Competency standards in pharmacy education and training have been formulated by different organizations to focus on various stages in the development of students, residents, and clinical pharmacists. This commentary advocates a deliberate alignment of educational outcomes, goals, and competencies across the developmental continuum of students, residents, and pharmacy practitioners. Consistent use of terminology and appropriate sequencing of expectations will help develop pharmacists who can meet the demands of the profession in the changing health care landscape. Progressive development is needed for the pharmacist's abilities, from student to resident to new practitioner to experienced professional. Consistency will ensure that educational and training programs optimally prepare individuals for board certification and professional roles. Specific recommendations include developing a common taxonomy that aligns within the pharmacy profession and across health care professions.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission is primarily driven by injection drug use, and acute HCV infection rates are increased in rural communities with substantial barriers to care. Treatment of HCV in persons who use drugs (PWUD) is cost effective, decreases high risk behaviors and HCV transmission, and achieves high rates of treatment completion and sustained viral response. Adapting HCV care delivery to utilize peer support specialists, telemedicine technology, and streamlined testing and treatment strategies can better reach rural populations living with HCV. Methods: This is an open label, two-arm, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial designed to test the superiority of peer-facilitated and streamlined telemedicine HCV care (peer tele-HCV) compared to enhanced usual care (EUC) among PWUD in rural Oregon. In the intervention arm, peers conduct HCV screening in the community, facilitate pretreatment evaluation and linkage to telemedicine hepatitis C treatment providers, and support participants in HCV medication adherence. For participants assigned to EUC, peers facilitate pretreatment evaluation and referral to community-based treatment providers. The primary outcome is sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post treatment (SVR12). Secondary outcomes include: (1) HCV treatment initiation, (2) HCV treatment completion, (3) engagement with harm reduction resources, (4) rates of substance use, and (5) engagement in addiction treatment resources. The primary and secondary outcomes are analyzed using intention-to-treat (ITT) comparisons between telemedicine and EUC. A qualitative analysis will assess patient, peer, and clinician experiences of peer-facilitated telemedicine hepatitis C treatment. Discussion: This study uses a novel peer-based telemedicine delivery model with streamlined testing protocols to improve access to HCV treatment in rural communities with high rates of injection drug use and ongoing disease transmission. We hypothesize that the peer tele-HCV model will increase treatment initiation, treatment completion, SVR12 rates, and engagement with harm reduction services compared to EUC. Trial registration This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov NCT04798521)

BACKGROUND: Although direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), many state Medicaid programs have limited coverage because of their expense...

Introduction: Postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) internal medicine (IM) pharmacy residency programs have significantly grown over the past several years, and there is a perception that the IM clinical pharmacist job market is saturated. Thus, there is a need to confirm that the job market can support these graduates.Objectives: To characterize PGY2 IM pharmacy residency programs and PGY2 IM residents' pursuit of post‐residency positions.Methods: A cross‐sectional, online, anonymous, and voluntary survey was developed, pilot‐tested, and sent to PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates from 2015 to 2019 across the United States. Specific aims were to identify and characterize initial jobs PGY2 IM‐trained clinical pharmacists obtained post‐residency and to describe residents' perceptions of the job market and how it influenced the positions they applied for.Results: Of the 96 PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates who received the survey, 62 residents completed the survey (64.6% response rate). All residents accepted a job within 3 months post‐residency. Additionally, 82% of residents agreed that their initial job matched the skills learned during their PGY2 IM pharmacy residency program. Almost half of the residents perceived that the IM clinical pharmacist market had equal supply and demand. Thirty‐nine residents (62%) disagreed or strongly disagreed that overall, they had difficulty finding a job. The top four areas of focus for PGY2 IM pharmacy residency programs were academia, infectious disease, cardiology, and critical care. The areas of focus during residency influenced initial job applications for more than half of the residents.Conclusion: Among a cohort of PGY2 IM pharmacy residency graduates from 2015 to 2019, most were successful in finding employment in a job that matched the skills obtained during residency. Residents perceived that job market supply and demand were equal.