Florida vs Everybody Else

[moobymaster]

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It seems that just about every state has reciprocity privilages with each other with the exception of Florida. What is so different about Florida that makes other states want us to jump through more hoops to get their licenses? I'm planning on going to University of Florida because I live here now, but will probably be moving North when I graduate. Is it all that much harder for a Florida pharmacist to get licensed?

Oh yeah...and why is U of F just about the only school without interviews (not that I'm complaining).

 

[dgroulx]

I heard that it was going to change and that Florida was going to grant reciprocity in the future. By the time you're out of school, it most likely won't be an issue.

UF has had only 1 student fail the boards over the last couple of years, so you don't have to worry about the difficulty. They cover everything that you need.

As for interviews, I had an interview with UF. So did another one of my classmates. In most cases, as long as you have stellar grades and a good PCAT and don't totally screw up your personal statement, they just accept you. When I was interviewed, they wanted to see my interpersonal skills. My writing reads like a technical manual and they wanted to get a feel for me. With the other guy, they just wanted to make sure that he didn't want to go to medical school. Both of us were accepted.

Another woman in my class wasn't accepted because she had some C's. She went up and talked with them, and they let her into the program. Probably a mistake, because she is struggling.

What campus are you going to attend at UF?

 

[LVPharm]

Just for the record: California doesn't allow reciprocity for individuals licensed in other states, either.

 

[moobymaster]

I put in for Orlando because I didn't want to move again.

 

[baggywrinkle]

Originally posted by moobymaster
It seems that just about every state has reciprocity privilages with each other with the exception of Florida. What is so different about Florida that makes other states want us to jump through more hoops to get their licenses? I'm planning on going to University of Florida because I live here now, but will probably be moving North when I graduate. Is it all that much harder for a Florida pharmacist to get licensed?

Oh yeah...and why is U of F just about the only school without interviews (not that I'm complaining).

Florida pharmacists always wanted a protected market because
of the snowbirds. It was their fear that semi retired pharmacists
from the north east would flood the market and drive wages down. Requiring these duffers who would only work a couple of days a week anyway to take the board exam prevented this. As a result Florida has always been one of the better job markets in the nation. When the standardized NABPLEX arrived on the scene the flood gates were controlled by the BOP using the jurisprudence exam. During years of extreme pharmacist shortage the law exam was very easy. When the market began to glut they turned up the heat and blew all the applicants away.
I have listened to the debate in FPA meetings. It is pure special interest politics in the best Southern good old boy tradition.

Balanced against this group is the chain pharmacy lobby which is very powerful. They would like nothing better than to flood the job market and drive wages down. Those who live in Florida know that in most industries wages suck compared to northern states. This is not true for Pharmacists who have commanded top dollars by virtue of supply and demand. Every year for longer than most of you have been alive the chain pharmacy lobby would introduce a bill to allow licensure by reciprocity. Every year the FPA would rally their membership to get on the phone to Tallahassee and do some arm twisting. In recent years the chain lobby has gained ground. While reciprocity is still not allowed licensure by endorsement now is. I am not sure how that process works since Florida was my very first license by examination. Endorsement is a radical departure from tradition. The sky has not fallen yet on the job market and wages are still very nice for the Florida economy.

For those of you who want to practice in Florida - Come on the water is fine. There is more work here than you want! Just remember the time honored tradition of smart Florida Pharmacy school graduates. For decades they have sat for the Florida board exam and then immediately run to Alabama to sit for their exam. Then you must maintain those two orginal licensures by examination forever if you intend to ever do any traveling. My two original licenses were Florida and Texas. I took them both within a year of graduating while everything was still fresh. The plan is tried and true and just requires a bit of planning ahead. Otherwise you will end up like several of my colleagues who are only licensed in Florida. They are now in their fifties or sixties and there is no way in God's green earth they would sit for the board exam again. They are trapped here in Florida.

 

[dcreynol]

Could you explain a little bit more about the 'having to maintain those two orginal licensures by examination forever if you intend to ever do any traveling.' Do you just mean, that Florida graduates usually take the Florida test so that they can work in the FL, and then they take the AL test(which is actually the NABPLEX) so that they can work in pretty much anywhere else in US? The whole "maintaining " is what throws me off a bit.
Thanks

 

[moobymaster]

The licenses need to be renewed, otherwise you would have to go through the entire process again I would imagine.

 

[baggywrinkle]

Originally posted by dcreynol
Could you explain a little bit more about the 'having to maintain those two orginal licensures by examination forever if you intend to ever do any traveling.' Do you just mean, that Florida graduates usually take the Florida test so that they can work in the FL, and then they take the AL test(which is actually the NABPLEX) so that they can work in pretty much anywhere else in US? The whole "maintaining " is what throws me off a bit.
Thanks

Yes, in order to practice in Florida you maintain the valid Fl License. In order to reciprocate to other states you must maintain one valid license by examination which is the purpose for the Alabama license.

I am licensed in four states currently. Florida, Texas, Colorado, and Washington. As mentioned FL & TX are original licenses by examination. The other two are by reciprocity from Texas. If I were foolish and allowed Texas to lapse and I wanted to go to Arkansas for some insane reason, the only way I could do it would be by examination. At my age a fate worse than death

I am done with Florida so when leave for the last time I will allow that license to lapse....unless you want to buy it from me

 

[jemc2000]

Yes, in order to practice in Florida you maintain the valid Fl License. In order to reciprocate to other states you must maintain one valid license by examination which is the purpose for the Alabama license.

Is Alabama the closest state for which this would work? Does Georgia have the same reciprocate license? Do you have to meet any requirements for those states, or just have your pharmD and apply for the test?

 

[Glycerin]

Is Alabama the closest state for which this would work? Does Georgia have the same reciprocate license? Do you have to meet any requirements for those states, or just have your pharmD and apply for the test?

No, you can go to Georgia (they have wet boards) instead of Alabama. I was under the impression that FL was changing their reciprocity laws, though. Does anyone know anything about that?

 

[Caverject]

Florida has endorsement laws. If you graduate within 8 years, you can get a florida license with no test.

 

[jemc2000]

Florida has endorsement laws. If you graduate within 8 years, you can get a florida license with no test.

I was more concerned with working in other states if I was licensed in Florida. (assuming, of course, that I ever make it into a Pharmacy school). I am considering moving slightly further north someday, so I want to leave my options open.

Thanks for the info. 🙂

 

[dgroulx]

I was more concerned with working in other states if I was licensed in Florida. (assuming, of course, that I ever make it into a Pharmacy school). I am considering moving slightly further north someday, so I want to leave my options open.

Thanks for the info. 🙂

Me, too. If reciprocity isn't granted by the time I take the boards, I'll also take the exam in Georgia. I like mountains. My father in-law owns property in the Georgia hills. It's very pretty.

 

[ultracet]

I would say the reason to take AL would be no AL boards... however... look into the CE they require... AL requires 15 live hours and sometimes that can be hard to obtain.

I'm going to license in VA b/c they don't have a board AND don't require live hours plus that's where i'm from etc.

Actually i'm licensing in like 10000000000 states (not really by choice) at first because i know the only one i will go back and recriprocate into will be KY (don't want to take boards) and i know where i want to live in the future... this way i can drop some others later on.