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]

usa working

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

[Asterix]

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

[Pharmanaut]

US Registration

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.

[Asterix]

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]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

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]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

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]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

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

[pharout]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

Irpolo,
Please see my responses on this very thread regarding your questions. The 5yr requirement is because in the U.S., the bachelor's degree takes 5 years. This includes pre-pharm work and internship training. I believe your pre-reg year in the UK is "after" your didactic work and you've left the university and gained qualification. The FPGE exam evaluates only your educational equivalent, not your practical training. The practical training component here is incorporated into the university training by way of rotations, summers, breaks, etc and during the entire last year of the doctor of pharmacy program. So this is probably why you see the difference in what they evaluate. Also, the bachelor's degree in pharmacy here no longer exists, the PharmD degree is the minimum entry requirement, which is 6yrs minimum but most already have a bachelor's degree of some sort when they apply because it is so competitive. Unfortunately, waiting for the ok to take the exam is like watching water boil. My wife is from Spain and it took forever, almost 1year to hear back. I have friends from Canada and they had to also take this exam, so I don't think that will necessarily make entry easier for you. Once you pass the exam, you will have to do 1500 hours of internship in the state of Washington, then take the national NAPLEX exam and the WA state law exam. This is the normal course, with exception of FPGE, for people here. Seattle is a nice city, rains alot, but you're probably used to it. Washington is one of the most progressive states in terms of pharmacy practice and what you get to do, very innovative! If you are looking at practicing clinical pharmacy, you will be at a disadvantage if you do not have a PharmD. I'm not being biased, that's just the way it is and it's been this way for my wife as well. You can pretty much work in any other setting though and there is definitely demand and salaries are great. The usual course for clinical pharmacy here is a PharmD degree, post-graduate residency or fellowship and/or years of practice. It's getting tougher all of the time. Good luck with your effort and be very, very patient. Remember that the FPGE exam evaluates your pharmacy didactic education including pre-pharm courses. They tell you to study everything and they mean it from organic chemistry to pharmacology.

[Jeff]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

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

Have you considered changing your mind?


Prescription for Trouble? | AHealthyMe.com

Jeff

[aussiepharmer]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

Please anyone interested read my situation here:

I am currently attending a very reputable pharmacy school in Victoria(Australia). I sent the NABP a letter at the end of last month regarding my situation to find out whether I would be eligible to take the FPGEE after I obtain my pharmacist license in Australia. I have taken more than a year of prepharmacy-related subjects at a US university before transferring to my current pharmacy school.

I received a response to my letter a couple days ago, and what they only said was that Australian pharmacy schools have a four year curriculum, and so the graduates do not meet up to their standards, and that the actual FPGEE eligibility can be determined by sending applications, BS, etc.

The UK high school grads take A-levels to get into pharm schools - the NABP counts this as a total of 5 year curriculum, although a 4 yr pharmacy degree.

In Victoria, students coming from Australian high schools(both international and domestic) must take the IB(international baccalaureate) or VCE(Victorian Certificate of Education). As far as I know, the NABP does not recognize VCE(not sure about IB) to be counted within the five year requirement, thus, they recognize Australian pharmacy curriculum as four years.

Here's my question:

It seems the way they set up as 5 year curriculum is actually defective. I am asking if there are any pharmacists/graduates from UK or Australian pharmacy schools who had their high school years taken at a different country, and of those people, if there's anyone who is eligible to sit for FPGEE.

For example, if there's a student coming from a high school in Australia has taken a VCE(or some other measure that might not be counted within the 5 yr by the NABP) to get into a UK pharmacy school and got accepted/rejected in taking the FPGEE, or a student from a UK high school has taken A-levels to get into an Australian pharmacy school to become eligible for the FPGEE, etc.


Lastly, the only way to be sure of my situation is to graduate and go for the license first!

[Pharmanaut]

Re: UK pharmacist wanting to relocate to the US

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

I can think of one UK pharmacist who would, preferably retired!