Equity
• Quality and Accreditation
• Research I and II
• Specialty Pharmacy Operations and Staffing

Please note that some learning experiences are located off the main campus and/or Lifespan Specialty Pharmacy. The resident will be responsible for their own transportation. Parking at all locations is free. No travel reimbursement is provided for these experiences.

Pharmacy practice staffing responsibilities are every fourth weekend plus one weekday (morning or evening) every week. Weekend shifts are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Residents are responsible for staffing two holidays per year. Recognized hospital holidays include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. 

• Estimated stipend: $53,000
• Health, dental, and life insurance
• Holiday, vacation, and sick leave
• Free parking
• Workspace with computer
• Travel, continuing education allowance