The Wilkes University / Weis Markets 12-month post-graduate year one (PGY-1) Community Pharmacy Residency Program is a comprehensive experience for Doctor of Pharmacy graduates to develop and implement patient care programs in a community pharmacy setting. The PGY1 Community-based Pharmacy Residency Conducted by Weis Markets in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania is accredited by American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in partnership with the American Pharmacists Association.
The residency aims to provide an optimal environment for the individual to grow both professionally and personally, and provides an environment rich with resources, role models, encouragement and guidance.
Residency Program Director
The Residency Team
Meet our 2022-23 Resident
Dr. Rachel DiPaolantonio - Wilkes/Weis PGY1 Community-based Residency
Interview with Director Nicole Pezzino
Program Details
5020 PA-873
Schnecksville, PA 18078
(610) 799-2413
Founded in 1933, Wilkes University is a private, independent institution located in historic Wilkes-Barre, PA, on the edge of the Pocono Mountains. It offers 46 majors, including master's and doctoral programs.
The Wilkes University/Weis Pharmacy PGY1 Community Residency Program is a 12-month training program that will develop the resident into an innovative community pharmacist practitioner with diverse experiences in patient care and leadership. The resident will have the opportunity to work in an interprofessional, collaborative environment in experiences in community pharmacies, outreach clinics, underserved practices and with our Pennsylvania Pharmacist Care Network. The resident will develop the skills, confidence and experience to catalyze change and advance patient care services in community pharmacy practice.
As a fully integrated member of the team at the residency site, you will:
- learn first-hand what works and what areas could be improved upon in a community pharmacy;
- partner with experienced practitioners to initiate new programs and expand and enhance existing services; and
- provide fresh perspectives and insights for the site staff.
| Core competencies | Percent of Time |
|---|---|
|
R1: Direct Patient Care
|
69%
|
|
R2: Leadership and Management
|
11%
|
|
R3: Advancement of Community-based Practice and Improving Patient Care
|
11% |
|
R4: Teaching, Education, and Dissemination of Knowledge
|
10% |
Please review the manual below for more information on the Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program.
The Wilkes University School of Pharmacy is pleased to offer programming for pharmacy preceptors and residents which is designed to develop and expand their clinical precepting skills. Previously called the “Pharmacy Resident Teaching and Learning Program,” the new Pharmacy Precepting and Learning Program is geared toward both pharmacists and pharmacy residents who have preceptor roles as part of their professional responsibilities. Continuing education programming will be a mix of lecture and hands‐on preceptor tool development.
Programming will be offered each month during the academic year, with sessions on topics such as:
- Rotation Planning
- Authentic assessment
- Facilitating small group discussions
- Conference & presentation skills
- Layered and near‐peer learning
- Formative, summative, & effective feedback
- Communication Strategies
- Information Mastery
General Information
Start date: June 27, 2023
Application requirements via PhORCAS by: Jan. 3, 2023
ASHP Website Directory external website
Contact Information
Nicole C. Pezzino, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES
Director, Community Outreach & Innovation
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Application Requirements
- Candidates for this residency must meet the following requirements:
- Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
- All residents must be eligible for pharmacist licensure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- Participate in the National Matching Service (NMS).
- Submit the standard application requirements via PhORCAS by January 3, 2023.
- Letter of intent, CV, transcripts, and 3 letters of recommendation are required to be submitted through PhORCAS.
- On-site interview is required.
ASHP Website Directory external website
Wilkes University/Weis Markets NMS Code: 278715
Contact Information
Program Director
Nicole C. Pezzino, PharmD, BCACP, CDE
Director, Community Outreach & Innovation
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Wilkes University, School of Pharmacy
84 W South Street | Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766
Office: Stark Learning Center 324
P: (570) 408-4260 | F: (570) 408-7729
Email: nicole.pezzino@wilkes.edu
Rachel DiPaolantonio, PharmD
Rachel grew up in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, only a few miles down the road from the main Weis Pharmacy residency site. Prior to beginning the community-based pharmacy residency at Wilkes University and Weis Markets she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island. While in pharmacy school she worked as a pharmacy intern at a local independent community pharmacy, Hartzell’s Pharmacy, where she was introduced to a variety of high-quality patient care services. She was active in several professional pharmacy organizations as well as Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed community service fraternity. Rachel is an avid traveler and opted to complete APPE rotations in five different states around the country in order to work with a wide range of patient populations. One of the highlights of her APPE rotations was when she obtained a CLIA waiver and developed the processes and procedures for another independent pharmacy to begin COVID testing in the midst of the pandemic. After pharmacy school, she brought these patient care experiences back to her own community to care for the patients in Pennsylvania. Her professional interests include providing advanced patient care services through the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Care Network (PPCN) payer programs, exploring leadership/management opportunities, participating in community outreach events and vaccine clinics, leading diabetes prevention and diabetes self-management education classes, and developing new patient care programs.
Residency Program Site Coordinator and Weis Pharmacy Manager
Residency Program Preceptor and Weis Pharmacist
- Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) is a non-profit, community-based organization that was developed to help meet the primary healthcare needs of the working uninsured population in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The program is designed to provide free primary and preventive health services for individuals who are employed but have no access to or cannot afford health insurance.
- Ambulatory Care Experience: The Pharmacy Clinic provides clinical services for management of chronic conditions including, but not limited, to: diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking cessation, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The resident will be able to provide patient-specific medication management services within an approved scope of practice, develop strong patient care skills in chronic ambulatory care disease states, and become an established part of the healthcare team.
ilitvak@wiesmarkets.com
Isabelle graduated from St. John's University College of Pharmacy in May 2021 with her PharmD degree. Originally from NJ, Isabelle moved to the Lehigh Valley to pursue the Wilkes University/Weis Markets residency and has stayed in the area to continue to support the learning experiences of the residency and as a Staff Pharmacist with Weis Pharmacy. In her free time you can find Isabelle reading a good novel, finding new food spots with friends, or lifting weights at the gym.
Sydney is from Oneida, Tennessee. Before coming to Pennsylvania to complete her community-based pharmacy residency at Wilkes University in partnership with Weis Markets, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and continued on to pursue her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in Memphis, Tennessee. While earning her PharmD, Sydney also pursued and earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Memphis. Her professional interests include leadership/management, mental health, substance use disorder, interprofessional collaboration, and program development. In her free time, Sydney enjoys being creative with nail art, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
- Litvak I, Pezzino NC. “Community Pharmacists’ Perceptions on their Role in Counseling Patients on Lifestyle Modifications”. PPA Foundation. $1,000. January 2022.
- Lovett S, Pezzino NC. “Evaluating Community Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Their Role in Caring for Mental Health Issues”. PPA Foundation. $1,000. January 2021.
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