Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford 
Pharmacy Residency

About Us

Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital’s PGY1 Pharmacy Residency was established in 2015 and received full accreditation from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists in 2017.  The PGY1 Residency provides residents with the skills and knowledge required to enter a contemporary practice environment where they can effectively provide clinical pharmacy services. Training will provide an emphasis on ASHP’s best practice model with training plans adjustable to meet residents’ specific interests. 

Purpose Statement

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for the medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Program Structure

The PGY1 residency is a 12-month, post-graduate training experience.  All residents are required to complete rotations in core subject areas considered to be essential to the general pharmacy practitioner. These include:

  • Pharmacy Orientation
  • Pharmacy Operations*
  • Internal Medicine I
  • Internal Medicine II
  • Critical Care*
  • Pharmacotherapy Clinic*
  • Concentrated Research/Project/Staffing
Longitudinal experiences aimed at producing a well-rounded pharmacy practitioner include:

  • Antimicrobial Stewardship (4 months)
  • Medication Safety (4 months)
  • Leadership Development (4 months) 
  • Code Response  (Code Blue and Code Stroke)
  • Parenteral Nutrition Service
  • Drug Information
  • Continuing Education Presentations
  • Medication Use Evaluation 
  • Precepting Applied Therapeutics course
  • Teaching Certificate
  • Research Project 
  • Weekend Staffing (every 3 weeks)
A broad range of elective rotations are available to permit the resident flexibility in attaining individual goals.

  • Emergency Medicine* 
  • Infectious Disease
  • Progressive Care Unit
  • NICU, Nursery, and OB
  • Heart Failure
  • Pain and Palliative Care
  • Family Medicine

    *Advanced electives available