UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

[lrpolo]

I've just started out on the application process to work out in the US (Seattle), primarily the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivilancy Exam (awful name). I'm still waiting for my application to be OK'd by the americans, but am a bit hazy as to what else I should be doing. I feel I should be looking for a work visa or something in the meantime, as well as a job placement, but am not sure how to go about it. Hopefully I'll muddle through somehow, but if anybody else who knows or who has done it can tell me, that would be infinitely helpful.

sharon

[johnep]

Try Steve Curtis's site 'pharmacyexams.co.uk
johnep

[coconn]

Irpolo, which school of pharmacy did you attended because I was reading about qualifying for the fpgee, and it says you need a four year degree if you graduated before 2003, and a 5 year degree if you graduated after in order to take it.

Have you read this article on the on the pj site http://www.pjonline.com/pdf/hp/20060...04_careers.pdf

It would be helpful if you could keep people on the forum updated on how your application goes.
Good Luck
coconn

[giggsy]

so without doing a 5 year degree u cant work in the us? what about canada

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by giggsy

so without doing a 5 year degree u cant work in the us? what about canada

Don't forget the US education system is different to the UK.
Our 3-year degree with A-levels can be accepted according to the article.

Trying Canada and getting in that way would be the best way, however, Canada sounds the best North American option anyway.

[giggsy]

Originally Posted by Pharmanaut

Don't forget the US education system is different to the UK.
Our 3-year degree with A-levels can be accepted according to the article.

Trying Canada and getting in that way would be the best way, however, Canada sounds the best North American option anyway.

well im hoping to get a 4 year degree from either bradford or brighton for pharmacy. Would i be at any disadvantage?

[lrpolo]

The 4 year 5 year thing is a bit of a pain but not really a problem because our pre-reg year counts. a friend of mine got his school to send the US board a letter stating that, and then it was fine. He passed his exam but didn't go through with looking for work or a visa. I myself was contacted and asked to get my 6th form school to confirm my A-levels, which seemed bizarre. But if that's all it takes its fine by me, I just want to take that exam. This guy at the RPSGB said that every single pharmacist applying for the US has come across this issue, but all of them have managed to work something out. Which makes you wonder what it is about the americans that makes them behave like each application from the UK is the first.
The time it takes is unbelievable, I started trying to apply in October, and am still waiting for my application to go through. To be fair the main problem actually came from my school of pharmacy, SOP, it took them over a month to issue my official transcript for the application, which was free. The RPSGB was also not much better, taking them about the same amount of time to send off a letter of recommendation, and for that I paid £50. Both things probably would have only taken them 10 minutes to knock out.
The next exam will be in June 2007, as I have not made it for the exam literally just gone on the 5th Dec, and according to the author of that PJ article I may not be able to get a visa for the end of next year anyway.
I'm doing all this to be with a guy who lives in Seattle, by the time i manage to get out there it'll be lucky if we're still together at this rate!

[aussiepharmer]

Irpolo,

The pre-reg year is actually NOT counted. It's the A-levels that's included within the 5 year requirement. The Australian pharmacy graduates are not eligible to sit for the FPGEE because NABP does not recognize the Australian equivalent of A-levels.

Cheers.

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by aussiepharmer

Irpolo,

The pre-reg year is actually NOT counted. It's the A-levels that's included within the 5 year requirement. The Australian pharmacy graduates are not eligible to sit for the FPGEE because NABP does not recognize the Australian equivalent of A-levels.

Cheers.

Perhaps a rethink on their part is necessary, if the US is do deal with the shortage of pharmacists over there.

[johnep]

Or will they follow the route we seem to be taking of simply using technicians?

Last time I was there, told shortage of 7,000 pharmacists. This could mop up a lot of the european surplus. Certainly spanish pharmacists would be at home in florida.
johnep