The Clinical Orientation rotation orients the pharmacy residents to clinical pharmacy practice in the institutional setting, develops the resident’s basic foundational clinical skills that will be needed for subsequent direct patient care rotations, introduces residents to allied health members of the care team

Pharmacy residents will complete full patient assessments and work ups as part of an interdisciplinary team. The pharmacy residents will follow patients from their admission on the ward to the time of discharge. They will perform full initial medication assessments, admission medication reconciliation, documentation of recommendations, discharge medication reconciliation and medication counseling, and will collaborate with the interdisciplinary team at rounds.

The residents will be asked to present their patients using a systematic head to toe approach. At the end of the rotation the residents will undergo a mock oral exam situation where time limits will be placed on their patient work up and presentation (see comprehensive clinical oral assessment on residency website). The overall goal of this rotation is to develop the residents’ process for patient assessments, thereby preparing them for their clinical rotations.

This rotation takes place at the Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH), the Victoria General Hospital (VGH), the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) and the Campbell River Hospital (CRH).