The clinical rotation in general medicine rotation provides the Pharmacy Resident with training and experience in caring for patients with a variety of medical conditions, including but not limited to: pain management, diabetes, anemia, common infections, cardiovascular diseases, geriatric medicine, gastroenterology, and respiratory diseases.

Victoria General Hospital Site

The rotation may occur on either of two medicine units: North 6th floor or South 4th floor at the Victoria General Hospital (VGH). Both the A and B units of South 4, as well as, the C and D units of North 6, have a capacity for approximately 50 patients presenting with various medical and surgical issues. South 4 floor offers telemetry beds for continuous cardiac monitoring. The general medicine team at VGH consists of house physicians (rotating approx. weekly), specialist physicians such as internists, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses (LPN), registered care aides, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians, occupational therapists, nurse liaisons, and clinical pharmacists. Multidisciplinary students and residents are regular participants in both of the units.

Campbell River Hospital Site

The rotation will occur on 3AB, a general medicine unit, at Campbell River Hospital (CRH). Unit 3A has 20 acute care beds. Unit 3B has 20 acute care beds and 9 ALC beds. The acute care patients will be the focus of the rotation and include patients admitted for various general medicine issues. The general medicine team consists of family physicians with hospital privileges, specialist physicians (internists, geriatric psychiatrists, addictions medicine), registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, registered care aides, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians, occupational therapists, nurse liaisons, nursing unit assistants, registered pharmacy technicians (performing BPMHs), and clinical pharmacists. Of note CRH does not have house physicians. Multidisciplinary students and residents are regular participants in both of the units.

A majority of rotation time is spent on direct patient care activities, including but not limited to:

• active participation in daily patient care rounds
• developing and implementing care and monitoring plans
• interviewing and counselling patients
• assisting with medication reconciliation
• obtaining patient’s own medications
• proposing interventions and discussing care plans with physicians and team members
• documenting interventions and recommendations in the patient’s chart
• answering drug information questions (DIRs) from patients, physicians, and nurses
• assisting in acquiring special authority
• monitoring and adjusting medications using therapeutic drug monitoring and application of pharmacokinetics


The remainder of the time is comprised of working on assigned projects and presentations for the care team or pharmacy department and participating in therapeutic discussions on relevant medical conditions. The resident is provided with informal feedback on a daily basis and is formally evaluated at the rotation midpoint and at the end of rotation by their preceptor(s).