UPMC St. Margaret PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program

The PGY1 pharmacy residency programs builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training.

Mission

The purpose of the residency is to train highly motivated, team-oriented pharmacy residents on advanced patient medication management skills, teaching techniques, and practice-based research methods, preparing them to be leaders of change in the medical/academic community.

About Our Program

Residents at UPMC St. Margaret also complete a two-year Faculty Development Fellowship. This program is a longitudinal curriculum in which family medicine physicians and pharmacy residents collaboratively learn teaching strategies, leadership, mentorship, and research design.

In addition to the core faculty at UPMC St. Margaret, fellowship sessions are led by local experts in communication and teaching design from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, along with national figures in health system advocacy and leadership. Additionally, as part of the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy Residency Program, residents at UPMC St. Margaret participate in resident group seminars with pharmacy residents in other training programs.

They have numerous opportunities to give formal and informal presentations to health care professionals, precept pharmacy students, and teach at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. View more details.

Required Learning Experiences and Deliverables

Clinical Weekend Staffing – Required.
Critical Care  – Required.
Faculty Development Fellowship – Required.
Global Health – Elective.
Infectious Diseases – Required.
Inpatient Cardiology  – Elective.
Inpatient Medicine - Family Medicine  – Required.
Inpatient Medicine - Geriatrics – Required.
Inpatient Pharmacy Orientation – Required.
Faculty Development Summer Series – Required.
Inpatient Psychiatry – Elective.
Inpatient Staffing – Required.
Emergency Medicine – Required.
Practice Management – Required.
Oncology – Elective.
Outpatient Cardiology – Elective.
Outpatient Family Medicine – Required.
Outpatient Geriatrics – Required.
Outpatient Psychiatry – Elective.
Palliative Care – Elective.
Transition to PGY2 Practice Site – Required.
Transplant UPMC Presby – Elective.
Coach/Advisor Meetings – Required.
Research Project – Required.

Requirements for Program Completion

Copy of Updated Curriculum Vitae as of May 30.
Submit a resident portfolio, including a breakdown of and examples of clinical, teaching, and research efforts throughout the academic year.
Research project (copy of protocol, IRB/AI documents, data, analysis).
Develop a drug class review, monograph, treatment guideline, or protocol.
Participate in medication use evaluation (presentation to local Clinical Operations meeting, implementation of next steps).
Manuscript completed and provided to Residency Program Director by June 30 with the hope to submit to a peer-reviewed journal.
Create a poster pertaining to research project.
Research project presentation (at least two).
Complete all tasks associated with Learning experiences and residency documentation in PharmAcademic.
Complete one presentation at a regional or national conference.
Achieve objective benchmarks set for residency progression (Q1= 0 to 25%; Q2 26 to 50%; Q3 51 to 75%; Q4 80 to 100%).
Achieve 80% of all residency goals and objectives by the end of the residency year.

People (RPDs, Residency Program Coordinators, Preceptor)

Residents

Current Residents

Emily Birmingham, PharmD
Keri Courtnage, PharmD
Rebekah Cox, PharmD
Selina Lin, PharmD
Alex Mannino, PharmD

Former Residents and First Positions

2025 Residents
- Madeline Dillen, PharmD, BCPS- Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, MetroHealth
- Jason Fine, PharmD, BCPS- Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist, Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV
- Eva Stachler, PharmD, BCPS- Clinical Pharmacist (inpatient family medicine) and Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
- Madeline Stanko, PharmD- Family Medicine Clinical Pharmacist, UPMC
- Alexa Wardoclip, PharmD, BCPS- Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Allegheny Health Network
2024 Residents
- Madison Abbs, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network
- Elisabeth Marker, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Primary Care, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center- Beaverton Wellness Center
- Drake Meaney, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Primary Care, Great Lakes Integrated Network, New York
- Abigail Reigh, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Palliative Care, Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute
- Taylor Thompson, PharmD, MBA, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Clinical Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy
2023 Residents
- Grace Kim, PharmD - Clinical Pharmacist, Internal Medicine, Luminant Health, Maryland
- Habib Rahman, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Primary Care, Great Lakes Integrated Network, New York
- Joe Rizkalla, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Family Medicine, UPMC Department of Family Medicine, Pennsylvania
- Lauren Sittard, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Rheumatology, Yale New Haven Health
- Arianna Sprando, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Ambulatory Care, Allegheny Health Network, Pennsylvania
2022 Residents
- William Beathard, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Ambulatory Care and Geriatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
- Lauren Della Grotta, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Transitions of Care and Emergency Medicine, St. Clair Hospital, Pittsburgh
- Alicia Faggioli, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Primary Care, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
- Courtney Simpkins, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, Specialty Pharmacy, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Kentucky
- Alexandria Taylor, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Inpatient Family Medicine, UPMC St. Margaret, Pennsylvania
2020 Residents
- Sam DeMarco, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Pain Medicine, University of Maryland St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Maryland
- Kristel Chatellier, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist, Internal Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island
- Amisha Mehta, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Assistant Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist, Morristown Medical Center, New Jersey
- Nolan Schmitz, PharmD, BCPS - Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacist, Primary Care, The University of Kansas Health System, Kansas
- Cassidy Williams, PharmD, BCPS - Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Primary Care, St. Tammany Health System, Louisiana

Application Process

Employment Information and Benefits

Recent Resident Publications

Molnar C, Stiteler C, Stachler E, Taylor A. In patients with hyperkalemia, does discontinuing a RAAS inhibitor have a clinical benefit?. Evidence-Based Practice 28(8):p 26-27, August 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/EBP.0000000000002426

Molnar C, Stanko M. Ensifentrine (Ohtuvayre™). Allegheny County Medical Society. June 2025.

Lee S, Stachler EA, Sakely H. Materia Medica: Epinephrine Nasal Spray (Neffy). Alleghany County Medical Society. 2025;16-17.

Fine J, Sakely H, Thompson T. Sotagliflozin, That Don’t INPEFA™ Me Much – Materia Medica. Allegheny County Medical Society Bulletin. 2025 Mar;115(3)20-21

Dillen M, Fine J, Koenig M. Do Patients With Hypercholesteremia Experience CV Mortality Benefit With PCSK9i Monotherapy As Compared to Statin Therapy? Family Physician Inquiry Network, HelpDesk Answers. 2025 Mar;28(1)28-29

Hess D, Fasth L, Stanko M, Fine J, Koenig M. In hospitalized adult patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, does continuing home metformin improve outcomes compared to hold it? Family Physicians Inquiries Network. Evidence-Based Practice. Accepted for publication December 2024.

Stanko M, Zimmerman H, Meaney D, DiPlacido A. Does the use of post-exposure prophylaxis with doxycycline decrease rates of STI in men who have sex with men compared to treatment on as-needed basis? Family Physicians Inquiries Network. Evidence-Based Practice in Vol. 27, No. 12, December 2024.

Stachler E, Reigh A, Taylor A, Haugh A. Do patients with moderate-to-severe dementia experience less cognitive decline on memantine monotherapy than patients on both memantine and donepezil?. Evidence-Based Practice ():10.1097/EBP.0000000000002280, November 15, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/EBP.0000000000002280

Stanko M, Meaney D. Bexagliflozin (Brenzavvy™). Allegheny County Medical Society. July 2024.

Stachler EA, Marker E, Sakely H. Materia Medica: Lecanemab-irmb (Leqembi). Alleghany County Medical Society. 2024;20-21.

Stachler EA. Letter to the editor. The Senior Care Pharmacist. 2023;38(10):399

Rahman H, Rizkalla J, Taylor A, Haugh A, Frazier W. In patients presenting with cocaine-associated chest pain, does the use of beta-blockers compared with non-beta-blocker agents cause an increased risk of death? Evidence-Based Practice. 2023;26(8):28-29. doi: 10.1097/EBP.0000000000001791

Abbs, Madison, Taylor AM. DRESS Head to Toe: Patient Case of Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms. AmbCare Connect. The official blog of the ACCP Ambulatory Care PRN. June 2023.

Taylor AM, Williams CB, Stem LA. Are direct oral anticoagulants as safe and effective as warfarin in patients with class III obesity and atrial fibrillation? Evidence-Based Practice. 2022;25(7):30-31. doi:10.1097/EBP.0000000000001588

Taylor A, Zerfas I, Le C, D'Amico F, Heath FR, Baumgartner M. Treatment of Acute Bronchitis and its Impact on Return Emergency Department Visits. J Emerg Med. 2022;63(1):10-16.

Beathard WA, Pickering A, Jacobs M. Myroides cellulitis and bacteremia: A case report. IDCases. 2021;24:e01061. Published 2021 Mar 10.

Taylor AM, Hogan L. Incorporating Pharmacists into the Primary Care Team. J Prim Care Community Health. 2020;11:2150132720958539.