overwhelmed as an INTERN

[38ctk]

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Hey everyone,

I started working at an ambulatory pharmacy and this is my 6th day on the job. Do any of you/have any of you felt a bit overwhelmed with working Novelle, IBM, T1T PO QD, and the other 200 top drugs you need to know. I know that pharmacists want you to work independently, but when will things get a little easier and more comfortable. I have the hardest time remembering how to change the chronic conditions and the allergies on the computer, but I must say that I have gotten changing the NDCs down cold.

so my questions again

do you feel overwhelmed?

how long did it take you to adjust to your settings?

please, I need some words of encouragement and support. 🙁

 

[OSURxgirl]

First of all, calm down and take a deep breath. Trust me, everyone feels overwhelmed when they begin working in a pharmacy setting. There is a lot to learn and unfortunately, it cannot all be learned at once. It takes time. Just do the best you can do. Ask questions. Show enthusiasm. Be willing to learn. It's fine to be independent but if you are uncertain about anything, be sure to ask. Patient safety is on the line. You are going to have to give it time. Pretty soon you will be the one helping to train another new and overwhelmed intern like yourself. One thing that might help out a bit is if you buy a Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam study guide and read through it. These books go through sig codes, medical abbreviations, pharmacy calculations, pharmacy laws, and the top brand and generic drugs and drug classes. Knowing the things in this manual can help make your transition into intern-hood go more smoothly. Don't worry...you have all of pharmacy school to learn to be a pharmacist. No one is going to expect you to run the place just starting out. So try to relax and enjoy yourself as you learn on the job.

 

[lord999]

Congratulations, welcome to the field (and I don't mean that sarcastically)!

Realistically, it took me six months to be relatively functional, and another year to go pro with the computer system (Intercom Plus:AS/400).

Drugs: All three years for most of the basic stuff. I'm still learning the ropes. I think GravyRPh or Pilot said it really takes about five years postgrad for all the relevant drug knowledge to sink in. I'm not sure they're accurate anymore. I think it may take longer with all the new drugs out. It takes about a year to get functional knowledge along with classes.

OTC's: The one's I'm comfortable with: six months. Basically, I chose each condition and then picked about two that I recommend often while learning the others.

I'm glad was an intern first. I did not want to walk out to learn all of that as a pharmacist. Give it some time, you'll find that experience counts for a lot in the business.