Implementation and Evaluation of a Residency Preparation Program for Fourth-Year Doctor of Pharmacy Students.

Objective: To describe the impact of a formal residency preparation program on student match rates, and to evaluate student-reported advisement activities and perceptions of the residency application process.

Methods: An optional, noncredit-bearing, residency preparation program was implemented in professional year 4 (PY4) of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. The program consisted of 4 residency preparation presentations and/or workshops: curriculum vitae writing, navigating the residency application process and American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting, letter of intent writing, and interview skills.

Clinical and economic effectiveness of a pharmacy and primary care collaborative transition of care program.

Background: Primary care pharmacists are uniquely positioned to improve care quality by intervening within care transitions in the postdischarge period. However, additional evidence is required to demonstrate that pharmacist-led interventions can reduce health care utilization in a cost-effective manner. The study's objective was to evaluate the clinical and economic effectiveness of a pharmacy-led transition of care (TOC) program within a primary care setting.

Transitions of care education in US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Introduction: Pharmacist-led transitions of care (TOC) services have demonstrated a positive impact on patient care and professional pharmacy organizations recommend integration of TOC-related education into doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curricula. The objective of this study is to determine the extent to which TOC is taught in United States (US) colleges and schools of pharmacy and to characterize the educational content and the instructional methods used.

Methods: An 18-question electronic survey about TOC education was sent to US school of pharmacy faculty.

Implementation and Assessment of a Heart Failure Virtual Patient Simulation in a Required Pharmacotherapy Course.

To assess second year Doctor of Pharmacy students' academic performance in and perceptions of a heart failure (HF) virtual patient simulation used in a required pharmacotherapy course. A heart failure virtual patient simulation was created to augment heart failure pharmacotherapy course material at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the fall of 2019. This was a retrospective, pre-post observational cohort study.

Accessibility of postgraduate training program information to graduates from US doctor of pharmacy programs holding F-1 visas.

Purpose: To evaluate information provided by residency and fellowship programs to graduates of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education-accredited doctor of pharmacy programs holding F-1 visas who are seeking postgraduate training opportunities.

Methods: A 2-phase review of all US-based postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency and fellowship programs was conducted. In phase 1, program eligibility criteria were reviewed from the residency and fellowship directories published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

Assessment of a Scholars Program Designed to Enhance Pharmacy Students' Competitiveness for Postgraduate Residency Training.

To assess pharmacy residency match/placement rates and student perceptions of a program designed to enhance Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student competitiveness for postgraduate residency positions. The Scholars Program was developed to provide advanced training to select PharmD students who had an interest in postgraduate residency training and was completed during the third and fourth professional years. The program consisted of mentoring; elective coursework encompassing clinical practice, teaching, and leadership; modified experiential education; journal club meetings; teaching assistant duties; conducting research and/or scholarship; and delivering professional presentations.

Implementation of a Pharmacist-Led Transitions of Care Program within a Primary Care Practice: A Two-Phase Pilot Study.

Pharmacists in primary care settings have unique opportunities to address the causes of ineffective care transitions. The objective of this study is to describe the implementation of a multifaceted pharmacist transitions of care (TOC) intervention integrated into a primary care practice and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. This was a two-phase pilot study describing the development, testing, and evaluation of the TOC program.

Pharmacist-led transitions-of-care services in primary care settings: Opportunities, experiences, and challenges.

Objective: To initiate a call to action for ambulatory care pharmacists to play a more active role in transitional care management within primary care settings by discussing relevant opportunities, experiences, and challenges.

Summary: With the shift to value-based health care, greater emphasis is being placed on improving patient care quality at the lowest cost. This represents an opportunity for pharmacist integration into primary care teams to address medication management challenges in the postdischarge period.

Impact of a community pharmacy transitions-of-care program on 30-day readmission.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a transitions-of-care (TOC) program on both all-cause and related 30-day hospital readmission. The secondary objective was to evaluate which patient-specific factors, if any, are predictive of 30-day hospital readmissions.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A TOC program in an outpatient pharmacy, driven primarily by student pharmacists, provided telephone-based counseling to recently discharged patients.

Student Pharmacist Perceptions of a Behind-The-Counter Class of Medications.

Objectives: To report perceptions of PharmD candidates regarding a behind-the-counter (BTC) class of medications and to identify perceived barriers to its successful implementation.

Methods: PharmD candidates in their second, third, and fourth professional years were invited to complete an online survey. Responses were used to assess perceptions of competency and willingness to participate in a BTC program and perceived preparedness of the current community pharmacy practice environment for a BTC class of medications with regard to 8 specific classes of medications.

Practice-based learning experience to develop residents as clinical faculty members.

Purpose: A practice-based learning experience designed to expose postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and 2 (PGY2) residents to and prepare them for a career as clinical faculty is described.

Summary: A practice-based learning experience was designed to give PGY1 and PGY2 residents exposure to the responsibilities of a clinical faculty member, integrating clinical practice, preceptor duties, and other academia-related responsibilities. The learning experience is a four-week, elective rotation for PGY1 and PGY2 residents.

Clinical and economic impact of a diabetes clinical pharmacy service program in a university and primary care-based collaboration model.

Objective: To provide program methodology and outcomes data identifying the impact of clinical pharmacy services (CPSs) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: Longitudinal pre-post cohort study.

Setting: Regional primary care group in Buffalo, NY, during 2006-2007.

Costs of treating lower respiratory tract infections.

Objective: To determine the direct medical costs of treating lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in a managed care organization (MCO).

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of a regional MCO identifying adults diagnosed with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) or community- acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: A claims database examination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes was conducted to identify adults receiving initial outpatient care for an LRTI during 2005-2006.