Post-Doctoral Clinical Research Outcomes Fellowship Program in Antimicrobial Stewardship

Rhode Island Infectious Diseases (RIID)
Research Program

• Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Providence, RI Funded Fellowship in conjunction with:
• The University of Rhode Island (URI) College of Pharmacy, Kingstown, RI
• Warren Albert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI

 
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP ) Recognized Fellowship
A voluntary peer review process, conducted by the ACCP Fellowship Review Committee, is designed to assess whether a given program meets the ACCP Guidelines for Research Fellowship Training Programs. The review process is designed to help ensure quality in research fellowship training programs and to assist preceptors in improving fellowship programs. Both the preceptor and the fellowship site are evaluated. Although there are certain minimal criteria that must be met, the overall process is not intended to standardize fellowships, because it is well recognized that a highly individualized experience is the hallmark of an excellent training program.
This program have been reviewed by the Fellowship Review Committee (2013) and is recognized as meeting the ACCP Guidelines for Research Fellowship Training Programs.
 
 

First VA Pharmacist Antimicrobial Stewardship FellowshipStudies have shown that up to 50% of antibiotic use in hospitals is unnecessary or inappropriate. This improper use of antibiotics poses a critical threat to our ability to effectively treat infections. Unfortunately, antibiotic misuse—i.e. when antibiotics are given when they are not needed, are continued when they are no longer necessary, or are given as the wrong dose—leads to emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. Continued…

General Description/ Educational Purpose of Fellowship
The program is designed to provide skills that are necessary to pursue a career in academia, clinical research, and basic clinical practice focused in infectious diseases. The program integrates research experience (80%), teaching, both in the classroom and experiential (10%), and practical clinical experience for the Infectious Disease Consult team (10%). A major focus of this program is in research design, development, analysis and writing for final publication. Fellows are responsible for submitting their research to national and international infectious diseases meetings and submitting their papers to peer reviewed journals for publication.
 
Clinical Goals

• To become an independent pharmacy practitioner with a wealth of knowledge of the epidemiology and treatment of infectious diseases.
• To successfully serve healthcare organizations as the ultimate resource for information about antiinfectives including leadership in formulary decision-making for anti-infectives.

Research Goals

• To contribute to clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes analyses through infectious diseases pharmacy research.
• To employ knowledge acquired through experiential training, conduct infectious diseases practice research using effective research design and management skills by formulating a hypothesis, creating a feasible design for research projects, and utilizing appropriate statistical methods to interpret data.
• To effectively present the results of research, successfully employ accepted manuscript style for final research report, and secure publication of research results.

Essential functions

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy, and provide expert consultation with other healthcare professionals in development of pharmacotherapy plans for patients as appropriate.
• Participate in objective evaluation and dissemination of medication use trends and
• pharmacoeconomic/clinical outcomes information for appropriate areas throughout the system.
• Coordinate, support, and participate in research, research protocol review, and research
• development related to the specialty area. Prepare grant proposals for funding of research.
• Publish original research articles, and present at local and national functions relevant to
• practice area.
• Master understanding, application, and relevance of an ASP to an organization and ultimately in the delivery of safe, effective patient care.
• Promote and develop the application of antimicrobial stewardship strategies to reinforce
• practice infrastructure within Providence VAMC
• Teach pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other personnel where appropriate. Co-precept clinical clerkship students and residents participating in practical experience training

 
Teaching
The fellows will have several opportunities for teaching. The requirement will encompass classroom teaching at The University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Noon conference (given to Brown University medical students, interns, residents and staff), and assisting in precepting the 6th year Pharm.D. students during their Infectious Diseases experiential rotation.
 
Benefits
Fellows receive a competitive stipend that includes full medical and dental coverage (signal or family coverage). Additional benefits include paid membership in the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacy (SIDP) and American Society of Microbiology (ASM), book stipends, and paid expenses for professional meetings, fellow forums and conferences.