CHAPTER 4
PHARMACIST-INTERNS
[Prior to 2/10/88, see Pharmacy Examiners[620] Ch 3]
657—4.1(155A) Definitions.
“Board” means the Iowa board of pharmacy.
“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 pursuant to Iowa Code section 155A.6. “Pharmacist-intern” includes a graduate of an approved college of pharmacy, or a foreign graduate who has established educational equivalency pursuant to the requirements of rule 657—4.7(155A), who is registered with the board for the purpose of obtaining practical experience as a requirement for licensure as a pharmacist in Iowa. “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.
“Pharmacist preceptor” or “preceptor” means a pharmacist licensed to practice pharmacy whose license is current and in good standing. Preceptors shall meet the conditions and requirements of rule 657—4.9(155A). No pharmacist shall serve as a preceptor while the pharmacist’s license to practice pharmacy is the subject of disciplinary sanction by a pharmacist licensing authority.
[ARC 9784B, IAB 10/5/11, effective 11/9/11; ARC 1406C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
657—4.2(155A) Goal and objectives of internship.
	4.2(1) Goal. The goal of internship is for the pharmacist-intern, 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.
	4.2(2) Objectives. The objectives of internship are as follows:
	a. 	Managing drug therapy to optimize patient outcomes. The pharmacist-intern shall evaluate the patient and patient information to determine the presence of a disease or medical condition, to determine the need for treatment or referral, and to identify patient-specific factors that affect health, pharmacotherapy, or disease management; ensure the appropriateness of the patient’s specific pharmacotherapeutic agents, dosing regimens, dosage forms, routes of administration, and delivery systems; and monitor the patient and patient information and manage the drug regimen to promote health and ensure safe and effective pharmacotherapy.
	b. 	Ensuring the safe and accurate preparation and dispensing of medications. The pharmacist-intern shall perform calculations required to compound, dispense, and administer medication; select and dispense medications; and prepare and compound extemporaneous preparations and sterile products.
	c. 	Providing drug information and promoting public health. The pharmacist-intern shall access, evaluate, and apply information to promote optimal health care; educate patients and health care professionals regarding prescription medications, nonprescription medications, and medical devices; and educate patients and the public regarding wellness, disease states, and medical conditions.
	d. 	Adhering to professional and ethical standards. The pharmacist-intern shall comply with professional, legal, moral, and ethical standards relating to the practice of pharmacy and the operation of the pharmacy.
	e. 	Understanding the management of pharmacy operations. The pharmacist-intern shall develop a general understanding of the business procedures of a pharmacy and develop knowledge concerning the employment and supervision of pharmacy employees.
657—4.3(155A) 1500-hour requirements. Internship credit may be obtained only after internship registration with the board and commencement of the first professional year in a college of pharmacy. Internship shall consist of a minimum of 1500 hours, all of which may be a college-based clinical program approved or accepted by the board. Programs shall be structured to provide experience in community, institutional, and clinical pharmacy practices. A pharmacist-intern may acquire additional hours under the supervision of one or more preceptors in a traditional licensed general or hospital pharmacy, at a rate of no more than 48 hours per week, where the goal and objectives of internship in rule 657—4.2(155A) apply. Credit toward any additional hours will be allowed, at a rate not to exceed 10 hours per week, for an internship served concurrent with academic training and outside a college-based clinical program. “Concurrent time” means internship experience acquired while the person is a full-time student carrying, in a given school term, at least 75 percent of the average number of credit hours per term needed to graduate and receive an entry-level degree in pharmacy. Recognized academic holiday periods, such as spring break and winter break, shall not be considered “concurrent time.” The competencies in subrule 4.2(2) and the concurrent time limitations of this rule shall not apply to college-based clinical programs.
[ARC 1406C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
657—4.4(155A) Iowa colleges of pharmacy clinical internship programs. The board shall periodically review the clinical component of internship programs of the colleges of pharmacy located in Iowa. The board reserves the right to set conditions relating to the approval of such programs.
657—4.5(155A) Out-of-state internship programs. Candidates enrolled in out-of-state colleges of pharmacy who complete the internship requirements of that state shall be deemed to have satisfied Iowa’s internship requirements. Candidates shall submit documentation from the out-of-state internship program certifying completion of that state’s requirements. Candidates enrolled in colleges of pharmacy located in states with no formal internship training program shall submit documentation from that state’s board of pharmacy or college of pharmacy certifying that the candidate has completed all prelicensure training requirements.
657—4.6(155A) Registration, reporting, and authorized functions. Every person shall register with the board before beginning the person’s internship experience, whether or not for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of rule 657—4.3(155A). Registration is required of all students enrolled in Iowa colleges of pharmacy upon commencement of the first professional year in the college of pharmacy. Colleges of pharmacy located in Iowa shall annually certify to the board the names of students who are enrolled in the first professional year in the college of pharmacy. Colleges of pharmacy located in Iowa shall, within two weeks of any change, certify to the board the names of students who have withdrawn from the college of pharmacy.
	4.6(1) Application for registration—required information. Application for registration as a pharmacist-intern shall be on forms provided by the board, and all requested information shall be provided on or with such application. The application shall require that the applicant provide, at a minimum, the following: name; address; telephone number; date of birth; social security number; and name and location of college of pharmacy and anticipated month and year of graduation. The college of pharmacy shall certify the applicant’s eligibility to practice as a pharmacist-intern.
	4.6(2) Supervision and authorized functions. A licensed pharmacist shall be on duty in the pharmacy and shall be responsible for the actions of a pharmacist-intern during all periods of internship training. At the discretion of the supervising pharmacist, the following judgmental functions, usually restricted to a pharmacist, may be delegated to pharmacist-interns registered by the board:
	a. 	Verification of the accuracy, validity, and appropriateness of the filled prescription or medication order;
	b. 	Review and assessment of patient records for purposes identified in rule 657—8.21(155A);
	c. 	Patient counseling.
	4.6(3) Term of registration. 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. A pharmacist-intern may request that the intern’s registration be extended beyond the automatic termination of the registration pursuant to the procedures and requirements of 657—Chapter 34. Except as provided by the definition of pharmacist-intern in rule 657—4.1(155A), registration shall automatically terminate upon the earliest of any of the following:
	a. 	Licensure to practice pharmacy in any state;
	b. 	Lapse in the pursuit of a degree in pharmacy; or
	c. 	One year following graduation from the college of pharmacy.
	4.6(4) Identification, reports, and notifications. Credit for internship time will not be granted unless registration and other required records or affidavits are completed.
	a. 	The pharmacist-intern shall be so designated in all relationships with the public and health professionals. While on duty in the pharmacy, the intern shall wear visible to the public a name badge including the designation “pharmacist-intern” or “pharmacy student.”
	b. 	Registered interns shall notify the board office within ten days of a change of name or address.
	c. 	Notarized affidavits of experience in non-college-sponsored programs shall be filed with the board office after the successful completion of the internship. These affidavits shall certify only the number of hours and dates of training obtained outside a college-based clinical program as provided in rule 657—4.3(155A). An individual registered as a pharmacist-intern while participating in an Iowa residency or fellowship program shall not be required to file affidavits of experience.
	4.6(5) No credit prior to registration. Credit will not be given for internship experience obtained prior to the individual’s registration as a pharmacist-intern. Credit for Iowa college-based clinical programs will not be granted unless registration is issued before the student begins the program.
	4.6(6) Nontraditional internship. Internship training at any site which is not licensed as a general or hospital pharmacy is considered nontraditional internship.
	a. 	Application. Prior to beginning a period of nontraditional internship, the intern shall submit a written application, on forms provided by the board, for approval of the objectives of the nontraditional internship. The application shall identify objectives consistent with the unique learning experiences of the intern and consistent with the goal and objectives of internship in rule 657—4.2(155A).
	b. 	Preceptor. A preceptor supervising a pharmacist-intern in a nontraditional internship shall be a currently licensed pharmacist in the state where the internship is served, and the requirements of rule 657—4.9(155A) shall apply to all preceptors.
	c. 	Certification, not credit. Hours obtained in nontraditional internship shall not be credited toward the total 1500 hours required pursuant to rule 657—4.3(155A) prior to licensure to practice pharmacy in Iowa. The board may, however, certify hours obtained in one or more approved nontraditional internships in recognition of the pharmacist-intern’s training outside the scope of traditional pharmacy practice. Certification shall not be granted for experience obtained in a nontraditional internship unless the board, prior to the intern’s beginning the period of internship, approved the objectives of the internship.
[ARC 9784B, IAB 10/5/11, effective 11/9/11; ARC 1406C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
657—4.7(155A) Foreign pharmacy graduates. Foreign pharmacy graduates who are candidates for licensure in Iowa will be required to obtain a minimum of 1500 hours of internship in a licensed pharmacy or other board-approved location.
	4.7(1) Registration. Candidates shall register with the board as provided in rule 657—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 657—subrule 2.10(1).
	4.7(2) Certification of hours. 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.”
	4.7(3) Credit for foreign pharmacy practice. The board may grant credit to a foreign pharmacy graduate, based on the candidate’s experience in the practice of pharmacy, for all or any portion of the required 1500 hours of internship training. The candidate shall provide detailed information regarding the candidate’s experience in the practice of pharmacy. The board shall determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether and to what extent the candidate’s experience meets the goals and objectives established in rule 657—4.2(155A).
[ARC 1406C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
657—4.8(155A) Fees. The fee for registration as a pharmacist-intern is $30, plus applicable surcharge pursuant to 657—30.8(155A), which shall be payable with the application.
657—4.9(155A) Preceptor requirements.
	4.9(1) Licensed pharmacist. 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 rule 657—4.1(155A).
	4.9(2) Affidavits. 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.
	4.9(3) Number of interns. A preceptor may supervise no more than two pharmacist-interns concurrently.
	4.9(4) Responsibility. A preceptor shall be responsible for all functions performed by a pharmacist-intern.
[ARC 1406C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
657—4.10(155A) Denial of pharmacist-intern registration. The board may deny an application for registration as a pharmacist-intern for any violation of the laws of this state, another state, or the United States relating to prescription drugs, controlled substances, or nonprescription drugs, or for any violation of Iowa Code chapter 124, 124A, 124B, 126, 147, 155A or 205, or any rule of the board.
657—4.11(155A) Discipline of pharmacist-interns.
	4.11(1) Grounds for discipline. The board may impose discipline for any violation of the laws of this state, another state, or the United States relating to prescription drugs, controlled substances, or nonprescription drugs or for any violation of Iowa Code chapter 124, 124A, 124B, 126, 147, 155A, or 205, or any rule of the board.
	4.11(2) Sanctions. The board may impose the following disciplinary sanctions:
	a. 	Revocation of a pharmacist-intern registration.
	b. 	Suspension of a pharmacist-intern registration until further order of the board or for a specified period.
	c. 	Prohibit permanently, until further order of the board, or for a specified period, the engaging in specified procedures, methods, or acts.
	d. 	Such other sanctions allowed by law as may be appropriate.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 155A.6.
[Filed 7/19/67; amended 2/13/73]
[Filed 11/24/76, Notice 10/20/76—published 12/15/76, effective 1/19/77]
[Filed 11/9/77, Notice 10/5/77—published 11/30/77, effective 1/4/78]
[Filed 10/20/78, Notice 8/9/78—published 11/15/78, effective 1/9/79]
[Filed 8/28/79, Notice 5/30/79—published 9/19/79, effective 10/24/79]
[Filed 9/10/82, Notice 6/9/82—published 9/29/82, effective 11/8/82]
[Filed 12/22/87, Notice 11/4/87—published 1/13/88, effective 2/17/88]
[Filed emergency 1/21/88—published 2/10/88, effective 1/22/88]
[Filed 11/17/88, Notice 8/24/88—published 12/14/88, effective 1/18/89]
[Filed emergency 5/16/89—published 6/14/89, effective 5/17/89]
[Filed 8/31/90, Notice 6/13/90—published 9/19/90, effective 10/24/90]
[Filed 4/26/91, Notice 2/20/91—published 5/15/91, effective 6/19/91]
[Filed 12/10/96, Notice 8/28/96—published 1/1/97, effective 2/5/97]
[Filed 2/27/97, Notice 1/1/97—published 3/26/97, effective 4/30/97]
[Filed 4/22/99, Notice 3/10/99—published 5/19/99, effective 6/23/99]
[Filed 9/8/99, Notice 6/2/99—published 10/6/99, effective 11/10/99]
[Filed 2/18/00, Notice 12/15/99—published 3/22/00, effective 4/26/00]
[Filed 2/7/01, Notice 10/18/00—published 3/7/01, effective 4/11/01]
[Filed 8/14/02, Notice 6/12/02—published 9/4/02, effective 10/9/02]
[Filed 12/22/04, Notice 11/10/04—published 1/19/05, effective 2/23/05]
[Filed 3/22/06, Notice 1/18/06—published 4/12/06, effective 5/17/06]
[Filed ARC 9784B (Notice ARC 9555B, IAB 6/15/11), IAB 10/5/11, effective 11/9/11]
[Filed ARC 1406C (Notice ARC 1237C, IAB 12/11/13), IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]