The University of Maryland provides a one-year (July 1 to June 30), post-doctoral, ASHP-accredited residency training program in psychiatric pharmacy (PGY-2).

Video Overview: Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program

This four-minute video provides a detailed overview of the PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program and includes information about what residents can expect to learn during their time in the program.

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy offers a one-year, ASHP-accredited, PGY-2 residency in psychiatric pharmacy practice.

This residency combines clinical, teaching, and administrative components to provide the resident with the necessary skills to pursue leadership roles in the field and to use critical thinking in applied problem-solving. Upon successful completion of this program, the resident will have expert skills and competencies in psychiatric pharmacy practice.   

As part of its accreditation by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), this program is committed to the following general purpose:

Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide 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 PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

Our program adheres to the Goals and Objectives for a Post-Graduate Year Two Program in Psychiatric Pharmacy set forth by ASHP. These Goals and Objectives can be found in the ASHP Residency Accreditation Regulations and Standards.

About the Mental Health Program:

The was established in 1983 as a cooperative effort of the Mental Health Program (MHP), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the state of Maryland, and the School of Pharmacy. The primary goal of MHP is to improve medication use and safety for patients who are served by Maryland Department of Health facilities or Maryland Medicaid. MHP coordinates the Maryland Department of Health Statewide Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and participates in the planning of mental health pharmacy services and systems at various levels of state government. This planning has resulted in the introduction of a number of innovations including clinical pharmacy services, robotics, participation in group purchasing programs, therapeutic and generic substitution, dose optimization, statewide data tracking, coordinated on-call services, central formulary management, drug use analysis and prior authorization. These initiatives not only result in benefit for patients but also yield millions of dollars in annual savings for the state of Maryland. The Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program was established in 1989 and was the first University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy residency.

Learning Experiences:

Patient Care Rotations:

  • Pharmacy Orientations (required)
  • Adult Psychiatric Continuing Care I (required)
  • Adult Psychiatric Continuing Care II (required)
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (required)
  • Adolescent Psychiatry (required)
  • Acute Psychiatry I (required)
  • Acute Psychiatry II (required)
  • Longitudinal Clinical Consult  (required)
  • Elective I
  • Elective II

Ambulatory Care Rotation:

  • Psychiatric Ambulatory Clinic Longitudinal (required)

Longitudinal Rotations:

  • Teaching (required)
  • Performance Improvement (required)
  • Research (required)

Rotation Sites:

Duties include, but are not limited to, interdisciplinary team participation, drug information, medication regimen review, medication consultations, and patient education.

Required inpatient rotations occur at two MHA funded psychiatric facilities in the state of Maryland:

Psychiatric ambulatory care rotation occurs at a medical practice in Baltimore City

The sites listed below may be utilized for elective rotations:

Additional Required Activities:

  • General Program Requirements
  • Complete all assigned appendix psychiatric topic discussions
  • Successful completion of all learning experiences
  • Present at least 1 psychiatric lecture as assigned by teaching preceptor
  • Complete one formulary review for Statewide Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
  • Complete one medication utilization evaluation (MUE)
  • Complete a clinical research project. 

Clinical Service

  • The resident will provide patient care for inpatient and outpatient psychiatric patients.
  • Assignments include medication management, medication use evaluation, adverse drug reaction review, evaluation of prescribing patterns on a system level, formulary review, in-service education presentation, patient individual and group education and other assignments as determined by the residency preceptor.

Teaching

  • The resident will earn an appointment as a clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and will complete a total of 40 hours of teaching activities per semester. Teaching activities may include didactic lectures, small group discussions, and skills laboratories. Residents will participate in the preceptorship of student pharmacists and pharmacy residents, as well as education of other healthcare professionals/students/residents, as assigned by the preceptor. The resident may also participate in an optional teaching certificate program.
  • Residents will also deliver professional presentations including Pharmacotherapy Rounds and a lecture on psychiatric topic, as assigned by teaching preceptor

Research

  • The resident will be expected to conduct a longitudinal research project over the course of the training experience. A final manuscript of the project in publishable format must be completed. Presentation of interim or final results at a professional meeting, such as the Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists Annual Meeting, is strongly encouraged.

Number of Available Positions: 1

Qualifications: The resident must be a graduate of an accredited college of pharmacy with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (requirement waived if completed a pass/fail curriculum). The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and Maryland Pharmacy licensure are required. Residents must complete a PGY1 residency prior to starting.

Application Process:

Applicants must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and have completed an ASHP-accredited residency in pharmacy practice. The resident will be required to become a licensed pharmacist in the state of Maryland.

Applications for this program will only be accepted through PhORCAS. Reference writers should use the standard reference template in PhORCAS.

Application requirements:

  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letters of recommendation (3)
  • Official transcripts

The application deadline is January 2.

International students and permanent residents should contact P-SHORResidencyandAdministrativeSupport@rx.umaryland.edu before applying.

Residents who match to this program will be required to come to Baltimore in advance of the July 1st start date for campus orientation; these orientation dates are not known until mid-Spring. These sessions are typically offered on select Mondays in May and June.

Contact Information:

Bethany A DiPaula, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP
Director, Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency
Professor
Co-Director Mental Health Program
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
20 N. Pine Street, PHN415
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410)-706-6655
Email: bdipaula@rx.umaryland.edu