EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION AND DUTY HOURS OF PHARMACY RESIDENTS

To advocate that pharmacy residents should be classified as exempt employees; further,

To advocate that pharmacy residents be subject to duty hour limits (similar to resident physicians) with respect to all clinical and academic activities during their training program in accordance with the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) standards and ASHP accreditation standards for pharmacy residency programs.

Rationale

In some states, pharmacy residents are classified as non-exempt employees (eligible for overtime pay) in accordance with guidance from state employment offices. ASHP believes that there is an important job classification distinction between pharmacists employed by a hospital or health system and pharmacy residents who are part of an organization’s residency program. Specifically, pharmacy residents are in an organized, directed, and accredited postgraduate training program that builds upon knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities gained from an accredited professional pharmacy-degree program. Pharmacy residents receive a salary and are subject to the same duty hours as physicians. Classifying pharmacy residents as non-exempt employees is overly burdensome and counterproductive to the residency experience and the objectives of the training program. Moreover, such misclassification could inhibit the development of an important component of the pharmacy workforce at a time of increased demand for pharmacist services as health care reform is implemented.