Residents are required to complete a project over the course of their residency as per the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board(CPRB) standards. The Island Health Pharmacy Residency Program relies heavily on our staff to create and develop project ideas and to act as project preceptors. Residency projects give our staff and the organization an opportunity to answer research questions, to gather and evaluate data that is important to the department, the Health Region and the health system.

Residency projects can be conducted across a vast range of topics addressing an almost unlimited number of issues of interest to the profession of pharmacy, the Pharmacy Department, the Health Authority and the Health System.

Staff who are new to developing project ideas may benefit from reviewing previous residency projects completed by Island Health or other BC Residents on this website. See links in table below

Great projects can often be generated from questions or issues encountered in day-to-day practice. Consideration should be given to areas where existing literature is unavailable or incomplete. At this stage, collaboration with others can be an invaluable tool in moving a loosely defined idea along the path to becoming a meaningful research question. Potential preceptors are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator for assistance even in the early stages of research idea development.

Proposing the right project. Given time limitations, most residency projects should be retrospective or non-interventional (e.g. observational) in nature. Overall feasibility of the project and potential barriers that might exist, including access to patients and/or data, need for consent, and potential to reach sample size within a single site, must be considered. Careful thought should also be given to how results from a project will be applied.

Synthesis of the project proposal. Prior to offering the project to the residents, the preceptor is expected to submit a project proposal to the Program Coordinator. The proposal will include the following components:

- Working title
- Primary preceptor and co-preceptors
- Pharmacy or project issue and background information
- Project goals and objectives (preliminary at first, can be refined as project developed)
- Proposed study or project design and methodology
- Project sites
- Anticipated benefit to the organization and/or patients/families
- Plan for application of results

To submit a project proposal download and complete the project proposal template from this webpage.

Potential project preceptors will submit project proposals to the Program Coordinator for preliminary review, incorporating the input of other subject experts as required. Potential project preceptors will then have an opportunity to present their projects to the Residency Advisory Committee (RAC).

The proposals will be evaluated by the RAC using the following criteria:

1. Scientific merit of the study
2. Learning opportunities for the resident
3. Benefits to the pharmacy department/organization
4. Alignment with strategic priorities of the department and the organization
5. Feasibility to be completed within the residency year
6. Probability of meeting the requirements of the associated research ethics boards (e.g. UBC and Island Health)

Many RAC members have significant experience as researchers and project preceptors and will provide constructive advice. RAC members may also make themselves available to preceptors and residents as an additional resource.

Resident preference is taken into account insofar as possible in project assignment. Projects are matched to residents using the following process:

1. Approved project proposals are offered to the residents for consideration prior to the start of their residency.
2. Residents review the available projects and then provides the program coordinator ranked list of projects ie first choice, second choice, etc.
3. Project assignment:

- The Program Coordinator reviews the residents’ ranked list and then assigns a project to the resident.
- The Program Coordinator will try to assign each residents top ranked project if possible
- If the resident's own project was proposed and approved then they will be assigned their own project.

Every effort is made to assign projects before the beginning of the residency program; however, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, projects may be assigned no later than 30 days into the residency.

The primary preceptor is a pharmacist in Island Health who will assume the main responsibility for directing the resident’s project. The primary preceptor may choose to involve other individuals, internal and external to the Pharmacy Department, to share some of the precepting responsibilities.

Specifically, the primary preceptor is responsible for contributing the following to the residency project:

Dedication of sufficient time to develop and lead the project, as well as guide the resident throughout the residency/project year. This will likely take some concentrated time at the beginning (10-20 hours the first month or two) and a minimum of approximately 4-5 hours per month.

Previous experience and knowledge in conducting research projects is ideal, but not always necessary. Collaboration with experienced investigators is often an effective strategy to overcome the barrier of limited knowledge and experience while at the same time dividing workload.

Completion of the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) Tutorial Course on Research Ethics (CORE) is a requirement for all individuals conducting research in Island Health.

An informed understanding of the requirements, timelines, and limitations of a 1-year residency project. These are outlined in the citation: Barletta JF. Conducting a Successful Residency Research Project. Am J Pharm Ed 2008;72(4): Article 92. (available upon request)

Commitment to be in communication with the resident regularly to ensure that timelines are established and respected and that the resident receives ongoing feedback on work completed. Intensity of feedback will vary, depending on the stage of the project (e.g. higher intensity during preparation for the annual BC Pharmacy Practice Residency Research Event).

Commitment to provide informal and formal feedback, as required, at key stages of the residency project. Examples include participation in the editing process for: the project submission to ethics, project presentations, the final poster, and the final manuscript.

Commitment to provide written, substantive feedback on all aspects of the project.

Sign-off on the final version of the project manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

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