Pharmacists play an essential role in the care of children at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD). Clinical pharmacists are viewed as invaluable members of patient care teams and hospital committees. Pharmacy residents are members of the Department of Pharmacy, where they gain expertise through exposure to a broad range of clinical services.

Our Hospital

Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters is a nationally recognized, fully accredited general pediatric hospital. It is licensed for 266 beds, and it is the only free-standing children’s hospital in the state of Virginia. Patients come from a broad region that includes southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. We provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient care for children facing both common and complex illnesses, including our pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and our inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. CHKD has the only non-military Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, and the largest and most experienced Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the area. In addition, the recently opened Children’s Pavilion on the campus provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient pediatric mental health services for the region.

Our Department

The Department of Pharmacy is responsible for providing pharmaceutical care to our pediatric patient population. Pharmaceutical care involves not only medication therapy, but also decisions regarding medication selection, dosages, routes, methods of administration, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Patients’ medications, diseases, and doses are reviewed for safe and effective treatment. Pharmacists also provide drug information to other health care professionals and counseling to patients and/or their caregivers. In addition, pharmacists at CHKD are responsible for documenting clinical interventions and reporting adverse drug reactions, and they play an important role in formulary management, medication safety, and error prevention.

Our Programs

CHKD offers a one-year ASHP-accredited postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency program with two residents accepted to the program per year. CHKD also offers the opportunity for one of the PGY1 residents to stay on to complete a one-year postgraduate year two (PGY2) pediatric pharmacy residency with an emphasis on pediatric critical care medicine. If this position is not filled during any particular year, it will flex to a third PGY1 resident position for that year. Both programs include 11 calendar months of core/elective rotations in addition to longitudinal experiences. December is a “project month” which allows residents time to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, take time off for the holidays, and work on research projects as well as other longitudinal residency projects and learning experiences.

Pharmacy Residency Program Information

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The PGY1 pharmacy residency program at CHKD builds on Doctor of Pharmacy education and contributes to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions. Residency program graduates are eligible for board certification, and for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

While PGY1 residents learn unique pediatric pharmacy considerations through time spent supporting operations within the inpatient pharmacy, the primary focus of this residency is direct patient care. Residents gain clinical knowledge through monthly and longitudinal learning experiences in a variety of settings throughout the year.

Core Rotations (4-5 weeks each) – all PGY1 residents are required to complete the following: 

  • Orientation
  • General Pediatrics 1 (Hospital Medicine) 
  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Inpatient Hematology/Oncology
  • Pharmacy Administration and Medication Safety

Flex Rotations (4-5 weeks each) - PGY1 residents are required to pick four different rotations from the following (one must be in ambulatory care):

  • Emergency Medicine
  • General Pediatrics 2 (Inpatient Subspecialty Teams)
  • Ambulatory Care - Outpatient Infusion & Renal Transplant
  • Ambulatory Care - Outpatient Hematology/Oncology
  • Infectious Disease/Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Mental Health/Psych

In addition, residents will have the opportunity to complete 1 elective rotation (4-5 weeks), based on availability and resident interest.

Longitudinal residency requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • MED Service: Clinical pharmacist on-call service for drug information, total parenteral nutrition ordering, pharmacokinetic drug evaluations, and medical alert/trauma response. Residents are on-call one week per month.
  • Staffing in the inpatient pharmacy (one evening per week and one weekend per month)
  • Participation in the Pharmacy Residency Professional Development Series and Pharmacy Residency Wellness Series
  • Participation in informatics topic discussions and projects (12 weeks)
  • Completion of a residency research/quality improvement project
  • Opportunity to complete a teaching certificate program through the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
  • Formulary reviews, medication safety projects, and additional administrative projects
  • Participation in hospital committees, including Pharmacy (P&T) Committee, and Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee
  • Precepting and teaching pharmacy students on rotation
  • Preparing CE presentations for pharmacist and technician continuing professional development
  • Attendance at Pediatric Noon Conferences and Pediatric Grand Rounds

Upon completion of this one-year program, residents will be prepared to further enhance their clinical knowledge in a pediatric specialty residency or in independent pediatric pharmacy practice.

PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency

The PGY2 pharmacy residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy education and PGY1 pharmacy residency education to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in pediatrics. PGY2 residencies provide residents with greater opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification.

PGY2 Residents will further develop clinical knowledge and skills in direct pediatric patient care, leadership, and teaching through monthly and longitudinal learning experiences. Rotations will focus on pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric emergency medicine, with 2-3 months spent in each area. While the focus of this residency is on pediatric critical care, PGY2 residents may request to spend 1-2 months in elective areas outside critical care, as approved by the Residency Program Director. Additionally, there are opportunities to co-precept PGY1 pharmacy residents and/or pharmacy students during their clinical rotations.

Longitudinal residency requirements for the PGY2 resident are similar to those listed for the PGY1 program (above), but may be adjusted based on resident interest and previous experience. In addition, the PGY2 resident will function as the Chief Resident with additional administrative duties related to the conduct of the residency programs.