Pharmacy Intern Advice

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

atpsynthase

Protons and Pumps, Baby!
10+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
176
Reaction score
5
I've seen a few threads that are close to what I'm looking for but not quite, so I'm making this one. As us P1s are finishing our first year in the next couple weeks, we will move to being interns and have our intern licenses and be able to do big kid pharmacy things.

So to all the current interns out there: what general or specific advice do you have regarding working in institutional or community settings and what have some barriers been in your experience?

Thanks! :)

Members don't see this ad.
 
Different pharmacists let you do different things. Some let me work on patient cases and call prescribers. Others just want me to do tech things. Others regularly quiz me and some straight up pimp me, which is fine really. I don't mind getting pimped. I wish they'd do it more often.

I can go on rounds if I want or go to codes with the pharmacist. But, if I do that, some of the other techs can get upset so I don't do it often. I went to a code a while back and got saline pushes ready, took out some drips and got them ready, had epi ready. It was kind of cool and then the physician did a sternal rub. Everything happened so fast. The sternal rub kind of freaked me out though. Especially since I'd gotten to know that patient and they'd been around awhile.

I say do as much as they'll let you. Learn IVs, become familiar with dosing and diluents, ask questions, offer to help, offer to pull literature for the pharmacists when they're busy, ask them to let you look over their shoulder when doing consults or dosing/kinetics.

Take it all in my friend. Learn everything the techs do and learn Pyxis. You'll have to know it as a pharmacist (like how to recover drawers- spatulas are your friends- , or load/unload, inventory, etc.) Because the nurses will call and say the med is grey in Pyxis but they looked under brand name or the drawer has failed.

Learn the workflow as much as possible. Every person is essential for making things run smoothly. I think it's great to know the positions.

Learn the meds on the formulary, the process for "patient's own med", what narcs you have, what's on backorder/mfg out, how to compound, etc. There is so much to learn.

Sometimes we'd get students who thought they were "above" doing tech work. But without techs, everything would come to a halt. So, be nice to them. They'll show you the ropes.

Also, remember that every place is different.
 
Last edited:
Different pharmacists let you do different things. Some let me work on patient cases and call prescribers. Others just want me to do tech things. Others regularly quiz me and some straight up pimp me, which is fine really. I don't mind getting pimped. I wish they'd do it more often.

I can go on rounds if I want or go to codes with the pharmacist. But, if I do that, some of the other techs can get upset so I don't do it often. I went to a code a while back and got saline pushes ready, took out some drips and got them ready, had epi ready. It was kind of cool and then the physician did a sternal rub. Everything happened so fast. The sternal rub kind of freaked me out though. Especially since I'd gotten to know that patient and they'd been around awhile.

I say do as much as they'll let you. Learn IVs, become familiar with dosing and diluents, ask questions, offer to help, offer to pull literature for the pharmacists when they're busy, ask them to let you look over their shoulder when doing consults or dosing/kinetics.

Take it all in my friend. Learn everything the techs do and learn Pyxis. You'll have to know it as a pharmacist (like how to recover drawers- spatulas are your friends- , or load/unload, inventory, etc.) Because the nurses will call and say the med is grey in Pyxis but they looked under brand name or the drawer has failed.

Learn the workflow as much as possible. Every person is essential for making things run smoothly. I think it's great to know the positions.

Learn the meds on the formulary, the process for "patient's own med", what narcs you have, what's on backorder/mfg out, how to compound, etc. There is so much to learn.

Sometimes we'd get students who thought they were "above" doing tech work. But without techs, everything would come to a halt. So, be nice to them. They'll show you the ropes.

Also, remember that every place is different.

Lea summed it up pretty well for community pharmacy too. The biggest thing is to gain the respect of your techs and not act like you are above them. As Lea said, the best way to do this is by performing all the tech duties and not complaining about it. Once you get their respect, they will start coming to you instead of the pharmacist for their pharmacist-related questions. In the same vein, go to them first if you have a question regarding insurance issues, inventory issues, etc. It makes them feel good when you are coming to them for help.

Don't be afraid to ask your preceptor if you're unsure of a counseling point, you'll get more confident with repetition. Whenever there's down time, talk with your preceptor about what you're studying about in school. This helps to reinforce your knowledge and you may teach your preceptor a thing or two. Recently, one of the pharmacists I work with had no idea what Xarelto was and I was able to explain it to them.

Another thing you can do while there's down time (which is rare sometimes) is to roam the OTC aisles. It's very easy to pick out the people that need help picking something out. You can also grab a package insert off of one of the bottles and read up on a medication that you're currently studying to also help reinforce your knowledge.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Lea summed it up pretty well for community pharmacy too. The biggest thing is to gain the respect of your techs and not act like you are above them. As Lea said, the best way to do this is by performing all the tech duties and not complaining about it. Once you get their respect, they will start coming to you instead of the pharmacist for their pharmacist-related questions. In the same vein, go to them first if you have a question regarding insurance issues, inventory issues, etc. It makes them feel good when you are coming to them for help.

Don't be afraid to ask your preceptor if you're unsure of a counseling point, you'll get more confident with repetition. Whenever there's down time, talk with your preceptor about what you're studying about in school. This helps to reinforce your knowledge and you may teach your preceptor a thing or two. Recently, one of the pharmacists I work with had no idea what Xarelto was and I was able to explain it to them.

Another thing you can do while there's down time (which is rare sometimes) is to roam the OTC aisles. It's very easy to pick out the people that need help picking something out. You can also grab a package insert off of one of the bottles and read up on a medication that you're currently studying to also help reinforce your knowledge.

It's pretty easy to do this when they get paid ****ing $8/hr more than you. Institution where I work pays pharmacy interns $14.50/hr regardless of year in school. Thus, you could have been there from P1 to P4 and you still have the same rate. At the same time, the techs are making $22/hr. Absolutely ridiculous.
 
It's pretty easy to do this when they get paid ****ing $8/hr more than you. Institution where I work pays pharmacy interns $14.50/hr regardless of year in school. Thus, you could have been there from P1 to P4 and you still have the same rate. At the same time, the techs are making $22/hr. Absolutely ridiculous.

Now you are actually acting if you are above the techs, and trust me, an experienced tech is far more important to a company than you are!!!!
 
make friends with the techs and bring food
 
Common sense, but to continue on with an aspect of what lea said: every pharmacist will have different levels of comfort with your abilities and this can change over time as well. I always assume that the rph on duty assumes I know nothing more than a tech. Therefore, before I do anything beyond the scope of a tech, if I haven't asked before with this rph, I always ask if they mind (eg taking copys, new rxs, immunizations, etc). Some rphs will never feel comfortable with you doing anything and some might even let you verify in your last year, just depends.

Lea brought up another good point: techs sometimes don't appreciate your position very much. They think you're a tech and often a pharmacist will pimp you for rph work as much as possible. Therefore, you'll end up trying as best as you might to please everyone with your limited amount of time to do both jobs. I recommend homemade baked goods for mitigating this conflict :thumbup:
 
Very strong advice so far. To continue in the same way I would say to learn to be comfortable with yourself. Be confident, but not cocky. If I work with a pharmacist that is cool with me doing whatever, I do whatever. If not, I don't. It's simple really. Asking first is a really good policy - I have been burned by trying to do more than the pharmacist on duty was comfortable with me doing. You have to respect that, it's their license on the line. Still sucks when you get someone who won't let you do anything though...

In my experience most pharmacists, if you project a calm confidence, will let you preform up to your abilities. If you act nervous to answer a phone/talk to a patient/etc that is going to be obvious and you likely are not going to get to do as much. And if you are a jerk, well no one is going to want to work with you. It takes time, but you will get there. One more thing - don't be afraid to ask questions! I still struggle with that one.

Techs are much harder to win over, IMO, but well worth it. The fastest way to hate a pharmacy is to get on the wrong side of the techs. Your ability to do pretty much anything is based on your ability to win over the techs. If they hate you, your life in the pharmacy is going to be hell. Want to counsel a patient? Guess what, if the techs won't cover for you, you are going to have a hard time breaking away to do it. If the techs love you, they will happily call you over when someone needs counseling. Make the techs your friends - you won't regret it. This applies to institutional pharmacy as well, but to a somewhat lesser degree, IMO.

Food is a great way to win over anyone. So is respect. Ask them to show you how to do the technical aspects of pharmacy operations - they are a wealth of knowledge. Don't act dismissive or condescending. And don't take stuff personally.
 
It's pretty easy to do this when they get paid ****ing $8/hr more than you. Institution where I work pays pharmacy interns $14.50/hr regardless of year in school. Thus, you could have been there from P1 to P4 and you still have the same rate. At the same time, the techs are making $22/hr. Absolutely ridiculous.

I was actually speaking from a community pharmacy perspective where often times the interns are making more (sometimes much more) than the techs who have been with the company for years.
 
I was actually speaking from a community pharmacy perspective where often times the interns are making more (sometimes much more) than the techs who have been with the company for years.
That is the much, much more common scenario. I think Sparda was just pointing out the irregularity of his site. If you're earning less, I suppose it does make it harder to feel above them.

Is the lower compensation because they're teaching you things, or you're doing projects, or just tech work? There must be some kind of reason, or something that makes it worthwhile.
 
I was actually speaking from a community pharmacy perspective where often times the interns are making more (sometimes much more) than the techs who have been with the company for years.

trudat, i actually felt really bad making $17 an hour while techs made $14-15/hr. They taught me stuff about real life pharmacy that I wouldn't learn in school. I would buy them lunch all the time and for christmas I bought my two techs skechers shape-ups. I would pretty much be nothing without them
 
trudat, i actually felt really bad making $17 an hour while techs made $14-15/hr. They taught me stuff about real life pharmacy that I wouldn't learn in school. I would buy them lunch all the time and for christmas I bought my two techs skechers shape-ups. I would pretty much be nothing without them

Yeah, when I first started I had no idea how low the pay was for technicians and I made the mistake of telling one of the techs how much I was being paid when they asked me. It really is a travesty what they get paid for the amount of work that they do. I plan on doing whatever I can on the side to compensate my techs because without good/happy techs you can't run a successful pharmacy.
 
Yeah, when I first started I had no idea how low the pay was for technicians and I made the mistake of telling one of the techs how much I was being paid when they asked me. It really is a travesty what they get paid for the amount of work that they do. I plan on doing whatever I can on the side to compensate my techs because without good/happy techs you can't run a successful pharmacy.

First rule of compensation. Don't talk about compensation!!! In some companies, you can be released for discussing pay. You may be curious yourself, but just don't.

All I am looking for for compensation as an intern is enough to pay for loan interest, gas, and lunches. I feel that my primary compensation is the knowledge gained. I also don't want to lose the knowledge acquired over the past year.

On my last IPPE of the year, I was sitting with my preceptor and an accreditation auditor. At the conclusion of the visit, I observed to myself that I now spoke a different language than I did just a short year ago. Now I need to find an org that needs an intern. :D
 
Top