The drug information residency is an unaccredited 1-year program, which provides flexibility in training a resident to pursue a career outside traditional hospital-based drug information practice.

Purpose of residency

The purpose of the program is to prepare a resident to function as an advanced drug information practitioner in managed care, pharmaceutical industry, medical communications, or an academic environment.

Goals of the residency

The goal of the residency is to enhance the resident’s clinical skills and expertise in:

• efficient retrieval and critical evaluation of the biomedical literature
• communication of evidence-based information
• medical writing
• formulary management/prior authorization
• didactic and experiential teaching
• performing systematic reviews or drug information-related research

Key components:

Drug information practice:

The resident will participate in the delivery of drug information services to various clients of the DIG (eg, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical industry, managed care organizations, medical communication companies, and others). The residency offers an opportunity to complete on-site or off-site rotations tailored to the resident’s interests.

Teaching and learning:

The resident will contribute to didactic and experiential instruction of drug information-related materials to pharmacy students, residents, and other healthcare professionals. The resident will further develop teaching skills by precepting pharmacy students and other learners.

Publications:

The resident will have opportunities to publish articles within pharmacy journals and participate in scholarly activities.

Required elements:

• Drug information center coverage
• Completion of at least 1 formulary review
• Preparation of 2 publication-quality manuscripts
• Completion of at least 2 medical writing projects for Drug Information Group clients
• Preparation and presentation of a didactic lecture in the UIC College of Pharmacy curriculum
• Preparation and participation as a team-based learning/recitation facilitator
• Completion of the teaching certificate program
• Preparation and presentation of an ACPE-accredited seminar
• Co-precept pharmacy students and/or PGY1 residents
• Presentation of an effective poster at a national or state meeting
• Participation in the activities of the prior authorization and academic detailing units of the DIG

Beyond required elements, the program design is flexible in order for the resident to have further interest-based elective experiences in academia, pharmaceutical industry, medical communications, or managed care, including off-site rotations.

Required Experiences (all located at the UIC College of Pharmacy)

• Drug information inquiries
• Medical writing
• Formulary management
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Teaching
• Research project

Elective Opportunities

• Academic experiential – UIC College of Pharmacy
• Academic detailing – UIC College of Pharmacy
• Clinical research – UIC College of Pharmacy
• Clinical informatics – Vizient
• Medical communication – Precision for Value
• Medication safety/pharmacovigilance – VA Center for Medication Safety
• Pharmaceutical industry – Astellas, Horizon
• Poison information – Illinois Poison Center
• Prior authorization – UIC College of Pharmacy
• Medication Policy – U of I Health
• Medication Safety (hospital) – U of I Health
• Additional elective experiences available based on individual interest

Faculty and Preceptor Information at the DIG:

Rachel Brunner, PharmD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist
Director, Drug Information Residency Program

Michael Buege, PharmD, BCOP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Christie Denton, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist
Assistant Director, Drug Information Residency Program

Jessica Elste, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Patricia Hartke, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Heather Ipema, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Honey Joseph, PharmD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Laura Koppen, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Courtney Krueger, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Faria Munir, PharmD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Ryan Rodriguez, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Associate Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Katherine Sarna, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

Rita Soni, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Drug Information Pharmacist

• 2022 – 2023 Justyna Fydrych, PharmD

Since 1969, over 300 pharmacists successfully trained in our ASHP-accredited first-year post-graduate residency program. In addition, we have graduated over 100 individuals in our various specialized pharmacy residencies that encompass a wide range of specialties. Our diverse faculty, in combination with the numerous progressive practice sites, provides our residents with an experience like no other. Our residency alumnae hold prominent positions within pharmacy academia, industry, and professional organizations nationwide and are leaders in the world of pharmacy practice. We are proud of our tradition, our outcomes and our graduates and with the increasing expectations of the public and other health professionals to improve the lives of patients, we are confident that our residency programs will grow and develop to meet this challenge.

The drug information residency is a novel program led by DIG faculty and targeted towards pharmacists desiring to pursue a career in academia, pharmaceutical industry, medical communications, or managed care. The DIG has over 20 years of experience in training drug information residents with the majority of program graduates pursuing very successful careers in a variety of practice settings.

Past Residents

• 2000 – 2001 Huong Luu, PharmD
  Pharmacist-in-Charge and Owner
  CURA Pharmacy, Tustin, CA
• 2003 – 2004 Carissa E. Mancuso, PharmD
  Drug Information Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator
  The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, NY
• 2009 – 2010 Irene Reilly, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Science, Buffalo, NY
• 2009 – 2010 Heather J. Ipema, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2010 – 2011 Sherilyn J. VanOsdol PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Staff Pharmacist
  Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, San Luis Obispo, CA
• 2011 – 2012 Lara K. Ellinger, PharmD, BCPS
  Medication Safety and Drug Information pharmacist; PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director
  Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
• 2012 – 2013 Michelle Bryson, PharmD, BCPS
  Medical Information and Review Manager
  Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Greater Detroit area, MI
• 2012 – 2013 Shadi Ghaibi, PharmD, BCPS
  Formulary and Utilization Management Coordinator
  Kaiser Permanente, Seattle, WA
• 2013 – 2014 Aparna Reddy, PharmD, BCPS
  Director of Pharmacy
  HCA Healthcare, Conroe, TX
• 2014 – 2015 Nicole Rashid, PharmD, BCPS
  Currently: maternity leave
  Previous position: Sr. Medical Information and Review Manager with Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• 2014 – 2015 Carol Poskay, PharmD
  Medical Information Senior Manager
  Avexis, Greater Chicago area, IL
• 2014 – 2015 Samantha Spencer, PharmD, BCPS
  Drug Information Group Assistant Director; Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2015 – 2016 Katherine Sarna, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2015 – 2016 Patricia Hartke, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2016 – 2017 Laura Koppen, PharmD, BCPS
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2016 – 2017 Jasmine Shah, PharmD
  Senior Scientific Associate
  Precision for Value, Chicago, IL
• 2017 – 2018 Kathryn Loeser, PharmD
  Medical Information Manager
  Horizon, Greater Chicago area, IL
• 2017 – 2018 Elana Nelson, PharmD
  Laboratory Instruction Coordinator/Instructor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2018 – 2019 Amanda Gerberich, PharmD
  Senior Clinical Pharmacy Writer
  DynaMed, Philadelphia, PA
• 2019-2020 Kaitlin Miles, PharmD
  Academic Detailing Pharmacist/Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, southern IL region
• 2020 – 2021 Rachel Brunner, PharmD
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
• 2021 – 2022 Honey Joseph, PharmD
  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago IL