The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) offers a twelve-month Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
The MSDH Pharmacy
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Pharmacy is permitted through the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy as a Limited Closed Door Pharmacy. Pharmacy services are provided and preferentially priced prescription drugs (340B) are purchased (not all programs are 340B eligible) for dispensing only to clients receiving medical care through the public health system and programs within the state of Mississippi.
The MSDH Pharmacy focuses on specialty treatment and services for the MSDH HIV/STD Program. This specialty treatment and services is offered through a comprehensive system involving MSDH Pharmacy and Mississippi Ryan White program. Other services provided by the MSDH Pharmacy include those for clients within the MSDH Office of Comprehensive Reproductive Health, Office of Tuberculosis Control, Immunizations Division, Field Services, and Office of Epidemiology. Pharmacy services provided include:
- Dispensing of medications
- Claims processing
- Prior authorization assistance
- Copay assistance
- Patient counseling
- Patient education including provision of written educational literature
- Patient management program
- Free delivery to home, county health department, or healthcare clinic
- Refill reminder calls
PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency
The MSDH offers a twelve-month Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program which is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The residency program runs from July 1st through June 30th (12 months) each year. The resident is a full-time professional staff member working within an academic curriculum program through the Public Health Pharmacy.
The MSDH Public Health Pharmacy seeks to further build upon Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and provide the resident with the knowledge and skills to become a competent practitioner in the community and public health practice settings. Graduates of this program will have the clinical competence and skills necessary to manage a community and/or public health practice; counsel, educate, and evaluate patients; manage multiple disease states for telehealth patients; teach students; and provide pharmaceutical care services to various multidisciplinary teams. In addition, graduates will be skilled in applying for, leading, managing, and determining tasks necessary for grant work and public health initiatives. Graduates of the program will be well versed in advocacy and public health policy
Practice Experiences
- Orientation
- Health Services
The Health Services experience is designed to develop clinical pharmacists that will provide advanced patient care services in the community setting related to health testing (routine and disease outbreak), immunizations, medication adherence, patient medication program, preventative services, community outreach, and patient and provider education.
- Independent Pharmacy
Flora Pharmacy is an independent community pharmacy in Flora, MS. This experience is designed to allow residents to become familiar with policies, procedures, and daily activities associated with the operations of a retail community pharmacy. Residents participate in Medication Therapy Management (MTM) for the pharmacy and are largely in charge of immunization efforts.
- Telehealth
By partnering with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) Center for Telehealth, residents are able to provide direct patient care under a collaborative practice agreement to provide hypertension and diabetes management alongside nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers.
- Health Protection
This experience focuses on safeguarding the health of individuals, ensuring the delivery of essential health and medical services, and preparing health professionals for all types of emergencies. The Health Protection experience is designed to develop clinical pharmacists that will provide advanced patient care services in preparation for and during possible emergency situations (from disease outbreaks such as pandemics to natural disasters such as hurricanes, and much more).
- Specialty Pharmacy Practice
This experience is designed to develop clinical pharmacists that will provide advanced patient care services involving communicable diseases in the public health pharmacy regarding HIV/AIDs, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) therapy, tuberculosis, immunization, STD/STIs, medication adherence, medication, compliance, and patient and provider education. The pharmacy is currently undergoing Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation, which will ultimately provide the residents with opportunities to develop, implement, and partake in many quality improvement projects.
- Leadership & Advocacy
This experience allows residents to develop skills necessary to provide public health advocacy to improve health and wellness of patients in the community.
- Research
This experience is designed to familiarize the resident with all aspects of the research process from generation of a hypothesis through data analysis, presentation of results, and manuscript preparation.
- Teaching and Learning Certificate (TLC) Program
By partnering with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, residents are able to develop their knowledge and skill regarding the design and implementation of educational events using a variety of instructional methods. Each participant who successfully completes all required program activities will be awarded a Professional Development certificate of completion from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice.
- Academic Detailing
This learning experience functions as a tool to develop the resident's skills in creating and disseminating relevant public health principles and prevention initiatives in clinical practice.The resident will serve as a recruiter and consultant to clinical providers to optimize the healthcare integration of public health prevention best practices and methods.
Previous Resident Projects
Business Plans
Quality Improvement
- Improve the Percentage of Patients for Whom the Initial Assessment Process is Completed
- UPS Medication Shipment Errors Quality Improvement Project
Research
- Ethnic/Racial and Sex Disparities with HPV Vaccines in Mississippi
- Effect of Geographical Location on HPV Vaccination in Mississippi
Application Information
Applicants must register online via the national Match web site at natmatch.com/ashprmp. Our PGY-1 Community-Based Residency Match Code is 270715 and we participate in the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PHORCAS).
Documents Required
- An updated Curriculum Vitae
- A cover letter
- Three letters of recommendation
- Transcript
Interviews are required and will be scheduled in January and February. The format of the interviews (virtual or on-site) is TBD due to the unpredictability of COVID-19. More information will be provided if you are chosen for an interview.
Eligibility Requirements
Status required by start date of employment:
- Doctor of Pharmacy from an accredited college or university
- Eligible for licensure in good standing with the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy
Residency Program Coordinator
Anna Kathryn Ward, PharmD
Anna.Ward@msdh.ms.gov
Elisabeth Ashton Smith, PharmD
Elisabeth.Smith@msdh.ms.gov