Pharmacy Outreach

Fellowship Overview

The Geriatric Pharmacy Fellowship was started by the MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program in 2011. The goal of this one-year fellowship is to train the participant to be a clinical researcher and educator specializing in geriatric pharmacy. During this year of training, the fellow is expected to contribute to medication safety, medication therapy management, and health education for older adults.

This fellowship is offered by MCPHS–Worcester/Manchester and the MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program. Fellowship programs like this one are established by the University to provide high-quality post-graduate educational opportunities for motivated individuals seeking advanced exposure to academics in addition to daily immersion in geriatric pharmacy. The University is committed to providing fellows with distinctive teaching and educational experiences in a university setting and the opportunity to expand the depth and scope of their pharmacy related research skills. Activities at MCPHS balance the fellowship by providing fellows with research experience from an academic perspective. Faculty, affiliated with MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program, will precept and mentor the fellows throughout the year. 

About the Company

The MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program is a public-private partnership between the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and MCPHS. The Pharmacy Outreach Program is a non-profit organization promoting medication adherence by providing help to Massachusetts residents with their medication-related needs. Staffed by case managers, pharmacists, and students, the goal is to help people afford their medications and understand how to take their medications correctly. We provide information that includes assistance with accessing affordable prescription drug programs through the Medicare Drug benefit, as well as medication assistance options for uninsured or underinsured residents of Massachusetts.

MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach services are free of charge and offered by phone Monday - Friday at 1.866.633.1617, or through programs held at community sites across the state.

Summary of Activities

The MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program in Worcester, MA, offers a one-year fellowship, starting July 1, that provides specialized training in ambulatory geriatric care and academia. The fellow will engage in patient care through a mixture of community outreach programs, conducting public speaking events, and providing medication therapy management. The fellow will also gain in-depth knowledge on Medicare Part D and help Medicare beneficiaries serving as an advocate to provide care, taking into account, cost, quality, and access to pharmacotherapy. In addition to patient services, the fellow will interact with faculty and students on a daily basis. The fellow will co-precept APPE students that rotate through the MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program. Additionally, the fellow will create and provide select lectures to students throughout MCPHS. Through the course of the fellowship, the fellow will be encouraged to publish and present data from conducted research projects at the MCPHS Pharmacy Outreach Program.

Overall Goal: Demonstrate skills necessary to function and lead as a geriatric pharmacist

Fellowship Goals

1: Demonstrate leadership and practice management skills.

• Develop a geriatric pharmacy/MTM strategic plan
• Cultivate communication and conflict management skills
• Enhance presentation skills

2: Serve as an authoritative resource in the optimization of medication for geriatric patients.

• Investigate and analyze specific inappropriate medications to effectively communicate with the geriatric patient and prescribers
• Promote a culture of medication safety and fall prevention in the elderly
• Learn integral processes of MTM in relation to overall health, medication safety, and medication compliance

3: Understand prescription coverage issues including Medicare, SPAP, LIS, and Medicaid.

4: Utilize/expand Medication Therapy Management protocol, including patient medication record and Medication Action Plan.

5: Provide updated communications using health literacy tools.

6: Demonstrate excellence in geriatric pharmacy education including preceptorship, or education activities for healthcare professionals.

• Provide education to healthcare professionals and patients
• Develop and deliver didactic lectures for MCPHS courses
• Co-precept MCPHS pharmacy students

7: Participate in longitudinal Research Projects pertaining to geriatric pharmacy and MTM.

• Submit a research protocol to the IRB for approval before conducting research
• Present results of a research project at a national meeting

Eligibility

Applicants must hold a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE - accredited college of pharmacy at the commencement of the program; Eligible for licensure in Massachusetts; and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Completion of pharmacy practice residency is desirable, but not required.

Applicant Information

Interested individuals must apply on-line at the MCPHS job site once positions are posted between December and January. Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three references.

For more information, please contact the Fellowship Program Director:

Colleen Massey, DHSc, MS
Faculty Associate, Pharmacy Practice
Director of Operations, Pharmacy Outreach Program
MCPHS
19 Foster Street
Worcester, MA 01608
colleen.massey@mcphs.edu