Pharm interns vs. Pharm techs??????

[pharmgirl2011]

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Can someone explain to me

1. The difference btw a pharm intern and a pharm tech?
2. What are the qualifications for either position?
3. How much do they typically pay?
4. Can we do this in a hospital?

Thanks!

 

[KARM12]

Can someone explain to me

1. The difference btw a pharm intern and a pharm tech?
2. What are the qualifications for either position?
3. How much do they typically pay?
4. Can we do this in a hospital?

Thanks!

1. An pharmacy intern is in pharmacy school, a pharmacy tech is not.
2. Depends on the place...most retail requires little experience, hospital usually wants more
3. All depends on your location, interns generally get paid at a higher rate than techs.
4. Yes

 

[Hels2007]

1. The difference btw a pharm intern and a pharm tech?

As I have very recently learned (after moving to New Jersey) different states have a very different definition of what an intern is. In many states it's someone who is in pharmacy school, in some it is just someone who is currently on rotations, and in some it is someone who has a pharmacy degree but doesn't have enough hours to be eligible for licensure, and so while getting those hours they are called interns.

2. What are the qualifications for either position?

Again, depends on the state. For an intern, some require being already in pharmacy school (aka after the first day of class as opposed to merely being accepted), some can register as interns after first year of pharmacy school, and some have no intern registration at all, and it's up to your employer what they want to call you. As far as techs, also a large amount of state-to-state variation. Some states register techs, some dont. Some require board certification for the tech status, some dont. Some have internal exam and CEs, some don't. Some only require certification for techs who work in the hospitals. A lot also depends on the institution's policies.

3. How much do they typically pay?

Interns usually make more than techs, and hospitals generally pay more than retail. Plus, there is geographic difference - San Diego vs. middle of North Dakota. I would say that a certified tech is anywhere between 8-12 dollars in retail, and 14-20 in a hospital, while an intern is somewhere 10-15 in retail and 15-25 in a hospital, but it's hard to say.

4. Can we do this in a hospital?

See above.

 

[twester]

In Colorado, an intern can do everything a pharmacist can do as long as the work is supervised/verified. I can transfer prescriptions, copy phoned-in scripts, I can counsel (mostly OTC products right now), I can do everything a tech does, and I can ring up toilet paper.

Oh, and I can work seven days straight to fill in for vacationing techs.

 

[pharmgirl2011]

1. An pharmacy intern is in pharmacy school, a pharmacy tech is not.
2. Depends on the place...most retail requires little experience, hospital usually wants more
3. All depends on your location, interns generally get paid at a higher rate than techs.
4. Yes

Congratulations in advance!!! Thanks for the great advice

 

[pharmgirl2011]

1. The difference btw a pharm intern and a pharm tech?

As I have very recently learned (after moving to New Jersey) different states have a very different definition of what an intern is. In many states it's someone who is in pharmacy school, in some it is just someone who is currently on rotations, and in some it is someone who has a pharmacy degree but doesn't have enough hours to be eligible for licensure, and so while getting those hours they are called interns.



Again, depends on the state. For an intern, some require being already in pharmacy school (aka after the first day of class as opposed to merely being accepted), some can register as interns after first year of pharmacy school, and some have no intern registration at all, and it's up to your employer what they want to call you. As far as techs, also a large amount of state-to-state variation. Some states register techs, some dont. Some require board certification for the tech status, some dont. Some have internal exam and CEs, some don't. Some only require certification for techs who work in the hospitals. A lot also depends on the institution's policies.



Interns usually make more than techs, and hospitals generally pay more than retail. Plus, there is geographic difference - San Diego vs. middle of North Dakota. I would say that a certified tech is anywhere between 8-12 dollars in retail, and 14-20 in a hospital, while an intern is somewhere 10-15 in retail and 15-25 in a hospital, but it's hard to say.



See above.

Wow,ok so I need to find out the Ohio laws. Thanks for the advice and so quickly? So you are a fellow? A fellow is different than a resident right? Are you in research?

 

[pharmgirl2011]

In Colorado, an intern can do everything a pharmacist can do as long as the work is supervised/verified. I can transfer prescriptions, copy phoned-in scripts, I can counsel (mostly OTC products right now), I can do everything a tech does, and I can ring up toilet paper.

Oh, and I can work seven days straight to fill in for vacationing techs.

Thanks for the quick response, so I take it getting hours isnt really a problem? Thats awesome! Do you work during the schoo year or mostly on breaks??

 

[twester]

Thanks for the quick response, so I take it getting hours isnt really a problem? Thats awesome! Do you work during the schoo year or mostly on breaks??

I didn't work at all during the last school year. I had no problem with getting an internship for the summer. I will probably work a little during the coming year if I can get a gig near my house and on the right day of the week.

 

[tussionex]

- in NY, there is no such thing, officially, as a technician. the state can't really decide what to do with them with regard to licensure, required skills, etc...so they are called "ancillary staff". interns are those who have completed third year and have a NY intern license.
both hospitals and retail will hire both, as around here they're pretty desperate for staff. i would say the pay is about the same for both.

 

[Hels2007]

Wow,ok so I need to find out the Ohio laws. Thanks for the advice and so quickly? So you are a fellow? A fellow is different than a resident right? Are you in research?

There are two types of fellows - clinical and nonclinical. Examples of the clinical fellowships would be Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Oncology - don't ask me what's the difference between them and specialty residencies. I guess it's just terminology, and they are very few. Most common breed of fellows is indeed nonclinical. Research fellowships are usually based in academia, and more common for Ph.D.s and (possibly) MDs (who have their own fellowships which are extra subspecialty, such as pulmonology, as far as I understand). I am a fellow in the industry, it doesn't prepare me to do research, it prepares me to work in a pharmaceutical company (and there are many different programs out there, like marketing, clinical research, regulatory, etc.). Residents, on the other hand, are all clinical (except for managed care and drug information residents, they are, as the names imply, working in insurance or in drug information centers). Some are community, but most are hospital-based. They help gain extra experience and prepare someone to work in a clinical role in a hospital.

Thanks for the quick response, so I take it getting hours isnt really a problem? Thats awesome! Do you work during the schoo year or mostly on breaks??

I worked throughout the year, about 12-16 hours a week during school, and went close to full-time in the summer. 🙂 It's not that difficult, believe me.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

Pharmgirl2011, Ohio law states that you can't be licensed as an intern until you have actually BEGUN taking classes in the Pharm.D. program.

 

[Jbuprepharm]

In Colorado, an intern can do everything a pharmacist can do as long as the work is supervised/verified. I can transfer prescriptions, copy phoned-in scripts, I can counsel (mostly OTC products right now), I can do everything a tech does, and I can ring up toilet paper.

Oh, and I can work seven days straight to fill in for vacationing techs.

Same applies for Texas, and you can get your intern license after your first year of pharmacy school.

except I only worked 6 days straight to fill in 👍

 

[Leb]

What if you do not have any previous experience but you are an intern?
I will join a pharmacy school this fall, but i do not have any previous experience. If i want to work at a pharmacy, will i be expected to know and do more than licensed techs? Or will they consider me a tech, until i can stand on my feet and then consider me an intern?

 

[Requiem]

Shifting gears here somewhat - and this has kinda been discussed previously but i'll throw it out there since the OP's question has been answered:

Should someone who has yet to actually begin pharmacy school be considered a Pharmacy Intern, and be entitled to all the privledges [pay rate, scope of practice, etc]?

 

[pharmgirl2011]

What if you do not have any previous experience but you are an intern?
I will join a pharmacy school this fall, but i do not have any previous experience. If i want to work at a pharmacy, will i be expected to know and do more than licensed techs? Or will they consider me a tech, until i can stand on my feet and then consider me an intern?

Great question and I am in your boat. I will be a student this fall but I lack experience...

 

[NDGirl]

I will start a Pharm.D. program this fall. In ND we apply for our Intern License the summer before we start the program and can be Interns right away. I just got hired as an Intern with absolutely no experience. The pay rate isn't that great ($8.50) but that is for a couple reasons: it is a brand new pharmacy that just opened today actually, and I don't know anything at all. I feel bad for the techs because right now, I know less than they do. The pharmacist that I am working for said that eventually I will be able to do everything, including calling doctors and talking to them about switching drugs to make it more cost effective for the patient (we deal mostly with cash based customers not customers with insurance). But for now, my great job is counting! Yay. The way I see it, this give me experience, so that the next time a really great job with really great pay comes around, I will be more qualified.