Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Georgia
Roanoke, Virginia
Posted: 22-Oct-24
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Type: Fellowship
Salary: 56,735
Job Setting:
Specialty Practice Areas:
Required Education:
This specialized track in the Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics is designed for pharmacists to provide advanced training in pharmacovigilance, medication safety, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacy outcomes, and policy for older Veterans.
The focus of this program is to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and value of medication therapy in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at local and national levels. Resources and faculty expertise committed by the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) and Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) located within Pittsburgh, PA and VA Center for Medication Safety (VA MedSAFE) located within Hines, IL will ensure success in developing national leaders in geriatrics with focus on medication safety and pharmacy outcomes. Fellows will be physically located in Pittsburgh, PA and will spend 75% of their time in quality improvement, research, and educational training and 25% in clinical service.
Research and Quality Improvement Focal Areas:
- Geriatric pharmacotherapeutics
- Pharmacy outcomes
- Overuse of medications and deprescribing
- Effect of dual use of VA and non-VA care on medication safety, quality, and value
- Comparative effectiveness of treatment options for vulnerable patients
- Medication and vaccine safety surveillance
- Active and passive surveillance
- Large database analytics
- Medication risk reduction
- National medication safety medication-use evaluations
- Medication use and outcomes secondary to scarce resources or drug shortages
- Pharmacogenomics
Selected Fellows Will:
- Conduct outcomes research and quality improvement projects to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and value of medication therapy in the VA nationally
- Obtain tailored training and mentorship from VA researchers and operations partners leading to peer-reviewed publications and other career opportunities
- Receive an annual stipend and health insurance
- Have the option to enroll in master’s-level coursework at the University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC):
The Pittsburgh GRECC (https://www.va.gov/GRECC/pages/Pittsburgh_GRECC.asp) is one of 20 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Centers of Geriatric Excellence for the advancement and integration of research, education, and clinical achievements in geriatrics and gerontology into the total VA healthcare system. All of the GRECCs focus on various aspects in the quality of life and care for the aging veteran and are at the forefront of leading-edge research and education. Research results have influenced therapies for diseases affecting older veterans and have also been exported beyond the veteran community. The Pittsburgh GRECC is referred to as the Technology GRECC or TECH-GRECC. The mission of the TECH-GRECC is:
- To use technology to build new knowledge in geriatric care through research
- To use technology to improve health care for older Veterans through the development of innovative clinical models of care
- To use technology to provide training and education on best practices in caring for older adults for students in healthcare disciplines and VA staff
Pittsburgh Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP):
CHERP is a dual-site, national VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation (COIN), located in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. CHERP’s overall mission is to advance the quality and equity of health and healthcare for vulnerable Veteran populations. An area of focus within CHERP is concentrated on health services research to improve the quality, safety, and value of medications and other clinical therapeutics in the VA and beyond. CHERP investigators at VAPHS collaborate with national VA operational partners, including VA MedSAFE, on several large studies addressing topics such as dual use of VA and non-VA prescription drug benefits, safety of opioid prescribing, provision of high-cost pharmaceuticals, the impact of drug shortages on medication use and health outcomes, and quality of prescribing for vulnerable Veteran groups, such as those with dementia and/or limited life expectancy.
VA MedSAFE:
VA MedSAFE is a comprehensive pharmacovigilance program that has developed and implemented numerous national programs to monitor the safe and effective use of medications in VA. VA MedSAFE’s goals are accomplished via evaluating adverse drug events (ADEs) through the use of active and passive medication safety surveillance, providing interventions to decrease preventable ADEs through the Risk Reduction Program, and conducting and promoting medication safety and effectiveness research. VA MedSAFE collaborates closely with other federal agencies to evaluate the significance of known ADEs, in addition to identifying and tracking new and emerging drug and vaccine safety issues.
Applicant Eligibility Criteria:
- Graduate of an ACPE-accredited PharmD program and licensed in any state or U.S. territory, with an interest in pursuing a career in medication safety or pharmacy outcomes in older adults.
- Completion of a general practice (PGY1) and specialty pharmacy residency (PGY2) or other relevant clinical experience is preferred, but not required.
- Strong interest in the application of large database analytics to improve safe and appropriate medication use in the VA healthcare system.
- Fellows must be U.S. citizens.
Application deadline is January 24, 2025. Please submit a letter of interest (3-page maximum), CV, pharmacy school transcript, and 3 letters of reference. The letter of interest should describe the applicant's interest in medication safety and pharmacy outcomes in older adults; relevant educational, clinical, and research experience; and training, research, and career goals. Submit materials electronically to:
VHAPBMMEDSAFEFellowshipRecruitment@va.gov.
Finalists will be invited to interview and give a research presentation.