Is pharmacy tech considered clinical experience?

[DoctorSwagger]

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[Catalystik]

Is pharmacy tech considered clinical experience?

It's dependent on your role. Usually, no. It's still an excellent experience, though, as you'd have the chance to learn a lot about pharmaceuticals.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

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Unless I misunderstand the role of a pharm tech, I'd say no. The closest patient exposure you'd have is explaining to people how to take their medication which doesn't feel like healthcare delivery to me.

 

[DoctorSwagger]

It's dependent on your role. Usually, no. It's still an excellent experience, though, as you'd have the chance to learn a lot about pharmaceuticals.

Can you Give an example on when a pharm tech would be considered clinical experience


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[Catalystik]

Can you Give an example on when a pharm tech would be considered clinical experience

Pharmaceutical counseling of current patients, perhaps in a hospital or clinic environment. In my state, that's something the pharmacist does.

What is the description of the role you're considering?

 

[DoctorSwagger]

Pharmaceutical counseling of current patients, perhaps in a hospital or clinic environment. In my state, that's something the pharmacist does.

What is the description of the role you're considering?

I’m not sure still looking around for jobs


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[oregonian19]

Based on the description you provided (i.e. counseling), I don't think techs could ever be considered as a clinical experience. I'm pretty sure it's illegal in most, if not all states, for techs to even talk with patients about OTC medications. I know it's illegal in my state; can lose your license and be reprimanded by the Board of Pharmacy.

If being a tech doesn't count as clinical experience, what would you classify it as on AMCAS? Just asking because I have 1.5 years of volunteering as a tech as a free clinic -- I was going to classify it as clinical experience on my app next cycle.

 

[Stagg737]

The closest patient exposure you'd have is explaining to people how to take their medication which doesn't feel like healthcare delivery to me.

Wut? Educating a patient about how their medication isn't healthcare delivery? There's literally a billable code for that... (99680)

 

[ciestar]

Wut? Educating a patient about how their medication isn't healthcare delivery? There's literally a billable code for that... (99680)

Ive worked with both nurses and doctors so far 3rd year doing just this. Hell, there is a certification for nurses in diabetes education and i followed a nurse around for an entire afternoon teaching patients how to take insulin.

 

[ciestar]

OP, i put my tech stuff down as clinical. It wasn’t my only clinical experience and I had over 200 hours elsewhere but nobody cared. I guess my supervisory role as a tech helped me more than the sheer number of hours i had.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Wut? Educating a patient about how their medication isn't healthcare delivery? There's literally a billable code for that... (99680)

I believe educating them about the medication itself is done by the pharmacist, not by the tech. The tech's role is more to explain "take this twice per day as it says on the bottle." And given how small a part of the overall role that is, I don't think the job overall can be considered clinical.

 

[ciestar]

I believe educating them about the medication itself is done by the pharmacist, not by the tech. The tech's role is more to explain "take this twice per day as it says on the bottle." And given how small a part of the overall role that is, I don't think the job overall can be considered clinical.

Really think we’re misinterpreting your initial post, then.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Really think we’re misinterpreting you’re initial post, then.

Totally possible! I meant that I believe they only discuss basic medication administration since they don't have any training in actual pharmacology or pharmacodynamics. And that most of the job is filling prescription bottles and verifying prescriptions.
That being said, that's only what I have from my work as a MA (often called pharm techs about patient prescriptions), personal experience, and a 2 minute google. I'm happy to be wrong.

 

[ciestar]

Totally possible! I meant that I believe they only discuss basic medication administration since they don't have any training in actual pharmacology or pharmacodynamics. And that most of the job is filling prescription bottles and verifying prescriptions.
That being said, that's only what I have from my work as a MA (often called pharm techs about patient prescriptions), personal experience, and a 2 minute google. I'm happy to be wrong.

I was a tech for years, and yeah, a tech’s scope is limited essentially legally. All medication questions had to be referred to the pharmacist. With my job, I had people in all day tell me about their ailments, their families, their lives, etc etc. Thankfully this skill was invaluable. I am now running into these same people in the hospital and clinic.

What i read in your OP that medication education wasn’t healthcare delivery at all. Right, techs aren’t doing this, but the process of education absolutely is.

 

[Stagg737]

I believe educating them about the medication itself is done by the pharmacist, not by the tech. The tech's role is more to explain "take this twice per day as it says on the bottle." And given how small a part of the overall role that is, I don't think the job overall can be considered clinical.

I think it's debatable in terms of whether it's a clinical experience (o would consider it clinical since you're interacting with patients) but I can buy that. My contention was that teaching someone when to take their meds isn't "healthcare delivery". I'd argue that it is, even if it's a very small role as patients not taking meds properly is a common reason they get (re)admitted to the hospital.

 

[Catalystik]

If being a tech doesn't count as clinical experience, what would you classify it as on AMCAS? Just asking because I have 1.5 years of volunteering as a tech as a free clinic -- I was going to classify it as clinical experience on my app next cycle.

For your situation where you are not paid for the position, there is a category on AMCAS called Volunteer-Not Medical/Clinical which would be suitable.

If one had a job as a Pharm Tech, they would use Employment-Not Medical/Clinical.

For either, if you have a lot of interaction with current patients in some way and include that in your role description, each adcomm can make up their own mind about whether the position includes "clinical" elements, or not.