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Citizenship: Or are you looking for … US PharmacistsYou are eligible to work as a pharmacist anywhere in the United States. However, you need to be licensed in the state where you'd like to work. Individual states are responsible for issuing their own license to practice. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to contact the licensing body in the state in which they wish to work, in order to confirm the specific requirements for that state. Please see the information below. In general, however, if you currently hold a license to practice in one US state, endorsement is often possible. Please contact the appropriate state licensing body for more information. Pharmacists from Canada or MexicoOne way for a Canadian or Mexican pharmacist to become licensed in the USA, is to have obtained a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from an accredited college of pharmacy within the United States, and have passed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). If the above does not pertain to you, please read the following general information. (Note: it is always recommended that you confirm the information below with the Pharmacy Board in the state in which you wish to work.) Contact the pharmacy board in the state in which you wish to be licensed or contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and: • As of April 14, 2006,
applicants first must undergo an educational
credential evaluation, to determine if their
training is equivalent to US training. Successful
applicants will receive a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate
Examination Committee (FPGEC) certificate.
• After receiving the FPGEC
certificate, request an application and study guide
for the FPGEE (Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency
Exam), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language),
and TSE (Test of Spoken English) examinations.
• Take and pass the FPGEE,
TOEFL, and TSE. Since June 2003 the FPGEE has been
administered in a paper-and-pencil format. The examination
is administered twice a year, the last Saturday in
June and the first Saturday in December. It is usually
administered at three sites spread across the United
States.
• Receive an official FPGEE
certificate as required by the National Association
of Boards of Pharmacy.
• Send the originals of
your FPGEE, TOEFL and TSE to the state board. They
will photocopy the certificates and return the originals
to you.
• A copy of the FPGEE certificate
will be sent to the NABP for verification of authenticity.
• Upon receipt of a positive
verification of your FPGEE, TOEFL, and TSE-P certificates,
you will be eligible to apply for internship and
the NABP licensure exam (NAPLEX).
• You may obtain a state
internship license after you have passed the FPGEE
and TOEFL.
• You must obtain the required
hours of internship and take and pass the Multistate
Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) and the state examination. NOTE: Internship or practice as a pharmacist outside of the United States will not necessarily be accepted towards a state's internship requirement. And any internship or professional practice performed before taking and passing the FPGEE, TOEFL, and TSE examinations will not count towards some states' required hours of internship. Once the full internship hours have been completed, submitted to the state board, and approved along with your competency checklists, you take the law examination (MPJE). Please contact the the state board in the state where you wish to work to recieve detailed information on licensure. VISA Information: Under NAFTA, pharmacists who are citizens of Canada and Mexico are eligible for TN visas to work in the United States. Under NAFTA, Canadians receive TN-1 visas and Mexicans receive TN-2 visas. Canadians can apply for a TN-1 visa at Class A US Ports of Entry; Mexicans must apply for their TN-2 visa at a US Consulate. No sponsorship is required for Canadians or Mexicans. However, you will still need to provide proof of an offer of employment from your employer in the US, and meet the minimum education, experience and licensing requirements (as above). Documents required for TN visa:
The duration of the TN visa is set for an initial period of one year. An unlimited number of one-year extensions may be subsequently obtained so long as you can show that the employment remains temporary, and that you continue to be qualified to work in your profession. The VisaScreen requirement instituted in July 2004 for some healthcare professions does not pertain to pharmacists. Pharmacists from Outside North AmericaNon-North American pharmacists will also need to complete the FPGEE process as described above for Canadians and Mexicans. Additionally, however, you are required to have a US work visa before being allowed entry to the US and employment in the US, and usually sponsorship is required. Those who are not citizens of Canada or Mexico are not covered by NAFTA visa policies. Please contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to inquire about obtaining a US work visa.
Updated on August 29, 2007. Discuss This ArticleHave something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article. Like this article? Read more! Browse our archive of 1,507 career resources. Also, see our master index of all MedHunters articles! Find a JobChoose your career: MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 16,809 jobs with 2,462 hospitals and other direct employers. We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now. Have an article or story for MedHunters? Email us today at submissions@medhunters.com. |
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