PGY-2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency

The Ochsner Medical Center PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency in Solid Organ Transplant is an ASHP-Accredited year-long program that provides the resident advanced pharmacotherapy training to a diverse population of transplant recipients and mechanical circulatory support patients. The primary focus of the residency is the development of patient care, clinical research, and education. Upon completion of this residency, residents will be prepared to practice in an acute or ambulatory care environment as a solid organ transplant specialist.

The Ochsner PGY-2 Solid Organ Transplant pharmacy residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY-1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. The Ochsner PGY-2 Solid Organ Transplant pharmacy residency provides residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY-2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification in solid organ transplantation.

Ochsner Health is dedicated to excellence in patient care, education and research. This mission has been intricately entwined throughout all aspects of the Health System. Ochsner is one of the largest non-university based physician training centers. The Ochsner Health pharmacy is a state-of-the-art facility with the latest technologies. Pharmacists are integrally involved in all aspects of patient care.

Program Overview:

Ochsner Health is the busiest transplant center in the Gulf South region, performing ~400 transplants a year with a strong focus on liver, kidney, kidney/pancreas transplant, as well as heart transplant and management of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Additionally, lung transplants and pediatric heart and liver transplants are performed at this institution. Our program offers nine experienced clinical pharmacists dedicated to solid organ transplant.

The PGY2 Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy resident will be an integral part of the health care team for each transplant service, providing comprehensive pharmacotherapy services including pre-transplant evaluations, documenting per CMS requirements, medication acquisition, pharmacokinetic monitoring, patient education, order entry, and discharge medication reconciliation for post-transplant patients. The resident will have the opportunity to develop their precepting skills while serving as a primary preceptor for either PGY1 pharmacy residents or P4 students.

In the ambulatory care setting, the resident will gain experience in managing abdominal transplant recipients. The resident will see patients who are potential candidates for transplant, those who are listed and awaiting transplant, and those who have already received a transplant. The resident will work in a multi-disciplinary fashion with transplant coordinators, social workers, nephrologists, hepatologists, and transplant surgeons to optimize medication therapy for these patients. They will be expected to see patients with a scheduled pharmacist appointment, answer all drug information inquiries, chart review patients, and participate in the selection committee.

Rotations:

Required (6weeks):	Elective:
Orientation (2 weeks) Intensive Care Unit LTS I (2 weeks) Liver Transplant Service I Kidney Transplant Service I Lung Transplant Heart Failure/Transplantation Abdominal Transplant Clinic Infectious Disease in Immunocompromised Hosts (4 weeks)	Lung Transplant Bone Marrow Transplant Liver Transplant Service LTS II Kidney Transplant Service KTS II & III Abdominal Transplant Clinic II Pediatric Heart/Liver Transplant *Other elective rotations may be developed depending on preceptor availability

Longitudinal Rotations:

Research Project (12 months)
Transplant Leadership and Practice Management (January-June)
Academic Pharmacotherapy (12 months)
Longitudinal Clinical Staffing (September- July)

Core Projects and Responsibilities:

Research Project (“Flipped Model”)
- Resident will be provided with an IRB approved project so that data collection may commence early to meet the deadlines of the transplant conferences. Additionally, the resident will be responsible for the completion of a publishable manuscript, as well as development of a protocol and IRB submission for a second project.
Continuing Education Presentation
- Resident will present a formal continuing education presentation for each the pharmacy department and transplant nursing department.
Academic Pharmacotherapy
- Resident will present eight journal clubs and/or patient cases throughout their residency year to the transplant team.
Clinical Weekend Coverage
- Resident will gain experience learning autonomy within the transplant team by staffing as the transplant clinical pharmacist every third weekend. Weekend staffing will not begin until resident is proficient and confident with handling clinical responsibilities independently (training to begin in September). Responsibilities include: rounding with the abdominal transplant team (liver & kidney transplant teams), acuities of the patient’s on the transplant step-down unit (i.e. IV to PO, pharmacokinetic dosing, renal dosing, anticoagulation monitoring), patient education and discharge management.
- Resident will also be required to staff one major and one minor Ochsner observed holiday.