Community Pharmacy Residency program receives national accreditation

Buies Creek–The Campbell University School of Pharmacy Community Pharmacy Residency program has again been accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The 30,000-member national professional association (ASHP) represents pharmacists who practice in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, home care and other components of the health care system.Campbell’s Community Pharmacy Residency program is an organized postgraduate training program in a specific area of pharmacy practice, said Dr. Valerie B. Clinard, associate director of the Drug Information Center and assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at Campbell.According to ASHP, a residency program provides knowledge and experience that pharmacy practitioners need to face challenges in today’s complex health care environment and provides essential skills to meet the practice demands of the future.The Campbell Community Pharmacy Residency program was originally granted accreditation by ASHP and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) in August 2001.”This recognition was the first for a community residency program in North Carolina and only the eighth in the country,” Clinard said. “Accreditation is important because it assures candidates and future employers that nationally mandated standards have been met. We are very proud of our accomplishments with our Community Pharmacy Residency program.”Typically, the Campbell School of Pharmacy has two candidates participating in a post graduate, first-year Community Pharmacy Residency program at any given time. The program sites include Kerr Drug Community Health Center in Sanford, N.C., and Kerr Drug Health Care Center in Asheville, N.C. Program objectives typically center around five areas of activity, including patient care services, drug information, teaching and precepting students, practice, development and management and community and professional involvement.The accreditation process requires that each of these residencies is conducted at sites that demonstrate compliance with established standards of practice and offer a program that meets the requirement of training. This process ensures that accredited programs are peer-reviewed and that they fulfill requirements needed to provide a state-of-the-art practice environment.

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