Austin Health
Austin Health is a major Melbourne tertiary teaching institution of 980 beds (surgical, medical, psychiatric and rehabilitation) spread across three hospital sites: The Austin Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. Pharmacy interns may work across all three campuses; however, the majority of time is spent at the Austin campus.
Speciality areas include liver, intestinal and renal transplant, oncology, haematology, cardiology, toxicology, emergency medicine, respiratory, cardio-thoracics, neurosciences, nephrology, endocrinology, orthopaedics, colorectal surgery, general surgery, gastroenterology, rheumatology, psychiatry, drug dependency, intensive care, paediatrics, spinal medicine, rehabilitation, infectious diseases, Hospital in the Home, dermatology, wound care etc.
Intern program information
Seven Department of Health funded Intern positions are available in 2025
Austin Health has a large pharmacy department consisting of approximately 120 pharmacists, 7 interns and 30 support staff working throughout the three campuses to deliver a comprehensive pharmacy service for patients, carers, and health professionals. The range of speciality areas within the department include inpatient and outpatient clinical pharmacy services, clinical trials, hospital in the home, community liaison pharmacy, quality use of medicines, medicines information, emergency department, sterile and non-sterile manufacturing, oncology manufacturing and clinical education.
Our team of approachable, experienced senior pharmacists, together with our early career pharmacists, provides an extremely supportive and friendly working environment, which aims to motivate and challenge, and guarantees lots of fun and opportunities to learn.
To help our younger pharmacists, Clinical Support Pharmacists team up with newly qualified pharmacists to provide ongoing, personal, one-on-one support and guidance.
Half-hour ‘Continuing Education’ lectures presented each week by pharmacists help to maintain and build on clinical knowledge. In addition, Austin Health Clinical Support Pharmacists run clinical training sessions approximately every 8 weeks. The pharmacy encourages staff to attend the weekly training meetings ranging from the medical grand round to unit meetings run by various specialities.
For those interested, there are plenty of opportunities to become involved in research work within the Austin Health Pharmacy, as it is regularly undertaken and strongly encouraged.
The department supports a number of staff to attend conferences and seminars. It also encourages staff to participate in shaping the future of pharmacy practice through engagement in professional organisations such as the Society of Hospital Pharmacist of Australia and International Pharmaceutical Federation etc.
There are staff car parking options on all campuses that can be paid for directly from your salary. There are complimentary shuttle buses that run between Austin and Heidelberg Repatriation Campuses. There is also limited all-day parking available in nearby streets, within approximately ten minutes walking distance. The Austin hospital is well serviced by public transport with a major bus and train hub immediately opposite the hospital.
Salary packaging is available to all staff of Austin Health and this reduces the taxable income, resulting in increased take home pay.
At the Heidelberg campus, pharmacists from one of four satellite pharmacies work with a team approach to provide clinical ward pharmacy services.
The Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre opened in 2013 and provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services and support for Oncology and Haematology patients.
Pharmacy services located at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital support multiple subacute aged care wards as well as a Surgery Centre.
At the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, the pharmacy team supports spinal rehabilitation, non-geriatric rehabilitation, acquired brain injury, Rehabilitation in the Home and psychiatric services.
A hospital e-mail account is provided to all staff of the pharmacy with internet access freely available within the hospital.
The intern year primarily spent undertaking Clinical rotations, with some time spent in non-clinical areas:
Clinical rotation – 80%
- Ward Rotation - 70% - Most ward rotations are approximately five weeks long and vary in-patient demographic and clinical pharmacy exposure. A unique part of the program involves a rotation on the intern ward where interns works independently, with limited supervision, to provide pharmaceutical care to the patients on the ward. This process enables them to develop skills for managing a ward alone and provides insight into their future role as clinical pharmacists.
- Dispensary (Outpatients and inpatients, including satellites) - 10%
Other areas of pharmacy practice – 20%
- Retail Exchange at a pharmacy of your choice (one week)
- Exchange to Mercy Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Sterile & non-sterile manufacturing, Medicines Information, ICU, Infectious Diseases department and Quality Use of Medicines
Educational activities: Twice-weekly tutorials given by either interns or staff within and outside the pharmacy department:
- Clinical topics (e.g. cardiology, oncology, endocrinology, antibiotic therapy, renal and liver disease, respiratory medicine, psychiatry, etc.*)
- OTC topics (e.g. cough and cold, eye care, gastrointestinal, analgesics, baby products, dermatology, smoking cessation, oral hygiene, etc.*)
- Pharmacy law
(*not an exhaustive list)
Exam preparation: Extensive exam preparation is incorporated into the intern training program, this includes:
- Practice legal/calculation exams under exam conditions
- Prescription problem solving practice
- Practice oral exams within the intern group and one-on-one
Contacts
Miss Dalia Findakly
Austin Intern Program Co-ordinator
Email dalia.findakly@austin.org.au
Intern positions in 2025
7 DHHS funded