hospital pharmacy volunteer

[hmp12]

How do you get hospital pharmacy volunteer position?
I live in OC California and I thought about shadowing but I think volunteering at the hosptial pharmacy would be a better idea.
If I happen to be a pharmacist, I would like to work at the hospital rather than retail store, so I would like to expose myself to how it is like
Thank you

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[danado]

I'm not sure about CA, but here in FL it was pretty easy. I filled out a form online at the hospital's website for just a general volunteer application. Then when I went in for my interview they asked me questions about myself, so I told them I was employed at a retail pharmacy and hoping to get into pharmacy school etc. and they were just like "So I bet you want to volunteer in the pharmacy?" I had to go to an orientation thing, but I don't even think they did a background check or anything. The volunteer coordinator took me up to the pharmacy and introduced me to the pharmacy manager, and he seemed a bit skeptical, but he asked me a couple of questions and found out that i already knew one of the pharmacists and one of the technicians there and then he was cool.
I think that there was also some consideration put into the fact that I was already working in a pharmacy and stuff. I expect they would be more cautious about just putting someone off the street in there. There's a lot of learning to be done for someone who has absolutely no pharmacy experience.

 

[AntiviralsRule]

Most hospitals have a section on their Web sites for the volunteer dept. There should be info there on how to apply.

How do you get hospital pharmacy volunteer position?
I live in OC California and I thought about shadowing but I think volunteering at the hosptial pharmacy would be a better idea.
If I happen to be a pharmacist, I would like to work at the hospital rather than retail store, so I would like to expose myself to how it is like
Thank you

 

[pharmgirlie09]

I currently volunteer at a hospital in OC and I will be giving up my position this month as I no longer have time to devote and am accepted into pharm school. The way it worked for me was I had to volunteer elsewhere in the hospital for a couple of months and eventually I was pulled off the wait-list to work in the inpatient-pharmacy. MANY ppl want to volunteer in the pharmacy and so I suggest calling around to hospitals in the area and getting ahold of a volunteer coordinator. From there I would ask if they have openings in the pharmacy.

 

[TTUMike]

Just like danado said, I just filled out an online application. Within a couple of weeks and a background check they called me for an orientation meeting. I volunteered in the ER which gave me the opportunity to shadow the ER pharmacist.

 

[danado]

dang. apparently my hospital is the only one that doesn't have like any volunteers for pharmacy? i.e. i'm the only one and they haven't had one before me for a long time? i mean yeah they get a lot of pharmacy students in there but not just volunteers... idk. it might be because there aren't any pharmacy schools in this immediate area. but yeah i don't even think they did a background check on me. don't they need your drivers license or ssn to do that? whatever. apparently my hospital is just really lax...

 

[trailrider400]

yeah my hospital doesn't have any volunteers any more either in the pharmacy. I ended up getting a paying job there now and am pissed that there is no new volunteer boy to do my work for me ... but yeah for me it was as easy as calling the volunteer coordinator and I was in just like that. If you got the actual pharmacy directors # too that would work and would show great initiative

 

[green velvet]

I currently volunteer at a hospital in OC and I will be giving up my position this month as I no longer have time to devote and am accepted into pharm school. The way it worked for me was I had to volunteer elsewhere in the hospital for a couple of months and eventually I was pulled off the wait-list to work in the inpatient-pharmacy. MANY ppl want to volunteer in the pharmacy and so I suggest calling around to hospitals in the area and getting ahold of a volunteer coordinator. From there I would ask if they have openings in the pharmacy.

I just got a volunteer position at an in-patient pharmacy at a local hospital. This may sound ignorant, but can you describe what your duties were as volunteer? Are they similar to what a pharm-tech would do? I have no prior pharmacy experience.

 

[cinnamoroll12]

I currently volunteer at a hospital in OC and I will be giving up my position this month as I no longer have time to devote and am accepted into pharm school. The way it worked for me was I had to volunteer elsewhere in the hospital for a couple of months and eventually I was pulled off the wait-list to work in the inpatient-pharmacy. MANY ppl want to volunteer in the pharmacy and so I suggest calling around to hospitals in the area and getting ahold of a volunteer coordinator. From there I would ask if they have openings in the pharmacy.

Which hospital do you volunteer at? Is it at UCI Medical Center? That is the only hospital I can think of that might allow volunteers in the inpatient pharmacy.

 

[pharmgirlie09]

I worked at St. Joseph's in Orange, but I no longer work there as I was accepted to pharmacy school. They made me sort drugs by generic name, send drugs in the tube system, recieve drug orders in the tube system and put in stack unless they were STAT, I made mini-bags in the IV room, sorted paperwork, did some drug deliveries to areas of the hospital, and used the PYXIS machine to order drugs that were no longer in stock.

It was really great experience and allowed me to talk about the varied tasks of a pharmacist that I observed

 

[cjf]

Just keep asking and you will eventually get something.
Good luck on finding your internship!