Roadblocks and successes in preparing COVID-19 vaccination clinics: Perspectives from pharmacy residents

Purpose To outline logistics challenges, barriers, and successes in the development of separate programs for mass COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration to healthcare employees and community members. Summary In the face of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution became a worldwide priority. AdventHealth Orlando was selected as the central hub for vaccination efforts for central Florida. There was a need to quickly evaluate literature, patient safety, and institutional resources and logistics to coordinate the development of employee and community vaccination clinics. These efforts were driven by postgraduate year 2 residents in health-system pharmacy administration and leadership, medication-use safety and policy, and informatics. Clinic development focused on 4 key areas: vaccine quality control, secure inventory movement, safe preparation and administration, and consolidation of inventory. Healthcare worker vaccinations were administered on the health system’s main campus, and community vaccination events were carried out at temporary clinic facilities set up in the parking lot of Orlando International Airport. Conclusion In a mass COVID-19 vaccination initiative directed by the pharmacy enterprise leadership of a large Florida health system, postgraduate year 2 pharmacy residents played a key role in developing and implementing vaccination clinics targeting healthcare worker and community populations. During multiple vaccination events, a total of more than 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered, with minimal to no vaccine wastage.

Effectiveness and impact of a structured research approach for health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residents

Purpose Required competency areas, goals, and objectives for both postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residencies and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) health-system pharmacy administration and leadership (HSPAL) residencies indicate the importance of research in the residency program by specifying it as a required part of the training process. Research is critical in the field of health-system pharmacy administration, which is built upon the principles of evaluation and assessment, ensuring that all activities implemented in an organization are evaluated through data collection and assessment to determine their impact. Additionally, the research structure provides residents the opportunity to share research broadly, and it also provides the platform for other institutions to implement successful ideas of interest to them. Summary This article describes the impact of having a structured, publication-focused research program in an HSPAL residency. The research process has provided follow-up projects (n = 7) and grant participation (n = 6). Additionally, the process has yielded a 66% publication rate, with 21 of 32 thesis substitutes published in various journals. The department of pharmacy at the residency site has noticed that the continued refinement, scoping, and robust methodologies of projects have been essential to their impact in the literature and in dissemination of the accumulated body of knowledge. Conclusion A structured residency research program has provided direction to HSPAL residents and ensured successful scoping and completion of their research. Intentionality in this aspect has provided HSPAL residents with opportunities for publications, grants, and strong research experiences. Overall, the department of pharmacy has been positively impacted through implementation of services that were evaluated through a structured HSPAL pharmacy residency research program.

Development and perceived value of a master’s degree in health-system pharmacy administration training

Purpose To describe the development, format, and alumni and employer perceptions of a program combining a master of science (MS) degree with a residency in health-system pharmacy administration and leadership (HSPAL). Summary A multisite combined MS and HSPAL residency program was developed within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy to increase leadership and management education. The program balances clinical and administrative experiences with didactic courses over 2 years. The program format and perceived value of MS degree training for HSPAL residents had not been previously described in the literature. In an online survey, alumni of the program, as well as their first supervisors after completion of HSPAL training, indicated perceived attainment of the program core competencies and outcomes. Supervisors also indicated that they were more likely to hire MS degree–trained pharmacists for administrative positions. Conclusion Didactic training in the form of an MS degree as a part of comprehensive HSPAL residency training is perceived as beneficial by alumni and employers for promoting the development of core leadership and management skills and knowledge.

Survey of health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residencies

Purpose To perform an inquiry with response measurement from health-system pharmacy administration and leadership (HSPAL) residency program directors and residents to distinguish variances between the programs and identify enhancement opportunities for key stakeholders. Methods Members from the Pharmacy Administration Resident Collaboration Research Committee developed separate 20-question survey instruments to assess the strengths and areas of opportunity for HSPAL residency programs from the perspective of residency program directors and residents. The survey instruments were designed to evaluate the level of pharmacy service integration across HSPAL programs nationwide. Results Nearly half of the residency program directors within the listserv (40.74%, 33/81) participated in the survey. The recognized areas of opportunity by residency program directors include community pharmacy leadership, professional organization involvement, sterile compounding, and supply chain management. About a third (32.54%, 41/126) of the residents participated in the survey. Residents reported the least exposure to community pharmacy leadership, human resource management, informatics, professional organizations, and ambulatory care/specialty rotations. The overall recommendations for HSPAL residency programs are to incorporate C-suite–level experiences, improve alumni engagement, develop longitudinal human resource/financial experiences, and encourage resident credential obtainment. Conclusion In order to foster professional and leadership growth for HSPAL residents, residency programs should consider incorporating C-suite–level experiences, longitudinal human resource/finance experiences, alumni engagement opportunities, rotation variety, professional organization involvement, and support in credential obtainment.

Association between student characteristics and rankings when applying for a residency in health-system pharmacy administration

Purpose Results of a study to identify characteristics associated with pharmacy residency applicant success in obtaining an invitation to interview and a top candidate ranking are reported. Subsequent development and initial validation of a predictive model based on those characteristics are described. Methods Bivariable analyses were performed for planned stratifications of applicants to a health-system pharmacy administration residency program according to whether they were offered an on-site interview or were among the 8 top candidates by final candidate ranking. A Random Forest algorithm was created to identify predictors of the likelihood of an applicant being offered an on-site interview. Results Applicants who were offered interviews had a higher median pharmacy school grade point average (GPA) than those not invited to interview: 3.63 (interquartile range [IQR], 3.46–3.79) versus 3.35 (IQR, 3.2–3.49); p < 0.001. Invited applicants also received more scholarships during pharmacy school (median, 2 [IQR, 1–3) versus 1 [IQR, 0–2]; p = 0.002). Applicants with prior work experience as a hospital pharmacy intern were also more likely than those without such experience to be offered an interview (70.0% versus 37.8% were invited, p = 0.001), as were applicants who presented a poster at a national meeting during pharmacy school (80% versus 60%, p = 0.02) or who served in a national pharmacy organization leadership position (41.4% versus 20%, p = 0.03). Pharmacy school GPA was associated with final candidate ranking; top-ranked candidates had a significantly higher median GPA than lower-ranked applicants (3.68 [IQR, 3.51–3.8] versus 3.48 [IQR, 3.23–3.7]; p = 0.003). Conclusion Objective criteria within the realms of academic performance and prior work experience may be used to streamline the applicant screening process when determining candidates to invite for an on-site interview. Pharmacy school GPA was the only characteristic found to be associated with applicant final ranking.

Development and Implementation of a Combined Master of Science and PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency Program at a Large Community Teaching Hospital

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to share experiences after the development of a health-system pharmacy administration residency with a MS degree and express the need for additional programs in nonacademic medical center health-system settings. Summary: Experiences with the development and implementation of a health-system pharmacy administration residency at a large community teaching hospital are described. Resident candidates benefit from collaborations with other health-systems through master’s degree programs and visibility to leaders at your health-system. Programs benefit from building a pipeline of future pharmacy administrators and by leveraging the skills of residents to contribute to projects and department-wide initiatives. Tools to assist in the implementation of a new pharmacy administration program are also described and include rotation and preceptor development, marketing and recruiting, financial evaluation, and steps to prepare for accreditation. Conclusion: Health-system pharmacy administration residents provide the opportunity to build a pipeline of high-quality leaders, provide high-level project involvement, and produce a positive return on investment (ROI) for health-systems. These programs should be explored in academic and nonacademic-based health-systems.