Mission Hospital and Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) Family Health Center have partnered to sponsor a pharmacy residency program focused in ambulatory care for post-graduate year 1 (PGY1). MAHEC is a level 3 patient-centered medical home (PCMH) as recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Each year, two residents participate in this program by spending two to three days per week on a longitudinal basis at MAHEC working with other care team members in medicine, nursing, behavioral health, case management, dieticians, and administrative support staff.

Residents are responsible for direct patient care in many clinics including pharmacotherapy, anticoagulation, osteoporosis, pain management, Medicare wellness, and transitions in care. Many of these services are led by pharmacists and incorporate other team members. In addition, many of these services have been developed by the residents as part of their required residency program and have been sustained after graduation by pharmacist team members and the new residents. This residency program emphasizes working as part of a team, communicating effectively with patients and families, medication therapy management, and the importance of providing care for individuals and patient populations.

Pharmacy residents are taught about PCMH elements in an experiential setting at the Family Health Center, and through several didactics in the primary care clinical meeting including “Introduction to the PCMH” and “Interprofessional Communication”. Residents also have one-on-one sessions with team members to learn about member roles within the PCMH. During these experiences, several skills are emphasized such as the importance of developing strong, caring relationships with patients; triaging unmet patient needs to the appropriate team members; and providing care for the patient within their community and family system.

Special features of this program include readings on PCMH, longitudinal experiences in the clinic, and several didactic sessions on PCMH elements (e.g., interprofessional education, provider status, developing new pharmacy services within a PCMH, Patient Safety Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative, collaborating with Community Care of North Carolina).