Community Pharmacy Fellowship

The fellow will develop skills necessary to provide medication therapy management, diabetes self-management education, adherence programs, and other patient care services in a community pharmacy practice setting. The fellow will learn how to identify and resolve medication-related problems, design and implement patient-centered medication action plans, and apply appropriate physical assessment skills. Additionally, the fellow will gain experience in preparing and dispensing medications, including effective patient counseling as part of the dispensing process. The fellow will also utilize skills necessary to administer immunizations and acquire the knowledge and communication skills necessary to promote health and wellness. 

The fellow will work closely with preceptors and pharmacy owners to develop skills associated with business operations, financial management, marketing strategies, and entrepreneurial thinking. The fellow will gain experience in developing and evaluating business plans, exploring opportunities for new pharmacy services, and understanding the financial aspects of running a successful pharmacy. The fellow will have opportunities to engage with the Luminaries and Network Facilitator of CPESN Western New York and be mentored on pharmacy ownership.

The fellow will engage in the continuous quality improvement of existing community pharmacy services, focusing on enhancing and optimizing current practices. This includes evaluating services through review of pharmacy data and employing best practice standards at the practice site. The fellow will gain skills in implementation science and outcomes analyses, and will develop, implement, and evaluate business plans and relevant policies and procedures to enhance service quality and effectiveness.

The fellow will provide oral presentations and written materials to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. The fellow will deliver in-service presentations to train internal team members, external team members, and community partners. Opportunities for didactic teaching within University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will be provided. The fellow will employ effective precepting and feedback to pharmacy students and collaborate with academic and practice partners to disseminate best practices and results of practice-based research through presentations and publications.