PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency

Program Purpose Statement

PGY2 residency programs build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to develop pharmacist practitioners with knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in the educational competency areas, goals, and objectives for advanced practice areas. Residents who successfully complete PGY2 residency programs are prepared for advanced patient care or other specialized positions, and board certification in the advanced practice area.

Pharmacists completing the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will be prepared for positions with an emphasis on antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases pharmacotherapy. Through experiences in multidisciplinary teaching, clinical education, and practice-based research and quality improvement, the resident will also be qualified for additional specialized roles.

Program Overview

The Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has been in existence for over 25 years. This residency is a full-time practice commitment and is 12 months in duration. The program offers core learning experiences in general, oncology, and transplant infectious diseases, as well as antimicrobial stewardship, ambulatory infectious diseases practice, outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy, and microbiology. Residents will serve as an integral component of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, ensuring the safe and effective use of antimicrobials in a variety of inpatient and outpatient practice settings.

Residents will develop the skills to effectively participate in antimicrobial stewardship activities, interpret microbiology results, formulate robust pharmacotherapy plans, perform therapeutic drug monitoring when necessary, respond to drug information questions, report antimicrobial-related adverse events, monitor and respond to antimicrobial drug shortages, educate patients and healthcare providers, contribute to formulary management and guideline development, and conduct meaningful practice-based research.

Training Site

• The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is the largest institution within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) and is world-renowned for its clinical and research excellence, forging the way for new and better ways to diagnose and treat illnesses and disorders. HUP is an expanding, 764-bed-academic teaching hospital and tertiary referral center located in the heart of Philadelphia, with a new 500-bed expansion that recently opened in October 2021. HUP maintains a comprehensive pharmacy program, including a broad scope of distributive, clinical, academic and research services for all patient types including inpatient, emergency department, ambulatory, and outpatient retail and specialty.
• The Infectious Diseases Division at HUP was founded in 1971 and is recognized for excellence in clinical care, research, and education. The MacGregor Infection Medicine and Travel Program is a multidisciplinary ambulatory practice site located within the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (PCAM), a state-of-the-art 500,000 square foot outpatient facility located adjacent to HUP. The Infection Medicine and Travel Program provides highly specialized services including: HIV services, sexual health and HIV prevention, viral hepatitis and co-infection clinic, mycobacterial infection clinic, transplant infectious diseases clinic, travel medicine, and post-acute infectious diseases follow up care.
• There are a total of six inpatient infectious diseases consult services at HUP: three general infectious diseases consult services, two solid organ transplant infectious diseases consult services, and one oncology infectious diseases consult service. Additionally, there is an ID primary service which functions as an inpatient medicine team that primarily cares for persons living with HIV and associated opportunistic infections. Infectious diseases consult services generally consist of an ID attending physician and an ID fellow. Other members of the team may include specialized advanced practice providers, up to two medical residents, up to two medical students, and up to two pharmacy representatives split amongst a clinical pharmacy specialist, a PGY2 ID resident, a PGY1 resident, and a pharmacy student. Patients span all services, inpatient locations, and levels of acuity.

Residency Goals

• In collaboration with the health care team, provide comprehensive medication management to patients with infectious diseases following a consistent patient care process
• Ensure continuity of care during infectious diseases patient transitions between care settings
• Manage antimicrobial stewardship activities
• Demonstrate ability to manage formulary and medication-use processes for infectious diseases patients, as applicable to the organization and antimicrobial stewardship program
• Demonstrate ability to conduct a quality improvement or research project
• Manage and improve the antimicrobial use process
• Establish oneself as an organizational expert for infectious diseases pharmacy-related information and resources
• Demonstrate leadership skills for successful self-development in the provision of care for infectious diseases patients
• Demonstrate management skills in the provision of care for infectious diseases patients
• Provide effective medication and practice-related education to infectious diseases patients, caregivers, health care professionals, students, and the public (individuals and groups).
• Effectively employ appropriate preceptor roles when engaged in teaching students, pharmacy technicians, or fellow health care professionals about care of patients with infectious with infectious diseases
• Manage and facilitate delivery of medications to support safe and effective drug therapy for infectious diseases patients

Learning Experiences

^a1-month experience for external candidates only. Orientation duration and activities will vary for internal (early commitment) candidates
^bSubject to preceptor and practice area capacity
^cOpportunity to repeat required experience depending on practice and career interests

Longitudinal rotation experiences:

• Participate in the activities of UPHS Antibiotic Subcommittee and HUP Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee through preparation of monographs for formulary consideration, formulary class reviews, guideline creation or revision, drug shortage management, reporting of antimicrobial-related safety events, recording of minutes, and eventual meeting leadership.
• Participate in the activities of UPHS Antibiotic Subcommittee and HUP Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee through preparation of monographs for formulary consideration, formulary class reviews, guideline creation or revision, drug shortage management, reporting of antimicrobial-related safety events, recording of minutes, and eventual meeting leadership.
• Operations and clinical weekend staffing
• Infectious Diseases Ambulatory Care longitudinal rotation component
• Research project & submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal and/or national or international infectious diseases conferences 
• Assist in mentoring and serving as an infectious diseases pharmacy role model to pharmacy students, other residents, and pharmacy staff
• Act as an integral part of the team taking care of patients in both the inpatient and outpatient clinic settings by providing education to nurses, physicians, and patients
• Present journal clubs and patient case presentations as part of the Residency Program’s Therapeutics Conference
• Certify in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Respond to code call, anesthesia stat, and rapid response emergencies as assigned
• Deliver a pharmacy continuing education presentation (grand rounds) to members of the health system pharmacy department
• Submit an abstract for poster presentation at Vizient University Health System Consortium’s Pharmacy Network Meeting and ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

Program Director

Vasilios Athans, PharmD, BCIDP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Infectious Diseases
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street, Ground Rhoads
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Email: vasilios.athans@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Preceptors

• Vasilios Athans, PharmD, BCIDP
• Shawn Binkley, BS, PharmD, BCIDP
• Pallavi Chary, PharmD
• Amelia Graziani, BS, PharmD
• Katherine Mersinger, PharmD, BCIDP
• Sonal Patel, PharmD, BCIDP
• Stephen Saw, PharmD, BCIDP

Application Requirements

Candidates interested in the program should apply through PhORCAS

• Academic transcripts from your School of Pharmacy
• Letter of Intent which addresses the following:
  • Why you have chosen the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Why you have chosen to pursue specialized training in infectious diseases
  • Your residency and career goals
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation should be submitted through the PhORCAS system from the following:
  • Clinical rotation preceptor, preferably from an ID rotation
  • PGY1 Residency Program Director
  • Other clinical preceptor

All required application materials should be submitted to PhORCAS by deadline of January 3rd.