National survey of pharmacy residency on-call programs.
OBJECTIVE
The results of a national survey to evaluate on-call practices and responsibilities of pharmacy residents nationwide, as well as opinions related to duty-hour changes, are reported.


METHODS
A 39-question survey was distributed to 1292 residency program directors (RPDs) listed in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) online residency directory, which includes programs in all stages of the accreditation process. The survey opened on November 7, 2011, and closed on November 28, 2011. The survey collected demographic information and answers to questions about the residency's on-call component (if applicable) and barriers to the creation of an on-call component. Respondents were also asked to indicate their support of or opposition to the adoption of the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour rules and identify the areas of greatest concern.


RESULTS
Of the 1292 RPDs listed in the ASHP online residency directory to whom the survey was sent, 521 surveys were completed, yielding a response rate of 40%. Of these, 471 identified their residency program as including or excluding an on-call component. Of the 138 programs with on-call services, 102 programs (74%) indicated the inclusion of an overnight experience. Programs that did not utilize an on-call component indicated barriers such as a perceived lack of demand (39%) and duty-hour limitations (21%). Common on-call activities included drug information consults and therapeutic drug monitoring. There was not a clear consensus from RPDs regarding the adoption of the 2011 ACGME duty-hour standards.


CONCLUSIONS
Among usable responses to a survey of pharmacy residency programs, 29% indicated that their program included an on-call component. On-call programs varied greatly in activities, location, hours, and requirements.
Martina Holder, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, University of Florida Health Shands, Gainesville, FL; at the time of this study she was Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, UK HealthCare, Lexington, KY. Kelly M. Smith, Pharm.D., BCPS, FASHP, FCCP, is Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs, and Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Science; Ann Fugit, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Ambulatory Care and Adjunct Assistant Professor; Tracy Macaulay, Pharm.D., BCPS (AQ-Cardiology), is Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Cardiology, and Adjunct Assistant Professor; and Aaron M. Cook, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Neurosurgery/Critical Care, and Assistant Adjunct Professor, Pharmacy, UK HealthCare.
Martina
M
Holder
Kelly M
KM
Smith
Ann
A
Fugit
Tracy
T
Macaulay
Aaron M
AM
Cook
D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards; D064172:Pharmacy Residencies / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D012957:Societies, Pharmaceutical / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards*