Pharmacy Residency Program

Program overview

Northern Health strives to provide exceptional health services and to lead the way in promoting health and providing health services for Northern and rural populations. We encourage you to consider Northern Health for your residency and to become a part of the Northern way of caring.

Number of positions: 3
Home site: University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George
Duration: 52 weeks, starting in June of each year
Established in: 2003
Stipend: Reassessed Annually – contact coordinator for more information
Vacation: 10 days
Benefits: Extended health, dental and group life

Program coordinator: Aleisha Enemark
Phone: 250-565-2014
Email: Aleisha.Enemark@northernhealth.ca

Information for prospective residents

Program description

The Northern Health Pharmacy Residency program is a paid 52 week experiential learning program running from June to June each year. The program is affiliated with UBC and collaborates with the other Pharmacy Residency Programs in BC. A pharmacy residency is a one-year post-baccalaureate program which is accredited by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board. The Northern Health program is fully accredited and residents who complete the program receive their ACPR designation.

Purpose of the Northern Health pharmacy residency:

Pharmacists completing this residency will be competent and independent practitioners of pharmaceutical care in diverse patient populations. They will be accountable for achieving optimal drug therapy outcomes as members of the health care team. These pharmacists will exercise skill in educating other health care professionals, patients, and the community on drug-related topics. They will demonstrate professional maturity by developing a personal philosophy of practice, monitoring their own performance, exhibiting commitment to the profession, and exercising leadership in improving the safety of the medication-use system.

Residents will demonstrate competence in:

  • Providing direct patient care as a member of the interprofessional team
  • Managing and improving medication use systems
  • Exercising leadership
  • Exhibiting ability to manage one’s own practice of pharmacy
  • Providing medication and practice related education
  • Demonstrating project management skills
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Requirements

Admission requirements:

  • Graduates of any Canadian pharmacy school
  • Graduates of foreign pharmacy schools must be a registrant of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada
  • Registration with the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia

Completion requirements:

  • Residents will be awarded a Pharmacy Practice Residency graduation certificate and designated an Accredited Canadian Pharmacy Resident (ACPR) after the successful completion of all expectations of the program.
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Curriculum
Rotation: Required or Elective: Duration: Location: Format: Description:
Operations Required 2 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Exposure Residents will be orientated to the drug distribution process.
Leadership Required 2 weeks Prince George Exposure Residents will gain an appreciation of administrative practices and policies.
Pharmaceutical Care Required 2 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will be orientated to the pharmaceutical care process and the resources, policies and processes specific to Northern Health.
Clinical Teaching Unit (Medicine) Required 5 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide direct patient care to patients of the Clinical Teaching Unit. Residents will also provide teaching to medical students and residents.
Medication Use Management Required 2 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Non Direct patient care Residents will gain an appreciation of medication use management practices and policies.
Student Preceptorship (Medicine) Required 5 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide direct patient care to patients while acting as a preceptor to a 4th year pharmacy student. Residents will be working within the tiered precepting model.
Evidence Based Medicine Required 1 week UBC, Vancouver Didactic and case based learning Residents will develop skills in literature appraisal.
Capstone Required 2 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care This rotation is designed to transition residents from being learners to being the primary pharmaceutical care provider on an acute care ward.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients while prompting the optimization of antimicrobial therapy.
Surgery Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients undergoing general, orthopedic, gynelogical and urological surgeries while working closely with other members of the interprofessional team. Sample topics commonly covered on this rotation include pain control, anticoagulation, total parenteral nutrition, antibiotic prophylaxis and medical management of the surgical patient.
Nephrology Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (ambulatory) Residents will provide care to patients in the Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis Clinics. Sample topics commonly covered on this rotation include dialysis, medication reconciliation, bone mineral metabolism, anemia and antibiotic administration.
Rural Practice Elective 4 weeks Various Sites Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients and provide distribution services at a rural site. Sample topics commonly covered on this rotation included medication safety, chemo-therapy preparation, geriatrics and general medicine.
HIV Outreach and Substance Use Disorder Elective 4 weeks Prince George Direct patient care (ambulatory) Residents will provide care to patients with HIV in the community. As well was interface with patients requiring treatment for substance use disorder.
Critical Care Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients in the Intensive Care Unit while working closely with members of the interprofessional team. Sample topics commonly covered on the rotation include pain/agitation/delirium management, vasopressors and inotropes.
Emergency Medicine Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients in the Emergency Department while working in an interprofessional team. Sample topics include trauma management, cardiac arrest management.
Primary Care Elective 4 weeks Prince George, Dawson Creek and Fort St. John Direct patient care (ambulatory) Residents will provide care in a multidisciplinary primary care clinic.
Pediatrics Elective 4 weeks Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care in the specialty areas of pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, pediatric chemotherapy and maternity in collaboration with the pediatric clinical teaching unit, staff pediatricians and visiting specialists.
Psychiatry Elective 4 weeks UHNBC, Prince George Direct patient care (acute) Residents will provide care to patients on the psychiatry service and will participate in medication teaching.
Toxicology Elective 1 week Drug and Poison Information Centre, Vancouver Didactic and case based learning Residents will gain an appreciation of the assessment and treatment of the poisoned patient.
Academic Teaching Elective 2 weeks UBC, Vancouver Teaching Residents will gain experience with adult learning and teaching in an academic setting and become familiar with different curriculum and pedagogical practices.
Academic Detailing Elective 1 week Terrace Detailing Residents will translate evidence-informed medical information into clinically relevant knowledge that can be used to optimize prescribing patterns by participating in small group teaching sessions to health care providers.
Research Project Required 6 weeks Prince George Research Residents will complete a research project including a poster and oral presentation. Topics will be chosen by the residents.

Additional activities:

  • Attend a major conference
  • BC Wide Case Presentation
  • Residency Research Day
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Compensation

Residents are provided with a competitive salary and travel allowance. Residents have the option of signing the Residency Training Agreement committing to one year of service following their residency year.

Final compensation is dependent on sign the Residency Training Agreement on acceptance to the residency program and ranges from approximately $36,000 to $58,000.

For more details please contact the Residency Program Coordinator.

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Application process

Coordinated by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP)

  • All applicants are required to use the Pharmacy Residency Application and Matching Service

Please see the UBC website for additional details related to the application process.

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Interviews

When: Early December
Where: University of British Columbia, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Vancouver
Applicants will be contacted by UBC staff for an interview
Applicants will be offered an in-person interview in Vancouver or a virtual interview

Please contact the Northern Health Residency Coordinator with questions

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Sites and locations
  • University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC), Prince George
  • Bulkley Valley District Hospital, Smithers
  • Dawson Creek and District Hospital, Dawson Creek
  • GR Baker Memorial Hospital, Quesnel
  • Fort St. John Hospital, Fort St. John
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Our staff

Residency program coordinator: Aleisha Enemark
Phone: 250-565-2014
Email: Aleisha.Enemark@northernhealth.ca

The Program Coordinator plans and coordinates the Residency Program. The Coordinator provides support and guidance to the residents and preceptors and ensures continuous quality improvement of the program.

Residency program director: Dr. Dana Cole
Phone: 250-649-7577
Email: Dana.Cole@northernhealth.ca

The Residency Program Director is responsible for the administrative organization of the residency program and provides support to the coordinator, preceptors and residents.

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Past residents
  • 2022-2023 – Amy Jradi, Gordon Ling, Vivian Phan
  • 2021-2022 – Cheuk Wai Tara Luk, Serena Quan
  • 2020-2021 – Karan Dewan, Shelby McGraw
  • 2019-2020 – Jordan Lewis, Megan Hanson
  • 2018-2019 – Jessica Manning, Jessie McIntosh
  • 2017-2018 – Kyle Costa, Benjamin Wou
  • 2016-2017 – Barret Barr
  • 2015-2016 – Ryan Doerksen, Nicholas House
  • 2014-2015 – Sara Cassidy, Cindy Yuen
  • 2013-2014 – Kendra Southwood, Katie Shovar
  • 2012-2013 – Catherine Cheung, Janise Fehr
  • 2011-2012 – Alicia Ridgewell, Jacyln Wakita
  • 2010-2011 – Celia Culley, Ryan LeBlanc
  • 2009-2010 – Jennifer Day
  • 2008-2009 – Aleisha Thornhill, Curt Fowkes
  • 2007-2008 – Erika Maher
  • 2006-2007 – Amanda Shea
  • 2005-2006 – Jennifer Gillcash
  • 2004-2005 – Jennifer Hawkes
  • 2003-2004 – Melissa Lo
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