The integration of resources from UPMC Health Plan, UPMC, Community Care Behavioral Health, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy helps create a challenging Managed Care Residency Program. Highly motivated pharmacy residents have the opportunity to apply safe and effective evidence-based medicine practices to individual patients as well as to larger populations. The Health Plan has access to complete health management information for members, including data on hospital admissions, laboratory values, diagnoses, and pharmacy claims.
Site/Location
UPMC Health Plan, US Steel Tower, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Program Purpose
PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.
Mission
To provide a quality, hands-on educational experience with the goal of shaping a well-rounded model practitioner. We will accomplish this by offering a variety of rotations both onsite and through our external partnerships.
To build upon the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to develop pharmacist clinicians with diverse patient care, leadership and education skills who are eligible for board certification and postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training. A managed care pharmacy residency will provide systematic training of pharmacists to achieve professional competence in the delivery of patient care and managed care pharmacy practice. To prepare pharmacists for positions in a managed care organization, health plan, or pharmacy benefit manager. Residency graduates will be qualified for a position in prior authorizations, clinical programs, MTM, disease state management, formulary utilization management, quality, account management, pharmacy benefit management, consulting, or a similar type of position within managed care.
What makes us unique?
UPMC Health Plan, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is among the nation’s fastest-growing health plans. It is owned by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan is committed to promoting better health, financial security, and excellent service to its members. UPMC Health Plan engages with UPMC and community network providers to produce a combination of knowledge and expertise that provides the highest quality care at the most affordable price. The UPMC Insurance Services Division—which includes UPMC Health Plan, Workpartners®, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, UPMC Community HealthChoices, and Community Care Behavioral Health Organization (Community Care), offers a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medical Assistance, Community HealthChoices (CHC), behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers’ compensation products and services to more than 4 million members.
The integration of resources from UPMC Health Plan, UPMC, Community Care, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy helps create a challenging Managed Care Residency Program. Highly motivated pharmacy residents have the opportunity to apply safe and effective evidence-based medicine practices to individual patients as well as to larger populations. The Health Plan has access to complete health management information for members, including data on hospital admissions, laboratory values, diagnoses, and pharmacy claims.
Meet Our Team
Residency Program Director
Molly McGraw, PharmD, BCPS – Manager, Clinical Pharmacy; Coordinator, Pharmacy Quality
Mcgrawma3@upmc.edu
Residency Program Coordinator
Ashley Modany, PharmD – Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Care Management
Modanyad4@upmc.edu
Emily Smelko, PharmD – Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Prior Authorization
Cowane2@upmc.edu
Taylor Laffey, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Formulary Management
laffeyt@upmc.edu
Preceptors
- Taylor Akers, PharmD
- David Marr, PharmD
- Erin McConnell, PharmD
- Molly McGraw, PharmD, BCPS (Director)
- Ashley Modany, PharmD (Coordinator)
- Hannah Renner, PharmD
- Rachael Riddell, PharmD
- Deanna Rowe, PharmD, MS
- Jocelyn Russo, PharmD
- Alan Sekula, PharmD
- Emily Smelko, PharmD (Coordinator)
- Michelle Walker, PharmD, MHA
- Jessica Kubilius, PharmD
- Kevin Lynch, PharmD
Current Residents
Jordan Harrison
Past Residents and First Positions
Taylor Laffey, PharmD
Residency Year 2022-2023
Current Role: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Formulary Management, UPMC Health Plan
Anh Phan, PharmD
Residency Year 2021-2022
Current Role: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Care Management, UPMC Health Plan
Cameron Karnick, PharmD
Residency Year 2020-2021
Current Role: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Care Management, UPMC Health Plan
Taylor Akers, PharmD
Residency Year 2019-2020
Current Role: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Formulary Management, UPMC Health Plan
Program Overview
- Patient Care and Pharmacy Experiences
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- Prior Authorizations (condensed, required)
- Product Clinical Management (condensed, required)
- Quality and Provider Relations (condensed, required)
- Specialty Clinical Management (condensed, required)
- Pharmacy Benefit Management (condensed, required)
- Clinical Outreach (condensed, required)
- Formulary/Utilization Management and Drug Information (longitudinal, required)
- Ambulatory Care Clinic (longitudinal, required)
- Industry (condensed, elective)
- Consulting (condensed, elective)
- Clinical Outreach, Care Management Focus (condensed, elective)
- Clinical Outreach, MTM Focus (condensed, elective)
- Teaching Experiences
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- Teaching/Preceptorship (longitudinal, required
- Research/Quality Improvement Experiences
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Research (longitudinal, required)
- Professional Development/Leadership Experiences
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- Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (longitudinal, required)
- Staffing (longitudinal, required)
- Academy of Managed Care (AMCP) Conference Attendance (required)
- AMCP Annual Meeting
- AMCP Nexus
- Requirements for Program Completion
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- Successful licensure as a pharmacist in the State of Pennsylvania
- Completion of all required rotations and at least one elective rotation over a minimum of 12 months
- Attainment of 100% of critical objectives in required rotations and 75% of remaining and elective objectives established for the residency
- Completion of a research project and associated draft manuscript
- Presentation of a poster at a professional meeting or showcase
- Presentation of 2 formal journal club assessments
- Completion of a Drug Use Evaluation (DUE)
- Completion of at least 1 formulary monograph, creation of at least 1 policy, and review of at least 1 drug class for the quarterly Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee meeting
- Ability to precept pharmacy students without supervision
- Presentation to pharmacy call center
- Understanding of all utilization management techniques and policies as well as the formulary strategy for each line of business with independent and accurate review of prior authorizations
- Completion of all evaluations in PharmAcademic
- Proficient in drug information skills
- Contribution to pharmacy practice through at least one feasible quality improvement idea or formulary strategy
- Graduation requires concurrence of the residency advisory committee at UPMC Health Plan that the resident has satisfactorily achieved the educational outcomes of the residency program
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Manual/Policy and Procedures
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Key Items
Dismissal
The following may be considered for dismissal from the residency program:
- Failure to meet more than 50% of the goals of the residency program at the three month point will result in placement into a remedial program. The resident will have an additional three month period to improve upon their progress once placed into the remedial program. Failure to achieve > 50% of the goals of the residency program at the six month point may result in discharge from the program.
- Failure to meet rotation requirements (to include but not be limited to completion of assigned projects/presentations in a timely and proficient manner; participation and attendance to required meetings)
- Failure to demonstrate growth (especially in areas of weakness) in longitudinal rotations at quarterly evaluations
- Unsatisfactory rating on rotations
- Failure to perform at a satisfactory level in system wide competencies/behaviors of accountability, communications, customer service, flexibility, judgment/decision-making, initiative, teamwork, and quality/process improvement
Licensure
- Graduates from Pennsylvania Schools of Pharmacy will take the NAPLEX and MJPE examinations prior to the start of their residency.
- Graduates from non-Pennsylvania Schools of Pharmacy must be licensed in Pennsylvania in one of two ways: score-transfer or reciprocity from their home state. See the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy website for complete information. (https://nabp.pharmacy/bop_members/pennsylvania/)
- Residents are expected to be fully licensed within 90 days of residency start date.
- If the resident is not licensed within 90 days of the beginning of the residency program, the following describes the outcome for the resident.
- If the resident has taken, but not successfully passed either the NABPLEX or MPJE exam, or both, the RAC may consider allowing a 30 day extension, which will allow the resident to complete two-thirds of the residency as a licensed pharmacist.
- If approved, this extension will be noted in the RAC minutes.
- If this extension is not approved, the resident will be dismissed.
- If the resident has not taken both the NABPLEX and MPJE exams within 90 days of the beginning of the program, the resident will be dismissed from the program. If the resident was unable to schedule the NABPLEX and/or MPJE due to processing issues/delays beyond the resident’s control, the RAC may consider allowing a 30 day extension.
- If approved, this extension will be noted in the RAC minutes.
- If this extension is not approved, the resident will be dismissed.
- If the resident has taken, but not successfully passed either the NABPLEX or MPJE exam, or both, the RAC may consider allowing a 30 day extension, which will allow the resident to complete two-thirds of the residency as a licensed pharmacist.
- If a 30 day extension has been provided and the resident is still not licensed as a pharmacist, the following describes the outcome for the resident.
- If the resident has signed up to retake the test not successfully completed, the RAC may consider allowing an additional extension, not to exceed 90 days (i.e. 210 days after the beginning of the residency).
- If approved, this extension will be noted in the RAC minutes, and the residency will be suspended until such time as the resident is licensed as a pharmacist. Once licensed, the residency will be extended by the amount of time as the extension to ensure that the resident completes 12 months of training and completes two-thirds of the residency as a licensed pharmacist. If the resident is not licensed as a pharmacist by the end of this extension, the resident will be dismissed.
- If this extension is not approved, the resident will be dismissed.
- If the resident has signed up to retake the test not successfully completed, the RAC may consider allowing an additional extension, not to exceed 90 days (i.e. 210 days after the beginning of the residency).
Duty hours
- Duty hours are defined as all scheduled clinical and academic activities related to the pharmacy residency program. (does not include: reading, studying, and academic preparation time for presentations, journal clubs; or travel time to and from conferences; and hours that are not scheduled by the residency program director or preceptor).
- Duty hours must be limited to 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period, inclusive of all in-house call activities and all moonlighting.
- All moonlighting hours must be counted towards the 80-hour maximum weekly hour limit. (All moonlighting hours must be approved by the program director in advance).
- Mandatory time free of duty: residents must have a minimum of one day in seven days free of duty (when averaged over four weeks). At-home call cannot be assigned on these free days.
Leave of absence
- Given the temporary 12 month duration of employment, managed care pharmacy residents would not be eligible for FMLA unless prior UPMC service is applicable. If a leave of medical necessity is warranted during the residency year, the PLOA policy criteria will be utilized to assess eligibility.
- PLOAs for residents will be assessed on a case by case basis. If approved, an action plan will be developed to determine whether it is feasible for the residency candidate to continue the program or to restart the program the following year.
- If the resident continues the residency program, he/she must complete the requirements within 18 months of the original start date of the residency. At least 12 of the 18 months must be spent active in the residency program.
- Recruiting Events
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Virtual Open House
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Time: 6-7 PM EST
Teams Link: Click here to join the meeting
Employment Information
Start Date: July 1-5 (communicated upon acceptance of the position)
Term of Appointment: 12 months
Stipend and Benefit Information: https://www.upmc.com/careers/gme/about/benefits
Travel Coverage: AMCP Annual Meeting and AMCP Nexus Meeting
Application/Interview Information
Applicants must have completed a Doctor of Pharmacy program and be eligible for Pennsylvania licensure. Resident is required to obtain Pennsylvania licensure no later than 90 days after the start of the residency year.
An interview is required. Candidates must submit application materials through the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS). A completed application includes:
A completed application includes:
- A letter of intent
- The applicant’s curriculum vitae
- The applicant’s college transcript
- Three references with at least one from a clinical rotation experience (required to complete the Standardized Reference Form in PhORCAS).
- Completed application materials must be received no later than January 5th for consideration.
- National Matching Service (NMS) program code 138314.
Select Publications/Awards
Karnick C, Modany A, McGraw M, Hammond T, Ludwig J, Good C, Culley E. Comparison of real-world clinical and economic outcomes in patients receiving oral anticoagulants: A retrospective claims analysis. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2022;28(11):1304-15