Consistent with ASHP guidelines, each resident is required to complete a pharmacy practice component of the residency program.

Often referred to as "staffing," the practice component is crucial to the development of professional practice skills and of pharmacy practice distribution skills.

With this experience, residents will gain proficiency in distribution skills, incorporation of clinical services and development of personnel management skills. They also will develop insight into the operations, policies and procedures of acute care facilities.

The guidelines for the Pharmacy Practice Component are:

• Each resident is expected to practice as a pharmacist in a designated area throughout the residency year.
• PGY1 residents are required to staff every other weekend.
• PGY2 residents new to Johns Hopkins Hospital will staff every other weekend for the first 90 days of the program.
  • While staffing every other weekend, PGY2 residents are entitled to one compensatory day off (“comp day”) for a weekend of staffing.
  • If the PGY2 resident demonstrates a proficient level of performance at the end of 90 days, the resident’s staffing component will be changed to every third weekend. 
  • When the PGY2 resident converts to every third weekend, they will no longer receive a comp day following a staffing weekend.
• The weekend practice experience options include A) Adult Medicine, Emergency and Surgery; B) Pediatrics; and C) Weinberg- Oncology/Surgery.
• Residents are assigned to an area, attempting to match the area and the resident's interests.
• As members of the professional staff of the Pharmacy Department, residents are expected to assist with holiday coverage during the residency year. Residents are expected to cover one winter holiday shift (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day) and one minor holiday shift (Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day) during the residency year. 
• Residents may choose to cover additional pharmacist shifts with approval of the RPD as outlined in the Residency Manual. All additional shifts will be compensated at a pharmacist rate.

Pharmacy managers for the assigned practice areas serve as preceptors for the practice (staffing) rotation. Evaluations of residents' performance in this component of the program are completed quarterly during the residency year. Residents are expected to complete an evaluation of the staffing component and offer suggestions for improvement of operational procedures.