College of Pharmacy: Postdoctoral Training

PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy

• Program Director: Micah Hata, PharmD
• Residency Features: Primary focus in community practice, which include but not limited to corporate leadership and management, community outreach, and clinical services.
• ASHP Accredited Program

Residency Program Director:

Micah Hata, PharmD
Phone: (909) 706-3528
E-mail: mhata@westernu.edu

Residency Program:

Program Description:

The purpose of the Western University School of Health Sciences/Ralphs Pharmacy PGY-1 Community Pharmacy Residency Program is to build upon the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) education and outcomes to develop community-based pharmacist practitioners with diverse patient care, leadership, and education skills who are eligible to pursue advanced training opportunities including postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies and professional certifications.

This program develops pharmacy practitioners who are leaders and skilled patient care providers within the community pharmacy or health center setting. This program prepares its graduates to assume positions as outpatient clinic/community pharmacy clinicians, community pharmacy managers, to serve as adjunct faculty for a college of pharmacy, or to pursue careers in academia.

The resident will rotate through a variety of community and ambulatory care pharmacy practices providing various clinical services at Ralphs pharmacies and a safety-net clinic. Clinical service activities include counseling patients, initiating and adjusting medication therapies, ordering laboratory tests, performing physical assessments, implementing patient care programs, communicating with other health care providers, and managing a clinical practice. The resident will also get hands-on experience in community pharmacy corporate management. Through the program, the resident will have the opportunity to receive a teaching and research certificate and participate in didactic and experiential teaching activities. Research experience will involve the completion of a major clinical project during the course of the residency year. Findings from the project will be presented at the Western States Conference in the Spring of the residency year.

Required Learning Experiences: Orientation, Community Pharmacy Practice, Community Pharmacy Corporate, Interprofessional Clinic-Based Pharmacy Practice, Research Project, Teaching Certificate, Leadership, and Precepting

Elective Learning Experiences may be developed based on resident interest and preceptor availability.

Primary Sites:  Ralphs Pharmacy and 986 Pharmacy

Primary Sites for the program are where the resident spends a majority of their training time.  There are two primary sites for this program.

• Ralphs Pharmacy, a division of The Kroger Company, operates over 76 pharmacy locations throughout Southern California. Our pharmacies are committed to providing a holistic, personalized, quality health experience. The primary practice site for this Learning Experience is an individual Ralphs store in Placentia, CA, where the resident will gain longitudinal store-based community care experience. The resident spends 1-2 days per week fulfilling this learning experience.  In addition to dispensing medications and counseling, we provide everyday health and wellness services. These include vaccinations, health and wellness screenings, transitions of care services, medication management consisting of comprehensive and targeted medication reviews, medication synchronization, and adherence services.  Chronic disease management, and coaching and prevention programs are also delivered in our pharmacies, as well as advanced clinical services with prescriptive authority are practiced where authorized.
• 986 Pharmacy is a group of independent pharmacy organizations under 986 Degrees Corporation. The primary practice site for this learning experience will be at 986 pharmacy La Verne. Additional sites may include various independent pharmacies within the group. The 986 Pharmacy site strives to integrate clinical community pharmacy practice within this entrepreneurship learning experience. In addition to the time the resident spends with Dr. Xu, the resident will spend time with other pharmacists including the Pharmacist-in-Charge. The resident will provide clinical services including but not limited to immunizations, blood glucose, blood pressure, and medication therapy management. The resident will also provide clinical services for underserved and unhoused populations as part of the pharmacy’s HOPE outreach program.

PGY1 Pharmacy

• Primary Preceptor: Micah Hata, PharmD
• Primary Site: Los Angeles Jewish Health
• Residency Features: Primary focus is geriatrics. Other key features include interdisciplinary clinical engagement, leadership development, advanced patient-centered care, and comprehensive medication review. 
• ASHP Accredited Program

Residency Program Preceptor:

Micah Hata, PharmD
Phone: (909) 706-3528
E-mail: mhata@westernu.edu

Residency Program:

Program Description:

We are a General Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) Pharmacy Practice Residency at Western University centered at Los Angeles Jewish Health. In our program, the resident will primarily rotate at Los Angeles Jewish Health, with a 239-bed skilled nursing facility and a Joint Commission-accredited Acute Geriatric Psychiatric Inpatient Unit with 10 beds.

The resident will actively engage in the comprehensive clinical programs provided at the facility, comprising of tasks such as conducting medication reviews for new admissions, performing post-fall assessments, and contributing to antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. Furthermore, the resident will assume responsibility for participating in weekly acute-care rounds as part of an interdisciplinary team within the inpatient geriatric psychiatric unit. The resident will also play a substantial role in our short-term rehabilitation center, leading the transition of care (TOC) medication reconciliation program within an interdisciplinary team of healthcare providers. The resident is expected to take on leadership roles, including serving as a preceptor for 4th-year Advanced Practice Pharmacy Experience (APPE) students, delivering lectures at Western University’s College of Pharmacy, and, upon completion, attaining a teaching certificate.

Our program is designed to offer advanced services that extend beyond entry-level professional competency in both patient-centered care and pharmacy operational services. Moreover, the cultivation of leadership skills will be a focal point throughout the residency experience, with active participation in local association(s) aligned with the resident’s personal interests.

During the year the resident will engage in two distinct off-campus experiential opportunities: one in Internal Medicine (in-patient) and another as an elective of the resident’s choice. Our program is meticulously designed to guide the resident in personal growth, emphasizing the development and mastery of problem-solving and decision-making skills under the mentorship of exemplary practitioners.

This PGY1 training program is designed to augment the resident’s clinical judgments, cultivate professional values, and foster a heightened sense of responsibility toward the pharmacy profession. To evaluate these skills and values, the resident must meet the following competencies: effectively managing and enhancing the medication-use process; providing evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy management with the interdisciplinary team; demonstrating proficient leadership and practice management; exhibiting proficiency in project management; providing medication and practice-related education/training; and utilizing medical informatics.

PGY1 Pharmacy

• Program Director: Erik Skoglund, PharmD, BCPS
• Primary Site: St. Mary’s Medical Center
• Residency Features: Primary focus is acute care.  Other activities include didactic and experiential teaching, research, other presentation opportunities, and publications.
• ASHP Accredited Program

Residency Program Preceptor:

Erik Skoglund, PharmD, BCPS
Phone: (940) 367-7609
E-mail: eskoglund@westernu.edu

Residency Program:

Program Description:

This unique PGY1 Residency in an acute care setting is a collaborative program between Western University of Health Sciences, and St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC). SMMC is a 400-bed acute care teaching facility located in Long Beach, CA. The hospital is a Level 2 Trauma Center and provides an array of comprehensive services. The resident will primarily rotate through various inpatient practice settings at SMMC and will have the opportunity to select elective rotations based on the resident’s interest. The PGY1 residency programs will provide accelerated growth that will progress beyond entry-level professional competency in patient-centered care and in pharmacy operational services. In addition, development of leadership skills will be emphasized throughout the residency experience.

The PGY1 residents will develop and master problem solving skills and decision-making skills under the guidance of model practitioners. The training will enhance the resident’s clinical judgments, professional values, and sense of responsibilities toward the pharmacy profession. To assess these skills and values, the following competencies must be met: managing and improving the medication-use process; providing evidence-based patient-centered medication therapy management with the interdisciplinary team; exercising leadership and practice management; demonstrating project management skills; providing medication and practice-related education/training; and utilizing medical informatics.

Tentative Rotation Structure:

PGY1 Pharmacy

• Program Director: Micah Hata, PharmD
• Primary Site: WesternU Health
• Residency Features: Primary focus is ambulatory care. Other activities include didactic and experiential teaching, research, other presentation opportunities, and publications.
• ASHP Accredited Program

Residency Program Preceptor:

Micah Hata, PharmD
Phone: (909) 706-3528
E-mail: mhata@westernu.edu

Residency Program:

Program Description:

The Western University Medical Center Residency Program is a general practice residency program in an ambulatory care setting. The resident will also have inpatient experiences through Olive View- UCLA. The purpose of the Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Pharmacy Residency Program is to educate pharmacy graduates to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to become competent in pharmacy practice. The residency program is designed to provide the resident with opportunities to conceptualize, integrate, and transform accumulated experiences and knowledge into improved drug therapy and patient outcomes.

During pharmacy residency rotations, the resident participates in all aspects of patient medication use therapy including selection, assessment, monitoring, reconciliation, safety, and adherence. The resident will work as a part of the multidisciplinary team advising physicians, nurses, and patients on appropriate medication use; attending rounds and conferences; and providing lectures on drug therapy to medical, pharmacy, and nursing staff.

Taking advantage of the university affiliation, the resident will participate in both the didactic and experiential teaching of Doctor of Pharmacy students at Olive View-UCLA, St. Mary Medical Center, and Western University. Research experience will involve the completion of a major clinical project during the course of the residency year. Selection of the project is a joint effort between the resident, program director, and residency preceptors. The residency project is identified early in the year and a final report is required. The project will be presented at the Western Pharmacy Residency Conference in the Spring of the residency year.

PGY2 Pharmacy (formerly PGY2 – Cardiology)

• Program Director: Cynthia Jackevicius, BScPhm, MSc, PharmD, APh, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, BCCP, FCSHP, FAHA, FCCP, FCCS, FACC
• Residency Features: The primary focus is providing cardiology-focused pharmaceutical care to a large adult medicine population. Other activities include didactic and experiential teaching, research, other presentation opportunities, and publications.

Cardiology Outcomes Research – Fellowship

• Program Director: Cynthia Jackevicius, BScPhm, MSc, PharmD, APh, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, BCCP, FCSHP, FAHA, FCCP, FCCS, FACC
• Fellowship Features: The primary focus is cardiovascular outcomes research in a variety of settings. Other key features include:
  • Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy: Focused on advanced treatment methods for heart-related conditions.
  • Outcomes Research Skills: Specializing in the evaluation and impact of healthcare results.
  • Publication Skills Development: Emphasizing training in academic writing and reputable journal publishing.
  • Ambulatory Cardiology Focus: Specializing in heart failure, cardiovascular risk reduction, anticoagulation, and arrhythmia management.

Fellowship Program Director:

Cynthia Jackevicius, BScPhm, MSc, PharmD, APh, BCPS, BCCP, FCSHP, FAHA, FCCP, FCCS, FACC
Phone: 909-469-5527
E-mail: cjackevicius@westernu.edu

Fellowship Program:

Program Description: 

This 2-year Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Fellowship Program is designed to develop the candidate’s knowledge base of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and research skills necessary for a successful outcomes research career. The fellowship will provide knowledge and experience in grant writing, study design, outcomes research methodology skills, statistical analysis, abstract preparation, presentation of research at national meetings, and manuscript preparation and publication. The fellow is expected to design and conduct original clinical and outcomes research and participate in an ongoing cardiovascular outcomes research program. The fellow’s principal training sites will be at Western University of Health Sciences and the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center, which serves as a major teaching hospital for UCLA. To a limited degree, the fellow will participate in didactic and clinical education of PharmD students. Graduate level coursework is available. Dr. Jackevicius’ research in cardiovascular outcomes has received international attention, and has been published widely in high-impact journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Circulation.

Western University of Health Sciences is a university with a focus in graduate-level education of health sciences professionals. The College of Pharmacy is a small school with dedicated students and faculty, and a unique curriculum. The VAGLAHS is the largest VA complex in the country with 945 inpatient beds. The VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center is a 300+ bed facility that provides a full spectrum of primary and tertiary inpatient and ambulatory care to over one-million veterans residing in the primary service area of Los Angeles County. The institution has an inpatient cardiology teaching service, cardiology consult services, and conducts percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiac surgery. The VA has focused on transitioning patients to ambulatory services expediently and provides extensive cardiology specialty clinics, including heart failure, cardiovascular risk reduction, anticoagulation and arrhythmia, promoting continuity of care.

Managed Care and Pharmacoeconomics Research – Fellowship

• Program Director: Cynthia Jackevicius, BScPhm, MSc, PharmD, APh, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, BCCP, FCSHP, FAHA, FCCP, FCCS, FACC
• Fellowship Features: The primary focus is managed care training and pharmacoeconomics research.

Fellowship Program Director:

Cynthia Jackevicius, BScPhm, MSc, PharmD, APh, BCPS, BCCP, FCSHP, FAHA, FCCP, FCCS, FACC
Phone: 909-469-5527
E-mail: cjackevicius@westernu.edu

Fellowship Program:

Program Description:

This two-year Managed Care and Pharmacoeconomics Research Fellowship Program is designed to provide comprehensive training for the post-doctoral fellow to conduct evidence-based research for optimal economic and clinical outcomes. The fellowship will provide knowledge and experience in grant writing, study design, health economics and outcomes research methodology skills, statistical and decision analysis skills, abstract preparation, presentation of research at national meetings, and manuscript preparation and publication. The fellow is expected to design and conduct their own original research and participate in ongoing health economics and outcomes research projects. In addition to health economics and outcomes research, this program will provide training in the area of managed care. To a limited degree, the fellow will participate in didactic and clinical education of PharmD students at Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy.

Health Outcomes Research – Fellowship

• Program Director: Anandi Law, BPharm, MS, PhD, FAACP, FAPhA
• Fellowship Features: The primary focus is research within health outcomes to a variety of potential research and practice sites. Other key features include:
  • Advanced seminar courses focused on research methods, biostatistics, pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes.
  • Administrative role for student training and data management for the Center for Initiatives in Medication Management (CIMM) program. 
• ACCP Peer-Reviewed Program

Fellowship Program Director:

Anandi V. Law, B.Pharm., PhD, FAPhA
Phone: (909) 469-5645
E-mail: alaw@westernu.edu

Fellowship Program:

Program Description:

The ACCP-peer reviewed WesternU Health Outcomes Fellowship was established in 2003 and has since graduated nine 2-year fellows who are subsequently employed in Outcomes based positions. The goal of the fellowship program is to provide comprehensive postgraduate training to prepare a pharmacy fellow to design, initiate, conduct, manage, monitor and evaluate health services research with a focus on application to the pharmacy profession. The program includes advanced seminar courses and hands-on experience in relevant areas: research methods, biostatistics, pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes; planning, conducting and monitoring an outcomes-based project; combining patient care, pharmacy practice and research for optimal outcomes; practice management; training in setting up a pharmaceutical care site for different patient focused programs; and teaching and precepting PharmD students.