Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health·Halifax, Nova Scotia
The pharmacist will balance distributive and clinical responsibilities, including compounding medications and providing direct patient care within interdisciplinary teams. They will also conduct medication reconciliations, monitor therapeutic plans, and provide drug information to health professionals and patients.
Click here to apply as an internal applicant.
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region.
We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia.
People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities.
We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes.
We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs.
We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us.
We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization.
There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years.
We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country.
Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country.
We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face.
We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer.
We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.The Opportunity Reporting directly to the Clinical Pharmacy Manager and with professional accountability to the Pharmacy Professional Practice Leader, the pharmacist will work within an integrated drug distribution/clinical practice model - with an equal balance of both distributive and clinical responsibilities.
The pharmacist will have direct patient care responsibilities as part of interdisciplinary teams in a program-based setting and will also provide pharmaceutical care by designing, implementing and monitoring a therapeutic plan based on current evidence-based knowledge to achieve definite outcomes.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Provides and supervises pharmacy drug distribution services to IWK Health Centre patients (including compounding and dispensing of sterile and nonsterile products); Provides direct, patient-focused care in a multi-disciplinary team environment. Conducts best possible medication histories (BPMH), medication reconciliation, discharge planning and patient/family medication counselling; Provides therapeutic drug monitoring, drug utilization evaluation and in-service education for health professionals and patients/families; Provides drug information and development and/or review of medication protocols specific to clinical practice; Participates in patient care rounds and meetings on assigned care area(s); attending/presenting case presentations; Liaises with community pharmacists and pharmacists and health professionals in other health care settings; Provides student experiential learning opportunities and mentoring of other staff for on-site clinical education; Provides on-call pharmacy services; Participates in development and implementation of standards, policies, and procedures; Participates in conducts and coordinating quality assurance and medication safety activities, formulary management, drug library (smart pump) maintenance; Participates on health centre and unit-based committees; and other duties as required. Hours of Work Days, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call on rotation; 75 hours bi-weekly.Your Qualifications
Entry level pharmacy degree from a CCAPP (or similar standard) accredited university (includes Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy or Pharm D).
Completion of a Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program would be an asset.
Licensure or eligible with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists as an Active Direct Patient Care Pharmacist required Certified or eligible for certification as an immunizer under the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists.
Current successful completion of CPR Level C Health Care Provider or Basic Life Support (BLS) course required within the last 12 months.
Minimum of three (3) years' experience in a hospital pharmacy setting preferred.
Active member of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists is an asset Ability to apply critical thinking skills to prevent and resolve drug‑related problems and evidence based practice.
Ability to think reflectively, question assumptions, access alternatives and to lead and support change.
Ability to work both independently, but collaboratively and in a complex team environment.
Experience in automated hospital drug distribution systems, computer generated MARS, and clinical information systems.
Demonstrated skills using word processing, database applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Word, Excel and Powerpoint).
Self‑motivated, independent worker with strong communication, interpersonal, organizational and team‑building skills.
Demonstrated knowledge of Patient and Family Centred Care.
Demonstrated enthusiasm for patient safety and medication safety.
Demonstrated interest in professional development and lifelong learning.
Competencies in other languages an asset; French preferred.
Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.
Candidates must hold an entry-level pharmacy degree and be licensed or eligible for licensure with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists. A minimum of three years of hospital pharmacy experience is preferred, along with certification as an immunizer and current CPR/BLS certification.
Market context
Pharmacy roles in Nova Scotia are typically in steady demand in hospital and direct patient care settings, where employers look for pharmacists who can support safe medication use and clinical collaboration. Competition is often strongest for candidates with a recognized pharmacy degree, eligibility for Nova Scotia registration, and preferred experience such as a hospital residency or 2 years of direct patient care, plus BLS. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save research time, then confirm your registration status and prepare examples of patient-facing or inpatient pharmacy work before applying.