Postgraduate year one pharmacy residency program equivalency

In 2006, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) charged the Task Force on Residency Equivalency to define the professional experience expected of a clinically mature practitioner that would meet or exceed the knowledge and skills of an accredited postgraduate year one residency-trained pharmacist. In this commentary, the Task Force discusses both the qualitative and quantitative components of documentation by means of a residency equivalency portfolio. The potential roles of academia, pharmacy professional organizations, and employers and the possible barriers to an equivalency process are addressed. This commentary lays the foundation for establishing a residency equivalency process that could promote the growth and development of existing and future residency programs and allow qualified practitioners to demonstrate their capabilities. The ACCP implores invested stakeholders to take an active part in this collaborative effort as the profession transitions toward residency training as a prerequisite for all pharmacists providing direct patient care by 2020.