Northeast Health Wangaratta

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Primarily at Wangaratta public hospital, with short placements at Terry White Chemist Yarrawonga (provides hospital pharmacy services to Yarrawonga Health), Beechworth Pharmacy (provides hospital pharmacy services to Beechworth Health) and Benalla Health.

Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) is an outer regional rural health service providing hospital and health care to more than 90,000 people across North East Victoria.  NHW is the major referral centre for patients with complex health needs from Benalla, Yarrawonga, Beechworth, Bright, Myrtleford, Mansfield and the Victorian Alps.

Around 3 hours’ drive or train ride from central Melbourne, Wangaratta is the rural city in the centre of beautiful northeast Victoria.  Within an hour of Wangaratta are the wine and gourmet regions of Rutherglen, Milawa and the King Valley, the historical towns of Beechworth, Glenrowan and Benalla, and the beauty of Myrtleford, Bright and Mount Buffalo.  Albury/Wodonga and the Murray River’s beaches are less than an hour’s drive away, the Victorian ski resorts of Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek are within easy reach for a day trip to the snow, and the nearby bushwalking trails of the Warby Ranges are on your doorstep.  Art galleries & a variety local attractions are well worth a visit, while the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail offers the casual bike rider some great days out.

Northeast Health Wangaratta Website: http://www.northeasthealth.org.au/

Intern program information

4 intern positions are available in 2025 (2 government funded, 2 hospital-funded)

Northeast Health Wangaratta’s Pharmacy Department is a team made up of 18 Pharmacists, 3 Interns, 8 Pharmacy Technicians & an Administrative staff member. 

Interns have a weekly roster, and rotate every few weeks through different clinical areas including General Medical, Surgical, Critical Care (including coronary care, intensive care & high dependency), Inpatient Mental Health, Rehabilitation & Geriatric Evaluation, Paediatrics, Acute Respiratory, Emergency, Hospital in the Home, Dispensary, Sterile Manufacturing & Oncology, Operating Theatres, Perioperative Care Clinic, and Medication Safety and Antimicrobial Stewardship.  Interns also have the opportunity to visit Pathology, Dialysis and Radiology.

Interns are allocated a clinical/ward load early in their training, so are responsible for delivering the clinical and operational pharmacy service to our Maternity Unit, Paediatric Unit and Day Surgery Unit (under supervision) throughout the year.  This responsibility provides an excellent opportunity for development of prioritisation and time management skills, and also development of expertise in children’s & women’s health.

During 2021 our intern cohort expanded from 2 interns to 4, with a combined program including a pharmacy intern based primarily at Benalla Health.  Interns spend a week each in Yarrawonga & Beechworth, to get a taste of how pharmacy services are provided to small rural hospitals from the local community pharmacy, and a week at Benalla Health (BENH) working in a small hospital pharmacy department. 

Training & education is provided during working hours, Monday to Friday, and supported by early career pharmacist mentors and credentialed Clinical Pharmacy Educators.  There are weekly rostered tutorials throughout the year, including plenty of OTC and practice exams. 

Interns also have regular access to their peers across northeast Victoria, via a monthly videoconference with Benalla Health, Albury Wodonga Health, Goulburn Valley Health (Shepparton) & Echuca Regional Health Service’s pharmacy interns and preceptors.  Interns present & discuss cases, and participate in mock exams, facilitated online by pharmacists in others health services.

As well as completing a Pharmacy Board-approved ITP, we also offer intern pharmacists the opportunity to complete their Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice (or for those studying Pharmacy at Monash University, to complete their MPharm Program) by undertaking Monash University’s Intern Foundation Program during the intern year.

If you’re looking for an internship year that will be stimulating, challenging, exciting, well supported, and a bit of fun, with minimal weekend commitments, then we’re interested in getting to know you, so we can help you to apply your knowledge, & develop your skills & expertise in rural hospital pharmacy.

Contacts

Susan Trevillian, Deputy Director of Pharmacy
Tel: 03 5722 5326
Email: susan.trevillian@nhw.org.au

Stephanie Kunnel, NHW Intern Preceptor
Tel: 03 5722 5160
Email: Stephanie.Kunnel@nhw.org.au

David Ford, Director of Pharmacy
Tel: 03 5722 5324
Email: david.ford@nhw.org.au

Intern positions in 2025

4 total (2 DHHS funded, 2 hospital funded)

Other resources