PGY1 resident research projects: Publication rates, project completion policies, perceived values, and barriers

To assess the publication rates of PGY1 pharmacy residents and to determine the beliefs of pharmacy residency program directors (RPDs) regarding PGY1 residency research projects, the residency-specific policies on publishing, and the perceived barriers to publishing for PGY1 residents.

The 2013 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting resident poster presentation roster was used to compile the list of PGY1 residents who submitted an abstract. The Web of Science database was searched using the PGY1 residents' name and research title to determine if a publication resulted from the abstract by December 2016. Publication rates were calculated using several demographic subcategories. The PGY1 RPDs identified from the ASHP website (n = 1220) were surveyed to determine how they value the research project, policies regarding publishing at their institution, and potential barriers to publication.

Out of 1419 abstracts from PGY1 residents, 26 (1.8%) resulted in a publication by 2016. Of the 369 RPDs who responded, the majority complimented their programs as favorable environments for completing research, 55% stating that their institutions offered formal research training, 65% stating that they have preceptors specifically assigned for research, and 83% stating that they provide dedicated time to residents to complete their research. The common barriers to publication were difficulty in completing the project in one year and lack of continuity after residency completion.

Despite pharmacy residency programs requiring residents to complete a research project, most residents end the residency without a publication. Further research is needed to identify the residents' barriers to publications and resources needed to publish the research projects.