Community-Based Residency

Kroger Health is the healthcare arm of the Kroger Co., operating over 2,000 pharmacies and 221 retail-based clinics across the United States. Kroger Health has been recognized for its ongoing commitment to accelerating clinical services and was the first large community chain pharmacy to receive NABP Community accreditation. The resident will be a part of the Kroger Louisville Division. The Louisville Division has over 150 pharmacies in the Louisville and Lexington area. The resident is based at Kroger in Lexington, Kentucky, a unique practice setting located approximately 15 minutes from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. This community pharmacy location features a separate patient care area, distinct from the dispensing pharmacy. It serves as a focal point for patient care services for 22 stores located in Central Kentucky.

Kroger Health offers more than just patient-centered prescription needs. Personalized health services include health screenings, point-of-care testing, vaccines, medication management and optimization, as well as disease management and education. Select pharmacy locations also offer specialized services, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), transition of care services and advanced professional services, as allowed by state scope of practice.

Residents at the Kroger Lexington site will be able to precept and teach student pharmacists on their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations. The advantages of working with Kroger Pharmacy include the opportunity to implement programs throughout the entire marketing area and the potential to influence pharmacy practice in the community pharmacy setting. The resident will have the opportunity to create and provide continuing education for area pharmacists, serving as a resource for drug information to medical professionals and patients. The 150+ pharmacies and over 570 pharmacists in the Louisville Division provide a large patient population and a substantial number of pharmacists for collecting data for research projects.

The site coordinator and Patient Care Specialist is Jenny Bryant, Pharm.D., who has extensive experience working with student pharmacists, including introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Other preceptors include Kelsie Skaggs, PharmD, BCACP, at Bluegrass Community Health Center.

PrimaryPlus is a group of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) serving northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. The goal of PrimaryPlus is to provide advanced, affordable healthcare and to connect as many pieces of the healthcare puzzle as possible. The resident’s primary practice site is at the pharmacy in the PrimaryPlus Clinic in Morehead, KY.

The resident will work in a unique environment, given that all PrimaryPlus outpatient pharmacies are embedded within each clinic. All PrimaryPlus pharmacists work closely with our providers to optimize patient medications and partner with case managers and community health workers (CHWs) to ensure that each patient’s needs are met.

Residents will have the opportunity to serve patients with advanced patient care services while developing skills in interprofessional collaboration (including medical residents), medication synchronization, and resource utilization/medical billing.

In addition to on-site pharmacies, the resident will gain experience as part of the clinical pharmacy team. PrimaryPlus has developed robust clinical programs to address the needs of our patients, specifically in rural and medically underserved areas. In addition to medication therapy management (MTM), immunizations, and adherence services, pharmacists run the remote patient monitoring program, which utilizes collaborative protocols to manage patients with hypertension and diabetes in between primary care appointments. 

Both the Morehead and Flemingsburg locations offer compliance packaging optimization technology to help patients manage their medication regimens. Residents will have the opportunity to work with several clinics affiliated with PrimaryPlus to manage patients across the continuum of care. Residents will also be able to precept and teach student pharmacists on their Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations.

The site coordinator is Blair Lykins, PharmD, MBA, CDCES, who also serves as the Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services. Other preceptors at the site include Ryan Cooper, PharmD, at the Morehead location.

St. Matthews Community & Specialty Pharmacy is a truly innovative community pharmacy with a focus on individualized medicine. The resident’s primary practice site is located at the pharmacy in the heart of St. Matthews, Louisville, KY.

The St. Matthews residency site enables residents to participate in a wide range of direct patient care programs focused on chronic health conditions, including specialty pharmacy services that prioritize the health and well-being of individuals.

The resident will participate in advanced pharmacy services, including medication therapy management (MTM), immunization services, compounding, and a pharmacist-managed program for substance use disorder. St. Matthews Pharmacy was the first pharmacy in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to establish an opioid-use disorder clinic within its community pharmacy. They will continue to add programs that allow them to practice at the top of their license while meeting the needs of the community they serve.

The resident will have the opportunity to develop management skills and knowledge in operating an independent and specialty community pharmacy.

Residents who complete a residency at St. Matthews will also be eligible to participate in various clinic-based patient care activities. In addition to working at the primary practice site, residents work with several clinics affiliated with St. Matthews to manage patients across the continuum of care. Residents will also be able to precept and teach student pharmacists on their Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations.

The site coordinator is Kim Caudill, PharmD, at St. Matthews Pharmacy. Other preceptors at the site include Chris Killmeier, PharmD, Joe Wright, PharmD, and Melynda Kromsky, PharmD.  

Applications will be received through PhORCAS. Applications will be accepted through PhORCAS. Please note that the University of Kentucky Community Pharmacy Residency Program is considered one program with multiple sites. Although each site has its unique National Matching Service (NMS) code, applicants can apply to any or all sites and will only be counted as one application (with one application fee) in PhORCAS.​ 

If a student wishes to apply to multiple residency sites within the program, they should email the Residency Program Director before the application deadline, indicating which program(s)/NMS code(s) they have applied to and which site(s) they are interested in.

• Kroger-Lexington NMS #144515
• PrimaryPlus-Morehead NMS #144522
• St. Matthews Community/Specialty Pharmacy/Louisville NMS #144521

In addition to PhORCAS requirements for application, the UK Community Pharmacy Residency Program application requires a response to a supplemental short answer statement.

• Describe a significant current event (e.g., an advocacy initiative, new legislation, large collaborative efforts involving health initiatives or partnerships, etc.) at the local, state, or national level that impacted or has the ability to impact the advancement of pharmacy practice.

Recommendations should be completed by an employer, a preceptor, and a faculty member. If the applicant cannot obtain references from an employer, please choose another preceptor from an ambulatory/community Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience.

An on-site interview will be required.  Interviews will be conducted beginning the last two weeks of January through the end of February.

Information about Kentucky Pharmacist Licensure, including exam components and requirements, can be obtained at http://pharmacy.ky.gov/ or by calling 502-564-7910.