UToledo Health’s PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program has received a $25,000 Residency Expansion Grant from the ASHP Foundation, a competitive national award that has funded only three programs per year in recent cycles, to support the addition of a new residency position.
The expansion brings the institution’s total to seven residents: four in acute care and now three in outpatient settings including ambulatory care, managed care and community pharmacy.
From left, PGY1 pharmacy residents Chloe Spooneybarger, Joel Talley and Sydney Free, and Dr. Bree Meinzer, director of the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at UToledo Health.
“The balance of four acute care residents and three outpatient residents reflects the growth of our ambulatory care services while continuing to support the needs of our hospital,” said Dr. Bree Meinzer, director of the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at UToledo Health.
A PGY1 pharmacy residency is a year of advanced training following pharmacy school that prepares pharmacists for direct patient care roles. At UToledo Health, residents work alongside physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals across acute care, ambulatory care, managed care and community pharmacy settings while completing research, quality improvement projects and leadership development experiences.
Meinzer said UToledo’s application stood out by highlighting the program’s unique combination of outpatient and ambulatory care experiences alongside significant recent growth of pharmacy services. The $25,000 grant helps offset upfront costs including resident salary, benefits and equipment, reducing the financial barrier to expansion while the health system invests in the position’s long-term sustainability.
“It ensures we have the workforce and training capacity aligned with where healthcare is increasingly being delivered, both inside and outside the hospital,” she said.
The addition comes as demand for residency training outpaces available positions nationally. Pharmacy residency slots are filled through a competitive national Match process, and UToledo consistently attracts more qualified applicants than it has positions to offer.
“Pharmacy residents expand our ability to provide direct patient care services,” Meinzer said. “Patients benefit from more comprehensive medication management, while providers gain an additional clinical resource to support high-quality care.”
