PGY1 Pharmacy Los Angeles, California

The Pharmacy Residency Program at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (KP LAMC) was established in 1977, making it the longest-standing pharmacy residency program within the Kaiser Permanente system. As a tertiary and quaternary referral center for Southern California, KP LAMC serves as a major academic teaching institution for physician residents, fellows, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. The medical center delivers comprehensive care to more than 330,000 Kaiser Permanente members across a diverse and dynamic patient population. LAMC is comprised of a 560-bed hospital, 6 medical office buildings (East Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Glendale, Glendale/Orange, Hollywood/Romaine, Pasadena), 7 outpatient pharmacies, and a mental health facility in Downtown Los Angeles.

The purpose of the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is to build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 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 PGY2 pharmacy residency training.

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Pharmacy Services

The Department of Pharmacy is comprised of approximately 370 pharmacy professionals practicing across four integrated service lines: Clinical Pharmacy, Inpatient Pharmacy, Outpatient Pharmacy, and Home Infusion Services. Pharmacists practice at the top of their licenses and serve as essential members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based patient care.

The Clinical Pharmacy Department encompasses three major practice areas: Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Drug Use Management, and Mental Health Pharmacy Services. Through collaborative practice agreements, ambulatory care pharmacists function as advanced clinical practitioners with authority to perform patient assessments, order and interpret laboratory tests, initiate and adjust medication therapy, and provide comprehensive disease-state management. Pharmacists independently manage patients across a wide range of specialty clinics, including: asthma, cardiovascular disease management, congestive heart failure, geriatrics, adult and pediatric oncology, gynecologic oncology, investigational drug services and clinical trials, nephrology, HIV care, pain management, psychiatry, Medication Therapy Management (MTM), and new member pharmacy services. KP LAMC also serves as the Southern California regional hub for transplant pharmacy services and cystic fibrosis management, providing our ambulatory care pharmacists with the ability to serve highly specialized patient populations and complex pharmacotherapeutic care. Mental Health Pharmacy Services further distinguish KP LAMC as home to the only specialized psychiatric pharmacist program within Kaiser Permanente Southern California that supports patients hospitalized for acute psychiatric conditions. These pharmacists collaborate closely with psychiatrists and interdisciplinary teams to optimize medication therapy and improve outcomes for a vulnerable patient population.

The Inpatient Pharmacy Department supports a 560-bed tertiary academic medical center that serves as a major referral destination for Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout Southern California. Approximately 65% of hospital admissions originate from transfers and referrals for highly specialized services, underscoring the institution’s role as a regional center of excellence. Patients are referred to KP LAMC for advanced care in areas such as: cardiovascular medicine and surgery, neurosciences, oncology, transplant-related care, complex critical care services, and advanced neurologic and cerebrovascular interventions. As a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, KP LAMC provides leading-edge treatment for patients with acute stroke and other complex neurological conditions. The inpatient pharmacy operates continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, supporting a broad range of clinical services from general medicine and surgery to highly specialized critical care environments. There are a number of clinical pharmacy specialist roles including, antimicrobial stewardship, intensive care unit, coronary care unit, emergency department, neonatal ICU, pediatrics ICU, and oncology services where pharmacists can work alongside a multidisciplinary team and offer expertise.

The Home Infusion Pharmacy provides specialized outpatient pharmacy services designed to facilitate safe and effective transitions of care from the hospital to the home setting. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians coordinate the preparation and delivery of sterile compounded therapies, including total parenteral nutrition (TPN), intravenous antibiotics, hydration therapies, and other specialized infusion medications. The Home Infusion team also plays an integral role in Kaiser Permanente’s Acute Medical Care at Home (AMCAH) program, an innovative care delivery model that enables eligible patients to receive hospital-level medical treatment in the comfort of their homes. This service is an emerging healthcare model focused on improving patient experience, reducing hospital utilization, and supporting high-quality care outside traditional inpatient settings.

Outpatient Pharmacy Services provide comprehensive prescription care to Kaiser Permanente members throughout the Los Angeles service area. KP LAMC currently operates eight outpatient pharmacies across its local campuses, complemented by an integrated home delivery program that offers convenient medication access directly to members’ homes. Pharmacists utilize a highly integrated electronic health record and pharmacy information management system that provides seamless access to prescription and clinical data throughout the Southern California Kaiser Permanente network. This technology supports comprehensive medication management activities, including drug-interaction monitoring, medication adherence initiatives, medication safety surveillance, and other clinical interventions. The integration of clinical and dispensing services enables pharmacists to provide proactive, patient-centered care while contributing to improved medication outcomes across a large and diverse healthcare population.

The combination of a long-standing residency tradition, advanced pharmacist scope of practice, academic teaching environment, regional referral center status, and exposure to highly specialized clinical services makes Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center a distinctive and rewarding training site. Residents benefit from a diverse range of experiences spanning ambulatory care, acute care, specialty pharmacy, home infusion, population health, and interdisciplinary collaborative practice, preparing them to become innovative leaders in contemporary pharmacy practice.

Los Angeles At A Glance

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Learning Experiences

Required Learning Experiences

• Acute Care
• Administration
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Home Infusion
• Hospital Practice
• Orientation
• Outpatient Oncology Services
• Outpatient Pharmacy and Drug Use Management
• Primary Care

* Required learning experiences may be extended as electives

Required Longitudinal Learning Experiences

• Emerging Therapeutics Medication Use Evaluation
• Health Systems
• Leadership Development
• Lunch and Learn
• Western States Conference Research

Elective Learning Experiences

• Congestive Heart Failure
• Drug Information
• Infectious Diseases: HIV
• Mental Health
• Nephrology
• Outpatient Pharmacy
• Pediatric Asthma/Oncology
• Transplant

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Requirements for Acceptance

• Must be licensed as an Intern Pharmacist in the state of California by the first day of residency program.
• Resident must be a licensed California pharmacist within 120 days from the program start date. Residents who are not licensed as a pharmacist within 120 days from the program start date will have their term of appointment extended by the number of days the resident is without licensure past the 120-day deadline up to a maximum of 45 days. Failure to obtain a California state pharmacist license within 165 days from the program start date will result in the resident being dismissed from the program and employment will be terminated.
• To be eligible for pharmacist licensure, candidates must be graduates or candidates for graduation from an ACPE accredited degree program (or one in the process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the NABP.
• For more information regarding licensing in California, please visit www.pharmacy.ca.gov
• Certifications (If applicable): BLS, ACLS
• Candidates must be registered in the National Matching Services, Inc. (NMS).
• Candidates must participate in the ASHP Matching Program.
• Program NMS Code: 130413 and ASHP Program Code: 92140

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Application Requirements

• Statement of Interest/Letter of Intent
• Curriculum Vitae
• Official Pharmacy School transcripts, sent directly from the applicant’s college or school of pharmacy
• 3 letters of references/recommendations utilizing the form in PhORCAS
• Application Deadline: January 2, 2027

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Interview Details

• • Interviews: January-February 2026 (Exact Dates and Times TBD)
    • In Person Open House: December 2, 2026 – 3p.m. – 5p.m. (PST)
    • If you are interested in attending, please contact our residents:
    • Chantal Kasbarian (Margaret.C.Kasbarian@kp.org)
    • Lilit Mikayelyan (Lilit.X.Mikayelyan@kp.org)
  • Click here to link to the Virtual Information Session: 
    • November 16, 2026 – 11a.m. – 12p.m. PST

**This residency agrees that no person at this residency will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any residency applicant**

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