PINEHURST – FirstHealth Moore Regional’s post-graduate year-one (PGY-1) pharmacy residency program has received a full six-year accreditation by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) after a comprehensive two-day survey.
The on-site survey included a thorough investigation of the conduct and structure of our residency program, as well as the examination of national best practices for health system pharmacies.
The purpose of a post-graduate pharmacy residency program is to provide recent Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) graduates with additional training in the clinical and operational aspects of health-systems pharmacy. Accreditation is achieved when the program meets the highest standards as laid out by ASHP, the most prominent professional organization representing hospital and health-system pharmacists.
“We are excited about the recent accomplishments of the program,” says Drew Kessell, Pharm.D, MBA, M.S., Moore Regional’s clinical director of pharmacy and residency director of the program. “Receiving our re-accreditation from ASHP speaks to the quality of FirstHealth’s program. Our group of strong, talented preceptors and our pharmacy’s excellent relationship with providers and nursing staff across the organization offers residents a unique and challenging training environment.”
The program began in July of 2011 and has been duly accredited by ASHP since. Since the program’s start, Kessell has expanded the program to include four available positions.
“Our recent expansion to four residents is an exciting development for our program,” he adds. “It affords us the opportunity to continue growing services while continuing to provide enhanced training opportunities for the residents.”
The residency training period lasts for one year. During that time, residents learn about different aspects of health system pharmacy practice and diverse patient populations. Residents complete rotations in Antimicrobial Stewardship, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Oncology and more. Residents also gain exposure to the operational, regulatory and administrative activities related to health-system pharmacy practice.
According to Kessell, pharmacy residencies are highly competitive. Last year alone, there were more than 5,500 applicants for approximately 3,200 residency positions nationwide.
“The residency accreditation process compares both the residency program structure and services offered by the pharmacy department against a set of standards and best practices” Kessell says. “Accreditation validates FirstHealth’s commitment to quality and safety.”
FirstHealth currently employs six former pharmacy program residents.
For more information on Moore Regional’s pharmacy residency program, contact Drew Kessell at 910-715-1105.
