PA requires 500 intern hours outside of school, how lenient is this?

[Amphetamine Salts]

---

Members do not see this ad.

i've been working at cvs for nearly 3 years. when i first started i didn't have a preceptor approved by the board of pharmacy. so for about 1.5 years i was working without collecting hours. i finally got my preceptor to complete paperwork and be approved by the board (she was the preceptor for too many students when i first started so she wasn't able to at the time). since my preceptor was approved i've accumulated around 250 hours. i'm in my last year of school and technically i could make up 250 hours during my off rotation plus a few weekends during my APPEs. i'm wondering how lenient the board of pharmacy is with this requirement though.

i've heard that the board does not really check each student's hours. and that if your preceptor signs your intern experience form and you mail it in that's enough to get approved for the hours. my preceptor is very relaxed and she agreed that she'll sign my form for 500 hours even if it's not true. technically i may have reached 500 hours if the time before she was approved was included. but anyway, it seems realistic to complete 500 hours of work within 1.5 years while in school. in order to get verification that the hours were accepted i need to include a postcard that will get stamped by the board and mailed back to me. should i just fill out the intern experience form and write i completed 500 hours, get my preceptor to sign it, and then mail it in? how would the board be able to check my hours? i'm assuming if they are able to determine the hours are false the worst that could happen is they reject the form

 

[Amicable Angora]

These requirements are more lenient than you think.

 

[Digsbe]

I'm in a similar bind. I'm trying to reciprocate to PA (already have my NABP forms and such done). I have 1,700 hours (all from school) on file from my reciprocating state and have worked full time for 6+ months (not a year yet). The board form says if you reciprocate you need to show 500+ hours outside of school or 1 year full time work as a pharmacist. My reciprocating state doesn't differentiate between school/work hours though.

 

[moose10]

As long as you don't report accumulating over 50 hours per week, the board will really have no reason to audit your hours. I imagine they could request pay stubs or time sheets to verify the hours, but I have not heard of this happening to anyone in my class or recent classes in PA.

 

[Lnsean]

these hours are easy...just work as a nursing assistant or EMT.

 

[lord999]

i've been working at cvs for nearly 3 years. when i first started i didn't have a preceptor approved by the board of pharmacy. so for about 1.5 years i was working without collecting hours. i finally got my preceptor to complete paperwork and be approved by the board (she was the preceptor for too many students when i first started so she wasn't able to at the time). since my preceptor was approved i've accumulated around 250 hours. i'm in my last year of school and technically i could make up 250 hours during my off rotation plus a few weekends during my APPEs. i'm wondering how lenient the board of pharmacy is with this requirement though.

i've heard that the board does not really check each student's hours. and that if your preceptor signs your intern experience form and you mail it in that's enough to get approved for the hours. my preceptor is very relaxed and she agreed that she'll sign my form for 500 hours even if it's not true. technically i may have reached 500 hours if the time before she was approved was included. but anyway, it seems realistic to complete 500 hours of work within 1.5 years while in school. in order to get verification that the hours were accepted i need to include a postcard that will get stamped by the board and mailed back to me. should i just fill out the intern experience form and write i completed 500 hours, get my preceptor to sign it, and then mail it in? how would the board be able to check my hours? i'm assuming if they are able to determine the hours are false the worst that could happen is they reject the form

The worst that could happen is PA BoP finds the form fraudulent, denies your application, and informs every state that you have a denied application for misrepresentation. That said, PA will count grad intern hours toward that requirement, so if you want to do your grad intern hours in the state, it isn't a problem. As others have said, PA isn't too concerned so long as you have a believable amount of hours.

Suggest that you don't lie on the form, just do the *(#$ing hours, it's not a big deal. I've never heard of PA auditing unless you fail NAPLEX twice, in which case, they do take a look to see whether or not your "experience" is sufficient to take the Board again or whether you have to do more hours before your third attempt.