Two residency programs responsible for providing advanced training to licensed pharmacists in ambulatory care and pharmacogenetics at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy have been awarded national accreditation.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, or ASHP, has granted the maximum six-year accreditation to the UF College of Pharmacy’s Ambulatory Care Residency and Pharmacogenetics Residency programs.
“Achieving residency accreditation is a very rigorous process that includes a thorough onsite review by the ASHP site visit team,” said Julie Johnson, Pharm.D., dean and distinguished professor at the UF College of Pharmacy. “To have two of our programs receive the maximum accreditation, validates that our residency programs are among the best in the nation in providing licensed pharmacists with the experience they need to excel in their careers.”
Led by Eric Dietrich, Pharm.D., a clinical assistant professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research, the Ambulatory Care Residency offers an in-depth experience for pharmacists in the second-year of their postgraduate training. It is one of only four ASHP-accredited ambulatory care residencies in Florida and prepares pharmacists to be competent and compassionate ambulatory care practitioners or entry-level faculty members specializing in ambulatory care.
The Pharmacogenetics Residency is one of only two ASHP-accredited pharmacogenetics programs in the nation. Directed by Kristin Weitzel, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research and associate director of UF Health’s Personalized Medicine Program, the residency focuses on implementing pharmacogenetics into clinical practice. Residents in their second-year of postgraduate training gain valuable experience to prepare them for careers in academia, clinical practice or industry.
The College of Pharmacy’s two newly accredited residencies join a postgraduate first-year residency in ambulatory care pharmacy practice and academia as ASHP-accredited programs within the college. Katie Vogel-Anderson, Pharm.D., a clinical assistant professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research, leads the first-year ambulatory care and academia residency that received ASHP-accreditation in 2014.
ASHP administers the only process that grants accreditation status to residencies. Accredited programs must demonstrate compliance with established standards of practice and offer a program that meets the requirements of pharmacy practice training. Accredited programs provide assurance to pharmacy residents that they are receiving the highest level of residency training in pharmacy.