National Recognition Received by Carteret Health Care's Pharmacy Residency Program

After a thorough review process, Carteret Health Care’s (CHC) pharmacy residency program has received accreditation from the Commission on Credentialing of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.

The residency program was established in 2012 and is a one-year post-graduate program for pharmacy school graduates.

Dick Brvenik, CGH President, shared, “This is indeed a wonderful recognition of the excellence of our residency training program, and it came after a rigorous review process held this past April. The Pharmacy team along with the Residency Advisory Committee has worked diligently to make this possible.” Brvenik continued, “This is a valuable education experience that we are now able to provide here in Carteret County.”

Carteret Health Care is one of a small number of hospitals that has demonstrated such a commitment to educate and train pharmacists who are invaluable to the delivery of high quality health care in an acute care setting. As such, this is not only positive for the Hospital and community, but also represents a contribution to the field, the profession, and health care organizations nationwide.

There is a severe shortage of pharmacy residencies in the United States. Each year, more than 1,000 potential candidates do not get a residency due to lack of available residency positions. In North Carolina, there are only 28 institutions offering ASHP accredited residency training. Of these 28, most are centered in the Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte area. There are only two other institutions in Eastern North Carolina with a residency program, New Hanover in Wilmington and Vidant in Greenville.

Carteret’s first pharmacy resident Leslie Mizelle Barefoot was raised in eastern North Carolina and saw this as a way to return to the area sooner than later. Dr. Barefoot shared “I was initially attracted to Carteret Health Care because of its culture. The immediate sense of community that I felt during my interview was awe-inspiring.” The second and current pharmacy resident is Stephanie Grundmann, PharmD of Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephanie's past hospital experience has made her feel right at home Carteret Health Care, and she is excited to be involved in the changes and growth at the hospital.

A pharmacy resident is a licensed pharmacist who pursues additional training to gain a better understanding of how to apply the knowledge and skills learned in school to real patients, situations, and settings. Residency training is crucial to new pharmacists, who are going into a healthcare environment that involves ever changing roles and responsibility. The evolution in pharmacy practice continues to place pharmacists in direct patient care roles. With that they must be positioned to assume responsibility for drug management as members of interdisciplinary patient care teams.

Residencies are designed to develop the skills required to solve the complex medication related problems presented in health care today. 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 works 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 as well as patients.

Dr. Mike Soucie, Pharmacy Director shared, “We are proud to lead the way in eastern North Carolina by developing a residency program in our community. The benefits we will see in improving the quality of care, safety of the medication use process, attracting the best talent to the area, not only to further their education but to live and practice are positives for us all.”