Do you need pharmacy experience before pharmacy school? Imagine yourself at the pharmacy school interview. You tell the admission committee that being a pharmacist is your dream. You say it is your passion. You explain that you love helping others learn about their medications.
Really? Is this possible? How can you make all these claims without ever stepping foot in a pharmacy? Do you truly understand what a pharmacist goes through on a day-to-day basis? The admission committee knows pharmacy! You cannot make these claims without ever working in a pharmacy. It is possible to come up with reasons of why you want to be a pharmacist, however it is a difficult task to convince an admission committee that pharmacy is your passion without experience. Thus, it is highly recommended that you get pharmacy experience before pharmacy school.
Pharmacy Experience Before Pharmacy School
Getting pharmacy experience is critical for your pharmacy school application. My journey into the pharmacy first started after my freshman year in college. It was summer break. I called 10 different pharmacies in the area. “No volunteers” was the common response. I learned it was too easy for pharmacies to deny people over the phone. My search continued by visiting pharmacies and asking for a chance to volunteer for the summer. Still no luck.
My last resort was to use my network. I called my volunteer manager at the local hospital. She was able to secure me 2 volunteer positions for the summer. One at the local hospital and one in a independent pharmacy nearby. Success! This exemplifies the importance of networking power. During my high school years I had volunteered at the local hospital for 4 years. This commitment allowed me to build a strong relationship with the volunteer manager.
Now looking back I realized it is a big risk to take a random stranger off the street into your pharmacy. Having a volunteer in your pharmacy is a liability. They could steal narcotics and that would all fall under your pharmacist license. Volunteers are unlikely to know pharmacy law, which is a liability. I was able to overcome this obstacle by building a relationship with my volunteer manager. With her network and recommendation I was able to break down this barrier. This allowed me to get pharmacy experience before pharmacy school.
What you need to be a volunteer or work in a pharmacy:
- You must be licensed to work or volunteer in a pharmacy
- Pharmacy Assistant License
- Pharmacy Tech License (requires school or an employer that has a program to train techs)
Pharmacy Assistant License
The pharmacy assistant license is easy to obtain. Go to the state department of health website (whichever state you live in and want to work or volunteer). Search “pharmacy assistant” and fill out the application. Keep in mind this application may take up to 4-8 weeks to be approved. The state department of health has many applications for all disciplines in healthcare.
Different states may have variable requirements. In Washington State you will need to take a 4-hour education course on HIV-AIDS to meet the requirements.
I hope the recommendations above will help guide, motivate, and inspire you to achieve your goals. Follow my blog for more tips and advice on how to become a pharmacist. What are your experiences? Please comment below and share your thoughts.