Overview - History

Mr. Irwin Shwortz and Dr. Janice Irvine-Meek at the Department of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Centre, established Manitoba’s first Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program in 1981. The efforts of eight preceptors and the first two program graduates (Patricia Ebbeling Honcharik 1981/82 and Layton Carefoot 1982/83) laid a firm foundation for the Residency Program. The Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Residency Board accredited the program (“Exemplary” Status) following the initial accreditation application in late 1983.

When Winnipeg hospitals joined the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in 1998, the Health Sciences Centre pharmacy residency program was re-developed as a regional program – creating the opportunity for Winnipeg’s pharmacy residents to work with a larger pool of preceptors at multiple facilities in the Winnipeg Region.

Applications to the WRHA Pharmacy Practice Residency Program have remained consistently high in number and quality since 1981. Although many applicants are newly graduated pharmacists from the University of Manitoba, the WRHA program regularly attracts applications from experienced pharmacists and graduating students from other Canadian faculties of pharmacy. The program’s graduates are employed as advanced practice pharmacists in hospital settings, medical journalists, and pharmaceutical industry information specialists and representatives.

The WRHA Pharmacy Residency Program actively seeks opportunities to expand pharmacy residency training to meet the needs of future pharmacy practitioners. Past and current residents are actively involved with planning for improvements to the residency program. This involvement augurs well for the continued health of pharmacy residency training in the Winnipeg Region.

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