volunteer work

[angelil_yu]

I am planning (still in rough draft) to do volunteer work in summer while attending my summer classes as well. There are a lot of chain drug stores around the place that I live in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, such as walgreen, wal mart, gemmel pharmacy. The last time I saw gemmmel pharmacy, there was only one pharmacists, 1 pharmtech, and 1 cashier inside the store. It seems to be boring inside because the store is not big enough and the customers are also rare (by the time I went there in the afternoon at 4).

So, what do you guys think about this? Is it better to volunteer in hospital where you can see a lot of people and perhaps, some networks that you can hook up with or to volunteer in drug stores?

Also, do you have to call them up at first to make sure that they accept volunteers or just come over there and ask for application?

thanx

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[jdpharmd?]

I've never heard of volunteering in a retail setting. Go for the hospital if they have a good position to offer you.

 

[Amith]

I had to call around to hospitals and see if they have any room for volunteers in their pharmacies, and if they did then I asked for an app to fill out. Many of them I applied to require a tech certification which I didnt have so it was a bit tough for me. But anyways I like volunteering in the outpatient area. I did call some retail stores, but they pretty much told me that they dont dont take volunteers.

 

[NSSG]

they require a tech cert to volunteer? i wouldn't think that would be true. did you ask to shadow? luckily i already work in a hospital where i'm friendly with a couple of pharmacists, i plan on shadowing them. and i also plan on calling a pharmacy and asking a pharmacist there to shadow her.

maybe if you word your request better, as in saying you want to shadow a pharmacist, you'd have better luck. personally i'd call the pharmacy or go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist directly.

c

 

[Amith]

Basically w/o a tech certification all they'l let me do is bag prescriptions and some other odds and ends. How does shadowing work, with all the hipaa laws? I was hoping to actually get somewhat familiar with the mechanics of working in a pharm. but I guess there'd time for that later.