Recognizing the value that pharmacists add in managing drug therapies, especially in academic medical centers like Upstate Medical University, has led to changes in pharmacy education and highlighted the need for advanced patient care training.

Upstate University Hospital serves as a training site for students from more than 10 pharmacy schools. Residency programs, which provide intensive postgraduate training in hospital pharmacy and various subspecialties, have experienced an uptick in recent years. Upstate has six pharmacy residents in their first postgraduate year, the largest class since the program began in 1998.

“The development of clinical specialty programs for pharmacists helps us to meet highly specified needs in patient care and nurture expertise in drug therapy management skills required of a specialized pharmacist,” explains Luke Probst, Pharm.D pharmacy residency coordinator.

Residents at Upstate not only contribute to patient care, but are also active in quality improvement efforts, medication-related research projects, multidisciplinary team rounds and the education of peers through presentations and patient-specific interventions. Management and administrative skills are also honed, creating opportunities for residents to take their careers in multiple directions.

Learn more about the pharmacy program