UK Pharmacist wanting to move to USA

[Zaraahmed]

Hi,
I’ve seen a lot on this topic but I’m unsure on one area. So I’m currently working as a qualified pharmacist in the UK and I understand in order to work in the US, I will need to go through several steps and examinations. One area is very confusing which is the internship hours. I’m interested in either working in New Jersey or Ohio so is it possible to carry out hours in either of the states and would the pharmacy sponsor me to come to US in order to work and also how I would be able to provide for myself while I’m there as I would have to leave my job here in order to work the hours there. However I’m aware that the pay for interns is very low if anything at all?
Would appreciate any sort of help
Thanks!

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[PharmDoc07]

Internship hours for licensure are not paid. They are experiential hours needed in order to sit for the exam. There is no guarantee a pharmacy will sponsor you so it costs alot of money and they can easily hire a local resident. And yes intern hours can carry over states.

 

[firework]

First, you will need a work visa (H1 visa) to work in U.S. As far as I know, pharmacy employers almost never sponsored visa for pharmacists. If you don't mind working for free as a volunteer intern, you can come and get your 1500 hours internship done that way. But eventually if you ever want to get paid by any employer, you will need visa that allows you to work in US or naturalize as citizen.

I feel the questions you have are more of immigration questions and the basics are not career specific. You can get better help on a immigration discussion board.

Hi,
I’ve seen a lot on this topic but I’m unsure on one area. So I’m currently working as a qualified pharmacist in the UK and I understand in order to work in the US, I will need to go through several steps and examinations. One area is very confusing which is the internship hours. I’m interested in either working in New Jersey or Ohio so is it possible to carry out hours in either of the states and would the pharmacy sponsor me to come to US in order to work and also how I would be able to provide for myself while I’m there as I would have to leave my job here in order to work the hours there. However I’m aware that the pay for interns is very low if anything at all?
Would appreciate any sort of help
Thanks!

 

[lord999]

Internship hours for licensure are not paid. They are experiential hours needed in order to sit for the exam. There is no guarantee a pharmacy will sponsor you so it costs alot of money and they can easily hire a local resident. And yes intern hours can carry over states.

Did you read your pharmacy law? There is nothing in the statutes or regulations that mandates that the hours are not paid. You just got them through school, which is ordinarily unpaid. I actually only submitted paid hours for my licensure at 2000 and I had that into my second year (AZ is a state that does not mandate graduate intern hours unlike say PA).

Caveat: no one (to our collective knowledge) is a lawyer or legal advisor. I'd recommend you get one for immigration law in the US.

Ok, there's two issues that you have to resolve before you can even deal with the work requirements:
1. Is your degree one that the FPGEE process will certify? It helps if you have your Council registration up at this point, but your degree ordinarily will not suffice without postgraduate years even with the Honours degree. If not, then you are restricted to one pathway.

2. Within the UK itself, are you a true National or something else? The US does not consider anyone but Nationals and OT's (If you are in that weird category) within the treaty obligations for education exchange.

With that settled:
1. If your degree does not qualify (this is likely), you have to go the B1/B2 route and either bring your degree or your training up to the US standard for the FPGEC or the F-1 if another degree is required.

2. You take and qualify for the FPGEC.

3. You then stay on the B1/B2 or switch to H1B for the hours and full licensure (although there are chicken and egg problems with having permanent residency vs being qualified to sit for exams, YMMV and this is too complicated to advise without knowing the circumstances).

One other thing, if you happen to originally come from a nation that is on the Trump indefinite ban list, your task in qualifying gets much, much harder. Good luck with this, but even if you succeed, it isn't a good market to come in right now.

 

[Freespirit91]

Hey what about USA wanting to move to UK what are the requirements to be licensed there?

 

[Freespirit91]

Hi,
I’ve seen a lot on this topic but I’m unsure on one area. So I’m currently working as a qualified pharmacist in the UK and I understand in order to work in the US, I will need to go through several steps and examinations. One area is very confusing which is the internship hours. I’m interested in either working in New Jersey or Ohio so is it possible to carry out hours in either of the states and would the pharmacy sponsor me to come to US in order to work and also how I would be able to provide for myself while I’m there as I would have to leave my job here in order to work the hours there. However I’m aware that the pay for interns is very low if anything at all?
Would appreciate any sort of help
Thanks!

Just curious but why did you pick OH? out of all the states and NJ
The hours requirement in OHIO for foreign is 1740 hours! If you have the dedication you can do it! many foreigners went through the process and did it and because you already have English.

 

[Riddley]

Did you read your pharmacy law? There is nothing in the statutes or regulations that mandates that the hours are not paid. You just got them through school, which is ordinarily unpaid. I actually only submitted paid hours for my licensure at 2000 and I had that into my second year (AZ is a state that does not mandate graduate intern hours unlike say PA).

Caveat: no one (to our collective knowledge) is a lawyer or legal advisor. I'd recommend you get one for immigration law in the US.

Ok, there's two issues that you have to resolve before you can even deal with the work requirements:
1. Is your degree one that the FPGEE process will certify? It helps if you have your Council registration up at this point, but your degree ordinarily will not suffice without postgraduate years even with the Honours degree. If not, then you are restricted to one pathway.

2. Within the UK itself, are you a true National or something else? The US does not consider anyone but Nationals and OT's (If you are in that weird category) within the treaty obligations for education exchange.

With that settled:
1. If your degree does not qualify (this is likely), you have to go the B1/B2 route and either bring your degree or your training up to the US standard for the FPGEC or the F-1 if another degree is required.

2. You take and qualify for the FPGEC.

3. You then stay on the B1/B2 or switch to H1B for the hours and full licensure (although there are chicken and egg problems with having permanent residency vs being qualified to sit for exams, YMMV and this is too complicated to advise without knowing the circumstances).

One other thing, if you happen to originally come from a nation that is on the Trump indefinite ban list, your task in qualifying gets much, much harder. Good luck with this, but even if you succeed, it isn't a good market to come in right now.

Please help in exactly what it means I'm new here...
a foreign graduate with a valid PharmD degree has to firstly obtain a FPGEC certification
So after which is that individual supposed to write NAPLEX and MPJE or complete >1000 hrs of residency or internship. How does it exactly go?Also the NABP regulations for foreign graduates are bit unclear.
when does a foreign graduate become a registered pharmacist in US and how can he practise in a hospital setting and obtain a board certification later??
Thank you

 

[lord999]

Please help in exactly what it means I'm new here...
a foreign graduate with a valid PharmD degree has to firstly obtain a FPGEC certification
So after which is that individual supposed to write NAPLEX and MPJE or complete >1000 hrs of residency or internship. How does it exactly go?Also the NABP regulations for foreign graduates are bit unclear.
when does a foreign graduate become a registered pharmacist in US and how can he practise in a hospital setting and obtain a board certification later??
Thank you

The FPGEC process is unclear because of the nature of how the applicant shows up. If they have permanent residency and employment status, there's one pathway, and if they do not, there are other ways, but it depends on what the US Department of State allows entry for.

A graduate of a foreign university that is not a NAFTA Treaty National of Canada or Mexico or did not graduate from an English-language program has to go through FPGEC eventually. The standard pathway always includes:
1. The process evaluating your transcripts and licensures from another country
2. Making you test for TOEFL if you attended a program that was not in English even if you speak English fluently
3. Taking your Department of State entry documents for whether you are here for education or here for employment
4. If all check out, then allowing administration of the FPGEE.

From there, there are so many possibilities that it becomes difficult to definitely say. You will do the 1500 hours in the US sometime for the internship, but whether that is part of an internship or a residency that would accept you not being licensed (not likely).

 

[amitusa]

if You are preparing for FPGEE you can contact me on my email on step by step guidance and also preparation and notes. I took this path and took all exams like fpgee/ toefl / Naplex and MPJE leading to licensure. Now I work as a hospital pharmacist.

Best
Amit