PHARMACY INTERN

A “pharmacy intern” is “any person who is registered with the Board under the internship program of the Board to acquire pharmacy experience or enrolled in approved academic internship programs.” A qualified pharmacy intern “may, while under supervision [of a licensed pharmacist], perform all acts constituting the practice of pharmacy.”
21 NCAC 46.1317(29).

Board Rule .1503 requires that any person who wishes to serve as a pharmacy intern and obtain practical experience in North Carolina must register with the Board. A person may not, and will not, receive credit for any practical experience required for licensure and obtained in North Carolina unless and until registered as a pharmacy intern.

Instructions / Information

Pharmacy students. Most pharmacy interns will be students who are currently enrolled in an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy. Detailed registration instructions for incoming and currently-enrolled pharmacy students are found here. Please consult those instructions before beginning the registration process.

Note that you will need to have three documents for upload to complete a registration: (1) a photograph of yourself (passport type); (2) proof of enrollment from your school of pharmacy (please consult with the appropriate person(s) at your school to obtain the proof of enrollment); and (3) a signed (manual, not electronic) copy of a FERPA Waiver that will authorize the Board of Pharmacy to obtain certain enrollment and academic status information from your school of pharmacy.

Note: While the majority of pharmacy students who are acquiring practical experience in North Carolina will be enrolled in a North Carolina-based school of pharmacy, not all will. The intern registration requirement applies to all enrolled pharmacy students acquiring practical experience in North Carolina, whether the school is located in North Carolina or in another state.

FGPEC-Holding Graduates of a Foreign School of Pharmacy. A graduate of a foreign school of pharmacy who has obtained Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Certification (FGPEC) from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is eligible for pharmacy intern status and must register to acquire required practical experience. Detailed registration instructions for FGPEC-holding graduates of a foreign school of pharmacy are found here. Please consult those instructions before beginning the registration process.

Note that you will need to have two documents for upload to complete a registration: (1) a photograph of yourself (passport type); and (2) your NABP-issued FPGEC certificate.

Other Categories of Pharmacy Intern. Three more categories of persons are required to register as a pharmacy intern:

1. Graduates of an ACPE-Accredited School of Pharmacy Who Are Not Licensed in Any State, Have an Active Application for North Carolina Licensure, But Have Not Yet Passed the Licensure Exams. Any pharmacy school graduate who is practicing in a North Carolina pharmacy, has applied for licensure in North Carolina, but has not yet passed the NAPLEX and MPJE, will need to register as an intern. The registration application is accessed through your profile on the Board's Licensure Gateway. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Board staff.
   
2. Pharmacist Licensed in Another State Who Is Gaining Practical Experience Required to Reciprocate to North Carolina. Occasionally, a pharmacist seeking to reciprocate licensure from another state has been out of practice for a sufficiently long period of time that some refresher practical experience is required. A reciprocity applicant who falls into this category will be contacted by Board licensing staff during review of the licensure application. Such candidates must register as an intern prior to obtaining refresher practical experience. The registration application is accessed through your profile on the Board's Licensure Gateway. If you have questions about the process, please contact Board licensing staff.
3. Pharmacist With An Inactive North Carolina License Who Is Gaining Practical Experience Required to Reinstate. Occasionally, a pharmacist seeking to reinstate a North Carolina license has been out of practice for a sufficiently long period of time that some refresher practical experience is required. A reinstatement applicant who falls into this category will be contacted by Board licensing staff during review of the licensure application. Such candidates must register as an intern prior to obtaining refresher practical experience. The registration application is accessed through your profile on the Board’s Licensure Gateway. If you have questions about the process, please contact Board licensing staff.