"Pharmacist-intern" or "intern" means a person enrolled in a college of pharmacy or actively pursuing a pharmacy degree, or as otherwise provided by the Board, who is registered with the Board for the purpose of obtaining instruction in the practice of pharmacy from a preceptor. “Pharmacist-intern” includes a graduate of an approved college of pharmacy or a foreign graduate who has established educational equivalency. “Pharmacist-intern” may include an individual participating in a residency or fellowship program in Iowa, whether or not the individual is licensed as a pharmacist in another state.
For the pharmacist-intern, the goal of internship is, over a period of time, to attain and build upon the knowledge, skills, responsibilities, and ability to safely, efficiently, and effectively practice pharmacy under the laws and rules of the state of Iowa.
All application fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. Once an application is submitted and the fee is paid, the withdrawal of an application, determination of ineligibility based on prior criminal convictions, or discovery of the submission of an incorrect application type does not merit return or refund of the application fee. Do not submit an application if you are unsure of which application type to submit.
Do not send cash.
Who Should Register
Pharmacist-Interns currently enrolled in an ACPE approved college of pharmacy program in the state of Iowa.
Pharmacist-Interns currently enrolled in an ACPE approved college of pharmacy program in another state and acquiring intern experience in Iowa.
Graduates of an approved college of pharmacy acquiring practical experience as a requirement for licensure as a pharmacist in Iowa.
Registration Procedures
When to Register
Every person shall register before beginning their internship, but not before the commencement of the first professional year in a college of pharmacy. Pharmacist-Interns must be registered with a current/active registration before beginning an internship.
How to Register Step One: Complete the Pharmacist Intern Application
Submit either the online or paper Pharmacist Intern Application. The online or paper application should only be used by applicants that have never been registered as a pharmacist-intern in Iowa and are currently enrolled in a U.S. college of pharmacy or are a graduate of a foreign college of pharmacy seeking pharmacist licensure in Iowa.
Step Two: Submit Certificate of Eligibility Form
After completing either the online or paper application, the student should send the Certificate of Eligibility form to their School of Pharmacy. The Certificate of Eligibility form must be submitted to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy directly from the School of Pharmacy via mail.
The Certificate of Eligibility form should be mailed to the following address:
Iowa Board of Pharmacy Attn: Intern Licensing Specialist 6200 Park Ave, Ste 100 Des Moines, IA 50321
Fees & Term of Registration
The fee for registration as a pharmacist-intern is $30.
This registration shall remain in effect as long as the board is satisfied that the intern is pursuing a degree in pharmacy in good faith and with reasonable diligence. Intern registration is non-renewable.
Registration shall automatically terminate upon the earliest of any of the following:
Licensure to practice pharmacy in any state.
Lapse in the pursuit of a degree in pharmacy.
One year following graduation from the college of pharmacy.
Duties & Functions
A licensed pharmacist shall be on duty in the pharmacy and is responsible for the actions of a pharmacist-intern during all periods of internship training. A pharmacist-intern may perform the duties of a pharmacist under the discretion and direct supervision of the supervising pharmacist. The supervising pharmacist may delegate clinical and judgmental functions to a registered pharmacist-intern appropriate to the pharmacist–intern’s level of education and training. The pharmacist-intern shall be so designated in all relationships with the public and health professionals. While on duty in the pharmacy, the pharmacist-intern shall wear a name badge that is visible to the public and includes the designation “pharmacist-intern,” “pharmacy student,” or “student-pharmacist.”
Reporting Hours
Upon registration with the Board, pharmacist-interns will be provided with a registration certificate. The registered pharmacist-intern must be able to provide the certificate to verify registration any time the pharmacist-intern is practicing in a pharmacy. Registration certificates may be downloaded from the intern’s board of pharmacy user profile.
Credit for internship cannot be granted unless registration and other required records and affidavits are completed. Credit will not be given for internship experience obtained prior to registration as a pharmacist-intern.
The Board, following notification from an Iowa-located college of pharmacy, will certify all internship hours provided by successful completion of a college of pharmacy program in Iowa.
A pharmacist-intern that wishes to accumulate and record internship training hours in Iowa in excess of the practical experience requirements of the college of pharmacy (externship/rotations) shall complete and submit notarized affidavits of experience. These affidavits shall certify only the number of hours and dates of training obtained outside a college-based clinical program as provided in IAC 657 Chapter 4.3 (155A). For further instructions, please contact the intern licensing specialist.
Preceptor Requirements
A preceptor shall be a licensed pharmacist in good standing in the state where the internship is to be served pursuant to the definition of pharmacist preceptor in IAC 657 Chapter 4.1 (155A). For the purpose of internship, a preceptor may supervise no more than two pharmacist-interns concurrently. A preceptor shall be responsible for all functions performed by a pharmacist-intern. A preceptor shall be responsible for completing the affidavit certifying the number of hours and the dates of each internship training period under the supervision of the preceptor for any period of internship completed outside a college-based clinical program.
License Verifications and Certification of Internship Hours
License verification requests and/or Certification of internship hour requests need to be received in writing with a processing fee of $15 payable by check or money order to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. Requests should include a stamped, addressed envelope indicating where the verification should be sent to.
Your request, fee of $15 and stamped, addressed envelope should be sent to:
Iowa Board of Pharmacy Attn: Pharmacist-Intern Licensing Specialist 6200 Park Ave, Ste 100 Des Moines, IA 50321
Foreign Pharmacy Graduates
Candidates shall register with the board as provided in IAC 657 Chapter 4.6 (155A). Internship credit will not be granted until the candidate has been issued an intern registration. Applications for registration shall be accompanied by certification from the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) as provided in IAC 657 Chapter 4.7 subrule 2.10 (1).
Foreign pharmacy graduates who are candidates for licensure in Iowa will be required to obtain a minimum of 1500 hours of internship in a pharmacy licensed in a state or territory of the United States or other board-approved location that provides experience in community, institutional, and clinical pharmacy practices.
Following completion of any period of internship, internship hours shall be certified to the board by submission of notarized affidavits of experience as provided in paragraph 4.6(4)“c.”
Disclosure of Medical Conditions, Criminal History, and Disciplinary Action
The initial and renewal applications ask about any medical conditions the applicant has that might impair the applicant’s ability to perform delegated functions.
The Board also considers any prior criminal history and disciplinary actions when issuing licenses and registrations. As part of the application process, you will be asked questions about prior criminal history and disciplinary actions.
If you have any questions concerning these requirements, please notify the Board office. If any of these situations pertain to you, there may be delays in processing your application. Please contact the Board office for information as to what documentation may be necessary for registration. Contacting the Board office about any of these situations may avoid unnecessary delays issuing your registration.
Be advised that the application asks about any medical conditions you have that might impair your ability to perform delegated functions.
Definitions
“Ability to perform required tasks with reasonable skill and safety” means ALL of the following:
The cognitive capacity to use pharmacy systems to obtain necessary patient and prescription related information to process prescriptions
The ability to effectively communicate information to pharmacists, providers, technicians, pharmacy support persons, and patients
The ability to perform required tasks such as filling prescriptions, stocking medications, replenishing pharmacy supplies, and other tasks as determined by the pharmacist on duty
“Medical condition” means any physiological, mental, or psychological condition, impairment, or disorder, including drug addiction and alcoholism.
“Chemical substances” means alcohol, legal and illegal drugs, or medications, including those taken pursuant to a valid prescription for legitimate medical purposes and in accordance with the prescriber’s direction, as well as those used illegally.
“Currently” does not mean on the day of, or even in weeks or months preceding the completion of this application. Rather, it means recently enough so that the use of chemical substances or medical conditions may have an ongoing impact on the ability to function and perform the duties required of a technician, or has adversely affected the ability to function and perform the duties required of a technician within the past two years.
“Improper use of drugs or other chemical substances” means ANY of the following:
The use of any controlled drug, legend drug, or other chemical substances for any purpose other than as directed by a licensed health care practitioner; and
The use of any substance, including but not limited to, petroleum products, adhesive products, nitrous oxide, and other chemical substances for mood enhancement.
“Illegal use of drugs or other chemical substances” means the manufacture, possession, distribution, or use of any drug or chemical substance prohibited by law.
If you answer yes to any of the medical condition questions, you will be required to provide a signed and dated explanation and submit the “Verification of Medical Condition” form which is to be completed by your treating physician(s).
Initial Applicants: You must disclose all convictions, regardless of where or how long ago they occurred. Failure to disclose a criminal conviction could result in delays in processing or denial of your application.
Renewals: You are required to disclose only convictions from the time of your last application.
The following information is required to be submitted for any criminal conviction:
Complete criminal record – At a minimum a copy of the criminal complaint and final court order will be required.
Records can be obtained by contacting the Clerk of Courts in the county where the charges were filed.
Personal statement explaining the criminal conviction and whether the conviction directly relates to the practice of pharmacy. A conviction is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the profession if either (1) the actions taken in furtherance of an offense are actions customarily performed within the scope of the practice of pharmacy, or (2) the circumstances under which an offense was committed are circumstances customary to the practice of pharmacy.
All evidence of rehabilitation that you wish to be considered.
This could include a description of the circumstances relative to the offense, including any aggravating and mitigating circumstances or social conditions surrounding commission of the offense, any treatment undertaken, any letters of reference, or anything else pertaining to the present fitness of the applicant.
Submitting print outs from Iowa Courts Online is not sufficient information.
You are strongly encouraged to perform a background check on yourself through Iowa Courts Online or to have your employer perform one prior to submitting your application. If any convictions that were not dismissed can be found on Iowa Courts, it is required that they are disclosed when applying. Keep in mind that the Iowa Courts Online database only shows Iowa state court convictions.
An individual who has not yet submitted a completed a registration application may petition the Board for a determination of whether one or more of the individual’s convictions are disqualifying offenses that would render the individual ineligible for registration.
An individual with a conviction is not required to petition the Board for an eligibility determination prior to applying for a registration.
To petition the Board for an eligibility determination of whether one or more of the petitioner’s convictions are disqualifying offenses, a petitioner must submit all of the following:
A completed petition for eligibility determination form;
The complete criminal record for each of the petitioner’s convictions;
A personal statement regarding whether each conviction directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the practice of pharmacy and why the Board should find the petitioner rehabilitated;
All evidence of rehabilitation that the petitioner wishes to be considered by the Board; and
A nonrefundable fee of $25.
The cutoff for inclusion on the Board's agenda is two weeks prior to a scheduled Board meeting. Requests received after the cutoff will be held for the following Board meeting (i.e. deadline for March 12 meeting is Feb. 27; a request received on Feb. 28 would not go before the Board until the next meeting).
Initial Applicants: You must disclose all disciplinary action, regardless of where or how long ago it occurred. Failure to disclose a disciplinary action could result in delays in processing your application or in your application being denied.
Renewals: You are required to disclose only disciplinary action from the time of your last application.
The application requires the disclosure of the following:
Any disciplinary or enforcement action imposed by any licensing agency or regulatory authority on any license or registration held by the individual.
Knowledge of any charges, complaints or investigations, pending before any licensing authority.
Any license or registration denials by any licensing authority.
The following information is required to be submitted for any disclosures:
A written description of the event(s).
All unredacted documents related to any disciplinary or enforcement action imposed by any licensing agency or regulatory authority.
You are required to provide to the Board written notice of and unredacted documents related to any disciplinary or enforcement action imposed by any licensing agency or regulatory authority on any license or registration you hold no later than 30 days after the final action. Discipline may include, but is not limited to, fine or civil penalty, citation or reprimand, probationary period, suspension, revocation, and voluntary surrender.
You are required to provide written notice to the Board of any criminal conviction, other than a minor traffic offense, no later than 30 days after the conviction. The term “criminal conviction” includes instances when the judgment of conviction or sentence is deferred.
