In affiliation with Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy, the IWK Department of Pharmacy offers a 52-week post-graduate residency program that provides experiential training specifically focused on the development and refinement of skills required for clinical pharmacy practice.
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, our program offers the opportunity to gain all the practice competencies outlined by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board for a year one pharmacy practice residency but applied in the specific populations of women and children. We value patient- and family-centred care and aim to produce residents who practice with this philosophy at their core. Residents will have the opportunity to network with other residents from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including the opportunity to complete an elective rotation at a partner site.
- About IWK Pharmacy
- Accreditation status
- Eligibility criteria
- About Dalhousie programs
- Interviews
- Program overview
- Evaluation outcomes
- Residency application
About IWK Pharmacy
The mission of the Pharmacy Department is to provide leadership and expertise in medication use management. To achieve this mission, the department employs multiple pharmacy practice models:
- Team- and location-based pharmacists and/or clinical pharmacy specialists deployed to inpatient settings and oncology clinic.
- Specialized pharmacy services including Antimicrobial Stewardship, Drug Information, Drug Use Evaluation, Clinical Trials Support, Production and Packaging, and Sterile Products.
- Program-based services (e.g. performance improvement, medication safety, medication stewardship, antimicrobial stewardship, drug information, and support to health centre committees including Medication Management, Centre wide Patient Safety, Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, Sedation Committee, Infection Control Committee and IV Practice Committee, Program Operations).
- Dedicated clinical pharmacy services are provided in neonatology, emergency, hematology/oncology, nephrology, medical surgical neurosciences, pediatric medicine, women's health, pediatric intensive care, mental health & addictions, and children’s ambulatory care.
Accreditation status
IWK Health holds Accreditation with Exemplary Standing granted by Accreditation Canada in September 2019. The IWK Pharmacy Residency Program was granted a 4-year accreditation status by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB) in September 2020, following a delayed pending status due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IWK first registered as a program with CPRB in 2017, with first intake of a resident in June 2018. In the fall of 2019, after the first resident graduated the program, the IWK hosted its on-site surveyors.
Program Coordinator:
Melanie MacInnis, BSc(Pharm), PharmD
902-470-2724 (office)
Melanie.macinnis@iwk.nshealth.ca
Program Director:
Katie Hollis, BScPhm, MHA
902-470-8055 (office)
katie.hollis@iwk.nshealth.ca
Dalhousie Regional Residency Coordinator:
Harriet Davies, BSc(Pharm), CDE, M.Ed.
Tel: 902-494-3464
harriet.davies@dal.ca
Eligibility criteria
Applicant must be a licensed pharmacist or in their final year of their entry to practice pharmacy degree. Additionally, the applicant must be legally entitled to work in Canada. See complete eligibility criteria.
About Dalhousie programs
For more information about Dalhousie University and the College of Pharmacy, please visit their website.
Interviews
The IWK will contact only those applicants who have been selected for an interview. Virtual interviews occur mid November.
Program overview
- Established in 2018
- 1 resident position annually
- Application process via the national PRAMS system (Pharmacy Residency Application Matching Service)
- Program is 52 weeks long, beginning in June
- Estimated stipend ~ $34,000 per year plus benefits
- Two weeks paid vacation
Required Rotations
- Medication Management (4 weeks)
- Orientation to Clinical Pharmacy Practice (2 weeks)
- Research (8-10 weeks)
- Teaching (longitudinal)
- Leadership (4 weeks, longitudinal)
Selective Rotations (choose 6 of 7)
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Drug Information (4 weeks)
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Adolescent Mental Health (4 weeks)
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Adult (gynecological and breast) Surgery (4 weeks)
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Obstetrics (4 weeks)
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Neonatal Intensive Care (4 weeks)
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Pediatric Medicine (4 weeks)
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Infectious Disease (4 weeks)
Elective Rotations (3-4 weeks)
- Adult Medicine (strongly suggested, occurs at an affiliated Dalhousie location)
- Nephrology/Hematology
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Poison Centre/Toxicology
- Pediatric/Oncology
- Pediatric Ambulatory Clinic
Evaluation outcomes
The IWK Pharmacy Practice Residency Program is focused on the development of the following ability-based outcomes in its residents:
- Provide evidence-based patient care as a member of inter-professional teams
- Manage and improve medication-use systems
- Exercise leadership
- Exhibit ability to manage one’s own practice of pharmacy
- Provide medication- and practice-related education
- Demonstrate project management skills
Residency application
The IWK pharmacy residency program uses the Pharmacy Residency Application and Matching System (PRAMS), hosted by the CPRB. Information regarding the process, deadlines, and fees are available here.
In addition to the standard application, the IWK also requests a cover letter to accompany the application indicating why you chose to apply to the IWK.