Pharmacy transplant residency program gains accreditation
The PGY2 Pharmacy Residency Program in Transplantation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recently received accreditation from the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
The program, in its fourth year, provides training in the multi-dimensional aspects of transplant pharmacotherapy in multi-organ transplantation.
The Vanderbilt program has gained national attention for its education and training in clinical transplant pharmacy.
Christie Truscott, Pharm.D., program director and clinical pharmacist in Solid Organ Transplantation, said the accreditation will draw more attention to the specialty.
“We really wanted to create standards and goals for the transplant residency program on a national level,” Truscott said. “There are only a few programs across the nation that are accredited, so for residents seeking a specific skill set, we are able to offer a highly reputable program.”
The Vanderbilt pharmacy program secured accreditation not only in Solid Organ Transplantation, but also PGY2 years in Critical Care and Informatics, said David Gregory, Pharm.D., director of Education, Research, and Clinical Services in the Department of Pharmaceutical Services.
These programs join the PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, which has been accredited since 1992.
“The department, as well as the Medical Center, received multiple compliments from the survey team, and we are truly fortunate to have such an excellent environment to train new practitioners,” Gregory said.
“Vanderbilt Transplant Center has long been recognized as a respected leader in the field of transplantation and it has made significant advances in education over the years,” said C. Wright Pinson, M.D., MBA, deputy vice chancellor for Health Affairs and director of the Transplant Center.
“Rapid developments in transplantation require increased pharmaceutical knowledge, and Vanderbilt's Transplant Pharmacy Program is providing an educational resource to train future clinicians in this field.”
There are four residents in the PGY1 program, while each of the PGY2 programs has one resident per year.
“During the first year of residency, students are able to explore the various areas of pharmacy,” Gregory said. “But in the post-graduate two year, students can specialize, and we have a well-established curriculum at Vanderbilt.”
Accreditation certification lasts for six years for all programs.