Are pharmacists required to complete a residency/internship?

[MacGyver]

I'm having a debate with someone else. He claims that ALL pharmacists MUST complete an internship before they can practice.

is this right or wrong?

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[LVPharm]

Wrong...if he means residency

Pharmacists need not complete a residency to practice in retail...not even really to become a staff pharmacist in a hospital (although a 1 year "pharmacy practice" residency is recommended in this case).

Residencies are a must to practice "clinical pharmacy" at a hospital.

BUT, if he means "internship" as in intern clerkships or rotations, yes...to graduate I need to do internships at retail and hospital pharmacies (required to graduate and sit for boards and subsequent licensure)...I'm also a paid intern pharmacist at a hospital in my spare time, while going to pharm school.

 

[MacGyver]

LVpharm,

the internships you speak of are done DURING pharm school right (included as part of the 4 years)?

 

[LVPharm]

Yes. In my case (3 year program), I do internships (as part of the curriculum) during the school year of the 1st and 2nd year, the summers (full time at retail/hospital pharmacy) of my 1st and 2nd year, then an "advanced pharmacy practice" internship (mostly clinical) most of my 3rd year.

All "internships" are done during pharm school, unpaid (at least outside of California)

 

[dgroulx]

At my school, they have practicums every semester, which is basically doing community pharmacy work. They change to clerkships at the end of the 3rd year, which are the actual internship rotations. By the 4th year, that's all you're doing. That also includes the summer semester in between the 3rd and 4th year.

 

[johnnyk]

I would agree with you for the most part, however there are some parts of the world where Pharmacists are required to complete post-graduate training before they can become fully licensed.....Canada 3 months, England 12 months.

 

[LVPharm]

My school's experiential curriculum will give me the ~1500 hours required for licensure. I was looking around at other pharm schools and this isn't always the case...there are differences in state BOP requirements. For instance, Mercer's curriculum will provide its students with 1000 hours, the remaining 500 hours will have to be earned through full-time employment in a pharmacy. This could be Georgia BOPs requirement. UG "encourages" their students to work as interns over their summer breaks. They say the Georgia BOP won't accept intern hours earned over the course of the school year (earned while going to class), only those earned over the summer at a minimum of 20 hours per week.

From "Pharmacist.com":

Internships
All state boards of pharmacy require candidates to complete an internship or externship before licensure. Such practice experience usually consists of 1,500 hours of experience that are gained during pharmacy school (beginning after the first year of training). Some states require that internship hours be gained solely after graduation from pharmacy school and before licensure. The internship process is subject to state board of pharmacy regulations. Each intern, internship site, and preceptor must register with the state board of pharmacy to have the hours counted toward licensure.

So, different state BOPs have their own little licensing quirks when it comes to intern hours. My situation is not a good example!