The Value of Pharmacy Residency Training for Health Systems

Abstract

Purpose: Identify and summarize articles that describe the value that pharmacy residency training offers to sponsoring health systems. Summary: There is a tremendous gap between the number of resident applicants and the number of pharmacy residencies available. Informing health-system administration executives about the proven value of residency training is key to expanding the number of available positions. To address this disparity, a comprehensive and systematic literature search to identify publications highlighting the value that pharmacy residency training provides to the sponsor hospital or health system was conducted. Articles were identified through query of PubMed and SciVerse SCOPUS and through review of bibliographies from relevant articles. Twenty articles were identified and summarized in this annotated bibliography that demonstrate perceived and quantitative value of pharmacy residency training for health systems that sponsor residency training. Conclusion: Pharmacy residency training programs are essential for pharmacists that will primarily engage in direct patient care activities. This annotated bibliography includes key publications that provide evidence of the value that pharmacy residents provide to the sponsoring health system. This manuscript will aid prospective residency directors interested in developing new residency positions at new institutions or for residency program directors interested in expanding the total number of resident positions available at the existing sites.