Pharmkid12 asked
Do some retail stores offer high school students to shadow or do they only do that for college kids.
Answer
Yes, many retail stores will offer shadow opportunities to students, just ask! You will find that different pharmacies have different policies regarding shadowing so be sure to ask around. There are no rules against being able to shadow but some pharmacies do not like to participate due to the privacy concerns etc...
There are many different situations where a 'non-employee' works in a pharmacy for experience. There are few different terms to be aware of:
Shadowing: In the world of pharmacy, shadowing typically means that you are spending time in a pharmacy as a prospective pharmacy school student but are not yet enrolled. Most commonly, this would be high school students or first year college students who want to learn more about the day to day operations of a pharmacist.
IPPE: IPPE is an acronym for 'Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences'. You complete IPPE rotations during your first year of pharmacy school but are not yet a licensed intern. These opportunities are good to gain some more in-depth insight into how pharmacists work and the overall operations of a pharmacy.
APPE: APPE is an acronym for 'Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience' which are completed in your last year of pharmacy school. You typically get rotations in many different areas of pharmacy including community, hospital etc...
If you are a high school student and looking for shadowing opportunities, be sure to go around to a few different pharmacies and ask if they would allow you to shadow for a day or two! I would recommend trying to find some lower volume pharmacies if you can since many pharmacies can be extremely busy, making it challenging to properly show/teach a student for the day. If you are having trouble, it may be beneficial to try and find a job as a pharmacy technician to learn more about the pharmacy profession.
