Health-System Pharmacy at University Hospital

• Student Role: This rotation is an opportunity to rotate with pharmacy management and leadership team, pharmacy operations, ad the drug policy program. Students will also gain experience in leading a pharmacy department project. In addition to projects, the student will attend various interdisciplinary and administrative meetings. Projects will focus on advancing pharmacy services, inventory management, performance improvement projects, strategic planning, assessing compliance with regulatory standards, and others based on department needs and student interest.
• Expected outcomes: Gain a thorough understanding of the role of an inpatient pharmacy manager within an integrated health system. Learn strategies for advancing pharmacy services; demonstrate understanding of the medication use process in a large medical center; gain exposure to regulatory compliance; understand the role of the pharmacist in drug policy and medication use evaluations; understand the role of automation in relation to inventory and narcotic control; and gain further experience in basic supervisory skills.
• Unique student opportunities: Gain insight of inpatient pharmacy management, experience with leading a department project, hands-on experience with pharmacy automation and compounding (sterile and nonsterile), and completion of a medication use evaluation.
• Typical hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 40-45 hours per week

Health-System Pharmacy at UW Health at The American Center

• Student Role: This is primarily a project-based rotation where students gain experience and understanding in both inpatient and ambulatory pharmacy operations management. In addition to projects, the student will attend various interdisciplinary and administrative meetings. Projects will focus on advancing pharmacy services, inventory control, providing staff in-services, performance improvement projects, strategic planning and assessing compliance with The Joint Commission’s regulatory standards.
• Expected outcomes: Gain a thorough understanding of the role of an inpatient and ambulatory pharmacy manager within an integrated health system. Learn strategies for advancing pharmacy services; demonstrate understanding of financial management; gain exposure to regulatory compliance; understand the role of automation in relation to inventory and narcotic control and gain further experience in basic supervisory skills.
• Unique student opportunities: Gain insight in both ambulatory and inpatient management in one rotation, experience how a small institution operates within a large health system, hands-on experience with pharmacy automation (PACMED, anesthesia carts, etc.), provide in-service to nursing, medical or pharmacy staff, free parking, on the bus line
• Typical hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 40-45 hours per week

UW Health encompasses a large academic medical center, multiple specialty and primary care clinics, retail pharmacies and a wide array of innovative pharmacy services. We are a pharmacy department nationally recognized in the areas of clinical pharmacy practice, pharmacy leadership and residency training.

Student Role

Fourth-year pharmacy students on rotation are vital members of the pharmacy team, directly assisting in the care we provide to patients. Roles and responsibilities vary widely depending on the rotation, but on clinical rotations students always round with the team and see patients. Students on rotation attend Resident Report, a weekly resident-led teaching experience, as well as participate actively with their team’s education and learning (topic discussions, journal clubs, huddles, etc.) throughout the rotation.

Student daily activities include, but are not limited to:

• Creating therapeutic plans
• Making recommendations to providers
• Rounding with the health care team on inpatient rotations
• Documenting medication outcomes
• Providing answers to formal and informal pharmacotherapy questions
• Educating patients to improve transitions of care
• Completing or assisting in ongoing quality improvement or research projects

UW Health Preceptors

We have a highly trained group of residency-trained pharmacist preceptors and require pharmacists in clinical practice areas to maintain board certification. Pharmacist preceptors take pride in teaching the next generation of pharmacists how to take the best evidence-based and cost-effective care of patients.

Our pharmacy residents participate actively in the precepting model at UW Health as well. Residents are excited to work with students and the vast majority complete a teaching certificate program during their first year. PGY1 pharmacy residents specifically work closely with students once they have clinical experience in the area they are precepting. Students often reflect positively that residents greatly enrich their experience on rotations.

Pharmacy Clerkships (pdf)

Contact Information

David Hager PharmD, BCPS
Education and Development Coordinator
DHager@uwhealth.org

Outpatient Pharmacy

• Location: University Hospital
• Patient population: Inpatient discharges, outpatient surgery clinics and specialty care: transplant, pediatrics, HIV, oncology, hematology, urology, ENT, orthopedics, cardiology and employees
• Student role: Extensive opportunities for medication regimen review and consultation; frequent interaction with other pharmacists, doctors and residents within UW Hospital and Clinics; monitoring and recommending on additional or alternative therapies to providers; nonprescription recommendations to patients; documentation and billing for MTM services; provide immunizations
• Unique student opportunities: Billing for pharmaceutical care services; shadowing in specialty clinics; frequent drug information questions; electronic medical record (access to labs and patient charts); use of pharmacy innovation (ParataMax dispensing system); compounding of medications
• Typical hours: Student hours are flexible, but usually 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Weekend flexibility: Yes

Oncology Retail Pharmacy

• Location: UW Carbone Cancer Center
• Patient population: Students interact with patients being seen at the Carbone Cancer Center. Students will be exposed to lung, head and neck, breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, skin, hematologic cancers and bone marrow transplant.
• Student role: Students have many responsibilities within the oncology retail pharmacy. For one, students are responsible for leading the proactive oral oncolytic refill program. This program ensures patients receiving oral oncolytic therapies have timely access to their medication and remain adherent to their regimen. In addition, students work with the oncology clinic student to ensure patients receiving chemotherapy infusions are sent home with appropriate supportive care therapies. Students provide counseling to patients receiving oral oncolytic therapy and serve as an extension to the pharmacist while staffing. Students will interact regularly with other oncology clinic pharmacists, providers, residents and nursing staff. Students are expected to participate in disease-state presentations, topic discussions, and grand rounds. This rotation is unique to those interested in retail operations as well as specialty pharmacy.
• Unique student opportunities: Management of proactive oral oncolytic refill program, exposure to specialty medication management, and drug repository program. This rotation is especially unique as 90% of patient population served are oncology-based. Students also interact closely with clinic providers, clinical trials; gain exposure to hospice care patients; and build great relationships with faculty, residents and nursing staff.
• Typical hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Weekend flexibility: No

The American Center Pharmacy

• Location: UW Health at The American Center
• Patient Population: inpatient discharges, outpatient surgery clinics, cardiology clinic, urology clinic and employee prescriptions
• Student role: medication regimen review; evaluate and prepare prescriptions, patient consultation; answer drug information questions; administer immunizations
• Unique student opportunities: implementation of new services including documentation and billing for MTM services, inventory control, free parking, and on the bus line
• Typical hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Weekend flexibility: No

West Clinic Pharmacy

• Location: West Clinic
• Patient population: Internal medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, diabetes, rheumatology, dermatology, cardiology, allergy and urology
• Student role: Extensive opportunities for medication regimen review; evaluate and prepare prescriptions and counsel patients; answer frequent drug information questions; documentation and billing for MTM services; provide immunizations
• Unique student opportunities: One pharmacist and one technician on-site improves mentorship opportunities; involved in Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative; great relationships with faculty, residents and nursing staff; clinic shadowing opportunities; blood pressure checks; brown bag consultations; weekly discussion of non-prescription therapies with the preceptor; free parking
• Typical hours: Student hours are flexible; location is open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Weekend flexibility: No

West Towne Pharmacy

• Location: West Towne Clinic
• Patient population: Internal medicine, immediate care and other specialty clinics
• Student role: Extensive opportunities for medication regimen review; evaluate and prepare prescriptions and counsel patients; answer frequent drug information questions; provide immunizations
• Unique student opportunities: Shadowing activities with clinic providers; great relationships with faculty, residents and nursing staff; compounding and chemotherapy exposure can be arranged at a sister-site if desired; free parking
• Typical hours: Student hours are flexible; location is open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday to Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends
• Weekend flexibility: Yes