Pharmacy residency and the medical training model: Is pharmacy at a tipping point?

Abstract

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) each have established a vision that, by 2020, postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency training should be required for entry into practice for all pharmacists who will serve in direct patient care roles.1,2 In 2008 and 2009, published analyses of residency program numbers and workforce implications estimated that annual growth of about 17% in the number of PGY1 residency positions is needed to ensure that the profession can train enough pharmacists to meet the 2020 goal.3,4 Now 2020 is less than a decade away. In recent years, the economy has undergone significant upheaval, health care reform legislation has been enacted, several new schools of pharmacy have opened, and student enrollments have increased. Concurrently, the pharmacy profession continues to examine the best approach to redesigning pharmacy practice models to accommodate the growing clinical roles of pharmacists through efforts such as the ASHP Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative.5 These are among the many changes affecting pharmacy workforce demands and projections, particularly in regard to residency training.