Resident of the Year

Launched in 2017, SHPA’s Foundation Residencies are a key part of Australia’s first structured, formalised, supported and accredited national pharmacy residency program.

Now in its fifth year, the SHPA Resident of the Year (ROTY) Award highlights excellence in practice by a Foundation Resident undertaking the SHPA Foundation Residency Program. The Award specifically focuses on improvement and professional development of a Resident as they have progressed through the term of their SHPA Foundation Residency.  

Key dates

Entries open: Monday 12 June 2023

Entries close: Friday 21 July 2023

Heats: late August 2023

Finalists announced: September 2023

Eligibility

The 2023 ROTY award is open to Foundation Residents who:

  • are SHPA members
  • are in the second year of the Residency, or
  • completed their Foundation Residency between July 2022 and June 2023.

NOTE: To take part, Residents will also need confirmation from their Director of Pharmacy or their delegate that, should they be selected as a finalist, they will be able to attend MM2023.

Presentation Criteria

Each Resident will deliver a 5-minute lightning talk with up to 5 slides on one of the following topics:

  • their research project or audit undertaken during their Residency
  • a case presentation
  • a significant learning experience encountered during their Residency

Heats

Heats will be held via Zoom webinar on separate dates, beginning late August 2023.

The finalists will be selected by an independent judging panel and will compete at the National Finals for the title of Resident of the Year 2023.

Finals

The 2023 ROTY finals will take place at MM2023 being held in Cairns from 2-4 November 2023.

Read more about the previous SHPA Resident of the Year winners

2022 SHPA Resident of the Year 

Rhiannon Froude

Clinical Pharmacist, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne

Presentation: Hospital pharmacists’ understanding of and attitudes towards beta-lactam allergies and de-labelling

2021 SHPA Resident of the Year 

James Ford

Clinical Pharmacist, Austin Health, Melbourne

Presentation: Hospital outreach medication review to reduce opioid use following surgery.

'Throughout my residency I have had a number of opportunities to work in variety of different areas within the pharmacy department and developed a range of skills during a very difficult time to work in healthcare. 

One such experience that stand outs for me was having the opportunity to trial managing a ward remotely during the first wave of COVID-19. This then presented the opportunity to publish an editorial (GRIT 2020-21 Summer Edition) discussing my opinions and experiences providing a clinical pharmacy service remotely.   

I also have had the opportunity to work within the Emergency Department, which was a fantastic experience to work in a high-paced, critical care environment during a pandemic.  I learned a great deal about working as a clinical pharmacist in this area and this has certainly become an area of interest which I hope to pursue in the future.'

2020 SHPA Resident of the Year 

Mika Varitimos 
Medication Safety Pharmacist/Post-Resident Pharmacist, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane

Presentation: The time is now: ensuring timely and appropriate medications for patients with Parkinson's disease.

'I thoroughly enjoyed being able to rotate through the Neurology/Stroke ward during my time with the Medical team. The highly experienced multidisciplinary team was brilliant. They included me on ward rounds and helped me to learn so much during this foundation period. I think Neurology represents an area of relatively untapped potential for pharmacists. It was powerful to see how much could be achieved with the right medicines in patients with conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.'

2019 SHPA Resident of the Year

Jacinta Castello 
Renal Pharmacist, Austin Health, Melbourne

Presentation: Opioid use following total knee and hip arthroplasty – not always a case of oversupply. 

Jacinta said, ‘I applied for a residency position at the end of my internship, and at the time the key things that appealed to me was having an experienced pharmacist as a mentor for each rotation and looking into the ‘why’ behind therapeutic recommendations. Looking back now, the residency program at the Austin definitely delivered on both aspects.’