OHIO STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY;  77 S. HIGH STREET, ROOM 1702;  COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215-6126

Tel: 614/466-4143         Fax: 614/752-4836          Eml: licensing@bop.state.oh.us          Web: www.pharmacy.ohio.gov

 

 

PHARMACY INTERNSHIP

(02/01/2005)

 

[Chapter 4729-3 of the Ohio Administrative Code]

 

 

Rule 4729-3-01  Definitions.  [Update effective 02/01/05]

 

As used in Chapter 4729-3 of the Administrative Code:

 

(A)   "Pharmacy internship" means the supervised practical experience required for licensure as a registered pharmacist.  The purpose of the pharmacy internship program is to provide those indivi­duals, who intend to become registered pharmacists, with the knowledge and practical experience necessary for functioning competently and effectively upon licensure.

 

(B)   "Supervised practical experience" is the experience obtained at an internship site and which is con­ducted in accordance with the "National Association of Boards of Pharmacy - American Associa­tion of Col­leges of Pharmacy" publication "The Internship Experience," or a similar outline and/or manual approved by the board of pharmacy.

 

(C)   "Internship site" means a pharmacy licensed as a terminal distributor of dangerous drugs pur­suant to Chapter 4729. of the Revised Code, except as provided in paragraph (C) or (D) of rule 4729-3-05 of the Administrative Code, and whose license is in good standing.

 

(D)   "Preceptor" is the individual responsible for seeing that the intern is properly supervised and exposed to all aspects of the internship program defined as the supervised practical experience.

 

(1)   A "preceptor" is a pharmacist who holds a current identification card which is in good standing; or, is a person who is of good moral character and is qualified to direct the approved experience in the area approved by the director of internship pursuant to para­graph (D) of rule 4729-3-05 of the Admini­strative Code.

 

(2)   A person may serve as the preceptor for more than one intern.  The number of interns engaged in the practice of pharmacy at any time is limited to not more than two for each pharmacist on duty.

 

(3)   A preceptor must report to the board on the progress and aptitude of an intern when requested by the director of internship.

 

(E)   "Director of internship" has the same meaning as provided in section 4729.11 of the Revised Code.

 

(F)   "In good standing" means that the licensee or registrant has not been denied the privilege of super­vising interns by the board.

 

(G)   "Statement of Preceptor" is the form which must be received by the board of pharmacy for each phar­macy intern within thirty days of beginning internship under a preceptor's supervision.  A "Statement of Preceptor" form is not required to be submitted to the board when using an aca­demic experience affidavit.

 

(1)   No credit will be given for practical experience obtained prior to thirty days of the date that the "Statement of Preceptor" form is received by the board office; except, that in the event of extra­or­di­nary circumstances and when due to no fault of the intern, the board may accept a retroactive date of filing for the "Statement of Preceptor."

 

(2)   The intern must file a "Statement of Preceptor" form whenever he/she changes intern­ship sites and/or preceptors.

 

(H)   "Practical experience affidavit" is the form which must be used to submit evidence of practical experience for intern­ship credit.

 

(1)   Practical experience reported on the affidavit shall be the total number of actual clock hours worked during the reported time period rounded to the nearest hour.  The hours reported must be able to be docu­mented by payroll or other records which may be examined by the board of phar­macy upon reasonable notice.

 

(2)   Practical experience affidavits must be signed by the preceptor on file with the board of pharmacy.  In the event of the unavailability of the preceptor's signature due to extraordinary circumstances and due to no fault of the intern, the board may accept an alternative method for verification of a practical experience affidavit.

 

(3)   Practical experience affidavits for a calendar year may be filed at any time, except that they must be received in the board office or postmarked no later than the first day of March of the following year.

 

(I)   "Academic experience affidavit" is the form that may be used to submit evidence of practical experience obtained from a board approved structured program where academic credit is awarded.

 

(1)   The academic experience coordinator at a school of pharmacy is responsible for assuring that during the time of the experience each practice site and preceptor are currently licensed and are in good standing with the appropriate professional licensing board or have been pre­viously approved by the board of pharmacy.

 

(2)   The preceptor at each practice site must sign the academic experience affidavit certi­fy­ing the hours of practical experience obtained by the intern.

 

(3)   The academic experience coordinator at a school of pharmacy must submit a signed aca­demic experience affidavit certifying that the intern ob­tained a passing grade and that the practice sites and the preceptors are currently licensed and in good standing with the appro­priate profes­sional licensing board or have been previously approved by the board of phar­macy.

 

(4)   The academic experience coordinator at a school of pharmacy is responsible for main­tain­ing records of intern experience at each practice site.

 

(5)   Academic experience affidavits may be filed at any time, except that they must be received in the board office or postmarked no later than the first day of the July that immediately fol­lows the successful completion of the academic course.

 

(J)   "School of pharmacy" has the same meaning as a college of pharmacy or a department of phar­macy of a university, which has been recognized and approved by the state board of pharmacy.

 

Rule 4729-3-02  Registration as a pharmacy intern.  [Update effective 02/01/05]

 

(A)   A certificate of registration as a pharmacy intern shall only be issued for the purpose of allowing those individuals who intend to become registered pharmacists the opportunity to obtain the practical experience required for examination and registration as a pharmacist.

 

(B)   If a person is actively working towards the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist and desires to work as a pharmacy intern in Ohio, he/she must:

 

(1)   (a)   Have successfully completed at least sixty semester or ninety quarter hours of college and be enrolled in a school of pharmacy; or

 

(b)   Have obtained a first professional degree in pharmacy from a program which has been recognized and approved by the state board of pharmacy; or

 

(c)   Have established educational equivalency by obtaining a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) certificate, and have established proficiency in spoken English by successfully completing the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or its board approved equivalent.

 

(2)   Apply to the state board of pharmacy for registration as a pharmacy intern.

 

Rule 4729-3-03  Application for registration as a pharmacy intern. 

[Update effective 02/01/05]

 

(A)   Every person desiring to register as a pharmacy intern shall submit the following to the state board of pharmacy:

 

(1)   A completed application form as provided by the board;

 

(2)   A head and shoulders photograph taken within the previous six months;

 

(3)   Fee;

 

(4)   An original transcript certifying that the applicant has in fact successfully completed a mini­mum of sixty semester or ninety quarter hours of college work; and

 

(5)   A certificate of enrollment into a school of pharmacy certifying that the person is enrolled in a school of pharmacy and is actively working towards the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist; or

 

(6)   All items listed in paragraphs (A)(1) to (A)(3) of this rule and:

 

(a)   Certification of having obtained a first professional degree in pharmacy from a program which has been recognized and approved by the state board of phar­macy; or

 

(b)   Certification of having established educational equivalency by obtaining a “For­eign Pharmacy Graduate Ex­amination Commission (FPGEC)” certificate, and evidence of suc­cess­ful completion of the “Test of Spoken English (TSE)” or its board approved equivalent.

 

(B)   The state board of pharmacy may register an applicant as a pharmacy intern as soon as the state board of pharmacy receives all the required items set forth in paragraphs (A)(1) to (A)(5) or para­graph (A)(6) of this rule.

 

(C)   The state board of pharmacy may, pursuant to rule 4729-5-04 of the Administrative Code, deny the issuance of a certificate of registration or an identification card to practice as a pharmacy intern.

 

Rule 4729-3-04  Pharmacy intern identification card renewal.  [Update effective 02/01/05]

 

A pharmacy intern may renew his/her identification card each year provided he/she is actively working toward the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist and otherwise meets the requirements and rules of the state board of pharmacy.  The state board of pharmacy may, pursuant to rule 4729-5-04 of the Administrative Code, deny the issuance of an identification card to practice pharmacy as an intern.

 

(A)   An intern shall be considered to be actively working towards licensure as a pharmacist if he/she has complied with all of the statutes and rules regarding internship since registration as a phar­macy intern, and:

 

(1)   He/she is enrolled in a school of pharmacy and is actively working towards the require­ments for licensure as a pharmacist; or

 

(2)   He/she is a member of the armed forces and can provide evidence that he/she has been accepted for enrollment in a school of pharmacy upon his/her release from the armed forces; or

 

(3)   He/she is able to provide evidence of obtaining a first professional degree in pharmacy from a school of pharmacy; or

 

(4)   He/she is able to provide evidence of obtaining a “Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Exami­na­tion Commission (FPGEC)” certificate, and can provide evidence of successful com­pletion of the “Test of Spoken English (TSE)” or its board approved equivalent.

 

(B)   An intern who has obtained a first professional degree in pharmacy from a school of pharmacy, or who has established equivalency by obtaining a “Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Com­mission (FPGEC)” certificate, may renew his/her license only once.  In the event of extra­ordinary circumstances and when due to no fault of the intern, the board may approve addi­tional renewals.

 

 

Rule 4729-3-05  Internship credit.  [Update effective 02/01/03]

 

(A)   No internship credit shall be granted by the board for practical experience obtained before regis­tration as an intern or during a period when the intern's registration has lapsed.

 

(B)   Internship credit may be granted for practical experience obtained when the intern is actively working towards the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist as defined in paragraph (A) of rule 4729-3-04 of the Administrative Code, other than the structured academic program as provided for in paragraph (C) of this rule.

 

(C)   Internship credit may be gained for practical experience obtained in a structured program for which academic credit is awarded (e.g., externship, clerkship).  Such credit shall be limited to the number of hours for which the structured program has been approved by the state board of pharmacy.  Internship credit shall be granted only when the intern obtains a passing grade for the course involved.  The practical experience obtained may be submitted to the board on an academic experience affidavit.

 

(D)   Up to five hundred hours of internship credit may be obtained at a site other than a pharmacy licensed as a terminal distributor of dangerous drugs (e.g., manufacturing, research, consulting, drug information, and drug utilization review).  To receive credit for such experience, a formal request must be submitted to the director of internship for approval prior to beginning the experience in these areas.  The request shall include a detailed description of the contemplated internship with respect to time, place, duties, responsibilities, professional supervision, and the person supervising the experience.  The request must be signed by both the intern and the person supervising the experience and returned with a completed statement of preceptor form.

 

(E)   Internship credit may be denied for the practical experience accumulated when an intern is found to be guilty of violation(s) pursuant to section 4729.16 of the Revised Code.

 

(F)   The pharmacy internship requirement for the licensure examination shall be deemed satisfactor­ily completed when the intern has filed affidavits certifying that he/she has obtained a total of one thou­sand five hundred hours of supervised practical experience and such affidavits have been accepted by the board of pharmacy.

 

Rule 4729-3-09  Expiration of pharmacy intern registration.  [Update effective 07/01/92]

 

When a candidate receives his/her first identification card to practice as a pharmacist, his/her registra­tion as a pharmacy intern terminates.

 

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ALL APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSURE TO PRACTICE PHARMACY IN OHIO MUST BE MADE UNDER OATH BEFORE A QUALIFIED OFFICER.  It is a Misdemeanor of the First Degree for any person to make a false statement under oath for the purpose of securing licensure for him/herself or for another person.  Certificates of Licensure obtained by fraud or upon false representation may be revoked by the Board.