Western Health

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Western Health is the major healthcare provider to one of the fastest growing and most diverse regions of Australia. The catchment population is nearing 900,000 and the birth rate and movement into this region means that strong growth will continue in the years ahead.

Western Health is in a period of rapid growth. Our services comprise of four acute public hospitals: Footscray Hospital, Sunshine Hospital (including Joan Kirner Women's and Children's), Williamstown Hospital and Bacchus Marsh & Melton Hospital. We also operate Sunbury Day Hospital, Hazeldean, Grant Lodge Residential Aged Care, as well as community health centres in Melton, Caroline Springs and Bacchus Marsh and a range of community-based services. We care for a diverse community of more than 1 million people with complex care needs ranging from Neonates to Geriatrics.

Focusing on achieving excellence in teaching and research and providing an extensive range of clinical services, Western Health is fast becoming known as a vibrant, progressive organisation. Western Health is committed to providing high quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research.

The health service encourages innovations in patient care, staff professional development and research activities. Our clinicians, nurses and allied health professionals are involved in a diverse range of activities that have received recognition at a local, national and international level. Western Health has links with The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and Victoria University of Technology.

Intern program information

About the hospital’s pharmacy intern program information - CLICK HERE

Seven intern positions are available in 2024 (five government-funded, plus two hospital-funded).

The Pharmacy Interns at Western Health start in the first week of January and required to have provisional registration. The 7 interns rotate between Footscray and Sunshine campuses gaining exposure to different environments and staff. The interns partake in rotations across a variety of clinical (medical and surgical), manufacturing and dispensary areas.

Interns are also included on our weekend roster (1 shift every 7 weeks) which contribute to the total number of supervised practice hours. Interns are expected to develop their skillset, such that by the end of the program they meet the national entry level pharmacist competencies.

As the year progresses, interns will be given a larger patient load to self-manage while still under pharmacist supervision. Throughout the program, interns are provided supervision by experienced pharmacists during all rotations while developing an appropriate level of competencies and responsibilities as outlined in our in-house competency framework.

Weekly tutorials cover a range of clinical, legislative and over the counter topics. These are designed not only to prepare the interns for their exams, but became competent pharmacists. Prior to the final oral exam, several practice exams are conducted under exam conditions.

The Pharmacy Interns are allocated their own individual mentor, usually a pharmacist who has completed their intern year within the last 2 years. Interns are expected to be enthusiastic, hardworking and willing to engage with the Western Health Intern Program and Western Health core values.

We accept interns enrolled only in the Monash intern training programs although the Monash University Intern Foundation Program is highly recommended.

The Pharmacy Department has been approved provisionally for SHPA Foundation Residency.

Contacts

Ms Shani Paiva (Intern Coordinator)

Email: shani.paiva@wh.org.au

T: 0466377535/83457349

Intern positions in 2024

7 total (5 DHHS funded, 2 hospital funded)

Other resources

Online information session - held in the first week of July 2023.  TBC