Pharmacy in Canada

[aussiepharmer]

Do all US states require FPGEE for canadian licensed pharmacists?

[pharout]

Do all US states require FPGEE for canadian licensed pharmacists?

I believe so....it is a standard requirement across the board.

[lt17]

Hey

Im currently a pharmacy student in canada, so we've just gone over all of this in class haha. it's true we still have to write the exams and all that sha bang. However, in regards to the interning hours there is one other option shorten this 1500 hr requirement. Due to the shortages in Wasington state, they only require Canadian certified pharmacists to do 300 hrs of interning (yay) so instead of a year, it'll only take a few months. ALSO after getting licensed in washington you are allowed to practice in abother if you wish... im not exactly sure, but you maybe have to write a law exam for the specific state you want though. Hope this helps

[aussiepharmer]

Hey

Im currently a pharmacy student in canada, so we've just gone over all of this in class haha. it's true we still have to write the exams and all that sha bang. However, in regards to the interning hours there is one other option shorten this 1500 hr requirement. Due to the shortages in Wasington state, they only require Canadian certified pharmacists to do 300 hrs of interning (yay) so instead of a year, it'll only take a few months. ALSO after getting licensed in washington you are allowed to practice in abother if you wish... im not exactly sure, but you maybe have to write a law exam for the specific state you want though. Hope this helps

What if you have a Canadian pharmacist license but with a 4 year degree? Can you still be licensed in US?
If not, will a Canadian PharmD help?

[lt17]

Nope, all you need is the BSc Pharm. I think it is because all of the pharmacy programs in Canada require a minimum of one year in post-secondary to complete all of the prerequisites. If you get in after one year and then you do the 4 year program, it is equivalent to 5 years, so that may be why. I don't think pharmD would be necessary, because the canadian BScPharm is equivalent to the american PharmD. Because the states used to have a BSc & a PharmD and the difference between them was that the PharmD had more clinical/patient approach and the BSc (in the US) didnt. But the Canadian BSc already had that incorporated into it's program. OH I love how my class is actually useful.

[aussiepharmer]

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[lt17]

I don't think they care how many years you've done before your degree, they are more interested in the degree you have.

How I see it is that since the Canadian degree requires one year of post secondary, the US sees this as a degree with greater difficulty than one that you can enter straight from high school, since this prerequisite year we had to take were full of specific courses that laid the foundation for the science background that would be applicable to a pharmacy degree.

I can see how in your case, you would think that your 1.5 yrs before would count as something, however, you are completing a degree that didn't require those extra years of school. SO in the eyes of the US you are taking a degree that you could have taken straight out of high school and therefore lesser difficulty and only counts as a 4 year degree. (IN THE EYES OF THE US, i'm not saying that it is more or less difficult, it is probably the same as ours... it's just how they see it)

In regards to getting licensed in Canada and then going over to the US. I believe the US will still look at the degree that you received (the australian one). I don't think that just because you are licensed in Canada means you can get licensed in the states, because Canadian standards for overseas licensing is quite different for the US requirements.

I hope that helped. Just curious as to why you want to practice in states? Im not exactly sure how much the pharmacist salary in Australia are. Even though you may be getting paid more, I don't think that would offset the dismal quality of life in the US, which is not the greatest and I've heard of American pharmacists threatened with a gun, at knifepoint and other horrendous stories.

[aussiepharmer]

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[lt17]

Ok i see what you mean. In Canada the pay is almost as much as the US. I know in my city starting wage for a pharmacist fresh out of the program is about $45CDN/hr + bonuses + benefits n all that. However, that is in the city, if you're willing to go out to the underserved areas in smaller towns you can make $50-55CDN/hr (starting wage). Then again, I live in Alberta where the economy is booming like crazy and a huge shortage of workers and you can get a job at McDonalds and be paid $15/hr. There is a massive shortage of pharmacists in Canada and the States due to the aging population, all of the pharmacists retiring and whatnot. The thing is we have our interning all throughout the program and it is unethical to be paid for our practicum's AND we have to pay to the university as if it were a course (so we are working full time, no pay, paying the university $800 to work for a month this summer. I'm quite bitter if you hadn't noticed). So at least you get paid your intern year.

Well the thing is the US pharmacy programs all require a minimum of 3 years before even being allowed to apply to pharmacy though. Maybe they just feel the pharmacy program in AUS isn't long enough or doesnt have the same curriculum that they have or something. You could try sending a letter to the NABP explaining your situation to them.

Again, regarding the A-levels & IB (i took this haha) I still don't think it matters, because they'll be looking at your pharm degree not what you did before or after. They may feel that the UK degree is at the level they want and the AUS degree is not what they want.

[aussiepharmer]

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