POTSDAM -- Canton-Potsdam Hospital has accepted Regina C. Young as the first participant in its post-graduate pharmacy residency program.

Young began her residency July 1.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital is the first hospital in St. Lawrence County to launch a pharmacy residency program, according to its parent company, St. Lawrence Health System.

“Residency training prepares today’s pharmacists for the complexities of tomorrow’s patients,” said program director Jay A. Delisle.

The 12-month program pairs residents with an experienced preceptor, who acts as a mentor and instructor. The resident is expected to acquire skills in a variety of practice areas typical of hospital environments, such as chemotherapy infusion suites, the emergency room, critical care, and the drug and alcohol detoxification inpatient unit. Pharmacy residents are also expected to possess a skill set that includes patient safety, ethical considerations, and the regulatory environment governing the use of drugs for diagnosis and treatment in hospitals, CPH said.

Young received her doctor of pharmacy degree with a concentration in nephrology from the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS). The American Pharmacists Association certifies her in pharmacy-based immunization delivery and medication therapy management services.

Young gained international pharmacy practice experience as part of a Military Pharmacy International Elective with the United States Air Force Base Pharmacy in Aviano, Italy. She is a Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society member (top 20% of class) and volunteered in a primary care clinic in Albany, meeting the needs of underserved patients in the Capitol region.

She is a member of APhA and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.