Pharmacy Leadership Academy

Development of the Academy was supported by an educational grant from Amgen, Inc.
Application Available: May 14, 2008
Application Deadline: August 6, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: The University of Florida will offer up to 6 graduate credits to participants who complete the 2009 Pharmacy Leadership Academy. Click here for more information.


For 2008 Pharmacy Leadership Academy Faculty and Students
  • Enter the 2008 Pharmacy Leadership Academy here.
  • See a list of the Academy's Class of 2008 by clicking here.

Program Objectives
The Pharmacy Leadership Academy (Academy) is designed with the following program objectives:
  1. Provide a mechanism to comprehensively educate pharmacy leaders in addition to programs such as pharmacy residencies, short courses and industry programs;
  2. Provide leadership education applicable to practitioners in small to large hospitals and health systems;
  3. Maximize distance education and minimize full-time education;
  4. Provide real-world pharmacy case studies as a basis for summarizing objectives of topics demonstrating relevance to practitioners;
  5. Incorporate e-mentorship into the fabric of the program; and
  6. Train up to 100 qualified pharmacists per year by enhancing the leadership performance of current pharmacy directors/assistant or clinical directors as well as pharmacists seeking to be the future leaders in health-system pharmacy.
Most importantly, this program is intended to benefit patients directly since participants will develop skills that can be applied in the patient care environment to improve medication use safety, quality of care, and better utilization of health care resources. 


Academy Description
The Pharmacy Leadership Academy is a series of nine robust distance-learning offerings designed as a comprehensive curriculum to enhance the leadership and management skills of new and aspiring pharmacy leaders. The nine topics will be offered as modules over the course of 11 months starting in January. No modules will be offered during the months of July and August.  Each module is designed to be completed in 1 month. Each module will be led by a content expert who will serve as an Academy faculty member.


Modules and Faculty
The topics identified for the modules have been determined partially by the Center for Health-System Pharmacy Leadership Advisory Committee.  This committee developed a set of competencies required to be an effective pharmacy leader. The modules are listed below. To see the learning objectives, click on the name of the module.

An exceptional faculty has been assembled to lead the Academy. Faculty members include three winners of the Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award and the John W. Webb Award as well as seven Fellows of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The faculty members are also listed below. Click on the name of the faculty member to view his or her biography.


Academy Module Segments
The module for each topic includes three segments: independent study, Web-based presentation and small group teleconference case-study discussion.

Segment 1: Independent Study – to provide subject knowledge
Participants are assigned exercises, readings and applicable case studies to be completed as independent study prior to moving on to a Web-based presentation.  Access to the required independent study elements is made available via the Internet. The self-learning component provides excellent training content in the nine competency areas in a manner that is both efficient and convenient for the participant.

Segment 2: Web-based presentation  – to connect the subject matter to pharmacy application
The Web-based presentation includes audio of faculty member presentation synchronized with presentation slides.  The presentation builds on the independent study segment and provides tools to use in a real-world environment.

Segment 3: Teleconference/case-study discussion – to foster peer-to-peer discussion and   faculty interaction and mentorship  
Academy participants participate in one of two teleconferences offered in the same month they are working on a specific module.  Participants will complete the self-study and Web-based presentation segments prior to the teleconference.  The faculty member will facilitate a case-based discussion during a 1-hour teleconference that is designed to be informative and interactive.  The teleconference also affords the participants the opportunity to ask questions of the content experts. 

The self-study materials and the monthly presentation are housed on a Web-based resource center designed specifically for the Academy.  Participants are able to access the materials on the Academy Web site; however, the participants will need to print materials needed for each module.


Selection Criteria
The Academy can accommodate a class of 100 participants.  A selection process is used to ensure that the applicant’s leadership goals are supported by the course content as well as to prioritize applicants should the applications exceed 100. The following criteria are used in making the selection:

  • Evidence of an applicant’s career progression, statement of leadership goals and his/her assessment of their leadership experience as reflective of the Academy’s objectives.
  • Strength of the supporting statement by applicant’s supervisor and Pharmacy Director if not the applicant’s immediate supervisor.
  • Strength of the supporting statement by a health-system executive officer.


Eligibility
Applicants should meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • A licensed practicing pharmacist
  • Have at least 5 years of post-degree pharmacy practice experience. 
  • A person in a pharmacy leadership position within the health system or a pharmacist who is seeking to direct their career towards a pharmacy leadership role.


Selection Process
Application materials must be completed and received in full by the deadline date in order to be evaluated. Each nomination will be reviewed by an independent panel to ensure that the applicant has satisfied the eligibility criteria. Only required application materials will be forwarded to the review panel.


Selection Panel
Members of the Academy Faculty, Center Advisory Panel, Pharmacy Management Practice Section and ASHP staff may serve on the review panel. The selection panel will adhere to the established and published selection criteria. Selection panel members are not eligible to apply for the Academy.


Sponsor
Amgen, Inc., supported the development of the Academy through an educational grant. The selection panel operates independently from the sponsor through facilitation by the ASHP Foundation.


Participants' Responsibilities
Academy participants agree to fulfill the requirements of the entire Academy course material within the scheduled timeframe. 


Continuing Education

  The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a Provider of continuing pharmacy education. Pharmacists who complete the entire Pharmacy Leadership Academy are eligible to earn up to 84 contact hours (8.4CEUs) of continuing education credit. For a complete description of the continuing education credit process, click here.


Cost and Application
The Academy is only offered as a comprehensive nine-module program. The cost of the program is $1,850 for ASHP members and $2,200 for non-members.


Questions
Please contact the ASHP Foundation at (301) 664-8612 or foundation@ashp.org for more information about future offerings and other details.