How to hire a pharmacy internship

How to hire a pharmacy internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step pharmacy internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a pharmacy internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmacy internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a pharmacy internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The pharmacy internship hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect pharmacy internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of pharmacy internship salaries for various roles:

   Type of Pharmacy Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Pharmacy Internship	Pharmacists dispense prescription medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions. They also may conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the medications given to patients, and provide advice on healthy lifestyles.	$21-66
   Clinical Staff Pharmacist	A Clinical Staff Pharmacist is responsible for supervising pharmacy dispensing processes and the consultation of patients. They analyze prescribing trends to ensure patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.	$21-65
   Medical Laboratory Technologist Internship	A medical laboratory technologist intern is responsible for assisting laboratory technologists in performing examinations and medical procedures. Medical laboratory technologist interns perform administrative duties under the supervision of a medical professional such as collecting laboratory samples, sending out reports, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, and ensuring the adequacy of laboratory inventories... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Patient Care
   • Blood Pressure
   • Allergies
   • Math
   • Inventory Management
   • Therapy Management
   • Diabetes
   • Pharmacy Intern
   • Insurance Claims
   • Drug Therapy
   • RX
   • OTC

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Attain thorough knowledge of processes involving medication delivery, compounding, IV/TPN/ chemotherapy preparation, and other hospital pharmacy operations.
   • Counsele patient with regard to OTC medications and Rx medications under the supervision of the pharmacist (s) on duty.
   • Interview patients to obtain information regarding drug allergies and sensitivities and document the information in the pharmacy system.
   • Collaborate with referring physicians in providing diabetes education to patients with multiple chronic conditions individually and in group sessions.
   • Provide diabetes counseling and conduct informational lectures regarding blood glucose monitoring and insulin administration to patients recently diagnose with diabetes.
   • Offer and provide consultation to patients under the supervision of the RPh on duty

   More pharmacy internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your pharmacy internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A pharmacy internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a pharmacy internship in Vermont may be lower than in California, and an entry-level pharmacy internship usually earns less than a senior-level pharmacy internship. Additionally, a pharmacy internship with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average pharmacy internship salary

   $80,116yearly

   $38.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pharmacy internship salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average pharmacy internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$101,342	$49
   2	Arizona	$95,767	$46
   3	Texas	$85,941	$41
   4	Florida	$85,498	$41
   5	New Mexico	$82,345	$40
   6	Washington	$73,421	$35
   7	Georgia	$71,386	$34
   8	Wisconsin	$62,293	$30
   9	Mississippi	$61,844	$30
   10	Colorado	$61,397	$30
   11	Utah	$59,649	$29
   12	Illinois	$57,354	$28
   13	North Carolina	$56,702	$27
   14	Maryland	$56,570	$27
   15	District of Columbia	$55,821	$27
   16	New York	$54,109	$26
   17	Virginia	$54,020	$26
   18	New Jersey	$54,004	$26
   19	South Carolina	$53,913	$26
   20	Minnesota	$53,899	$26

   Average pharmacy internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Safeway	$132,365	$63.64
   2	University of Maryland Medical System	$131,474	$63.21	39
   3	East Tennessee Children's Hospital	$130,372	$62.68	1
   4	Hy-Vee	$129,729	$62.37	85
   5	Community Medical Center	$128,627	$61.84
   6	Cedars-Sinai	$126,597	$60.86	40
   7	CHKD Thrift Store	$126,100	$60.63
   8	University of California	$125,709	$60.44	49
   9	Randolph Health	$125,440	$60.31	1
   10	Children's Minnesota	$125,076	$60.13	4
   11	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$124,910	$60.05
   12	Baystate Health	$124,211	$59.72	13
   13	Billings Clinic	$124,120	$59.67	6
   14	Cleveland Clinic	$124,025	$59.63	146
   15	Mayo Clinic	$123,595	$59.42	54
   16	University Health	$123,584	$59.42	3
   17	Nicklaus Children's Hospital	$123,200	$59.23	2
   18	Nebraska Medicine	$122,594	$58.94	21
   19	Lompoc Valley Medical Center	$122,451	$58.87
   20	Maxim Integrated	$121,981	$58.64

4. Writing a pharmacy internship job description

   A job description for a pharmacy internship role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a pharmacy internship job description:

   Pharmacy internship job description example

   Job DescriptionThe Pharmacy Intern under the supervision of a pharmacist, assists the pharmacist and performs pharmacy-related functions throughout the department.
   Responsibilities include:
   Coordinates daily workload to coincide with the needs of the department. Prepacks non-unit-dose oral medications as needed for dispensing to the patient care areas. Performs aseptic compounding of parenteral admixtures and other sterile dosage forms while following aseptic technique and proper procedures for preparing all types of parenteral admixtures Provides answers to relevant clinical questions to pharmacy and hospital team members under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Assists in researching and solving clinical cases upon the request of a pharmacist Restocks and loads medications in Omnicells in a safe and effective manner Distribute and transport controlled substances and maintain appropriate controlled substance records as applicable in compliance with state and federal regulations Contributes to Quality Improvement Initiatives Inspects assigned areas inside and outside the Pharmacy for outdated drugs. Assists in triaging phone calls Supports the essential functions relating to drug purchasing and inventory control as needed. Adheres to all State and Federal requirements Accepts extra duties upon request
   Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, an affiliate of Mass General Brigham, is committed to supporting patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. We place great value on being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization as we aim to reflect the diversity of the patients we serve. At Mass General Brigham, we believe in equal access to quality care, employment and advancement opportunities encompassing the full spectrum of human diversity: race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other forms of human presence and expression that make us better able to provide innovative and cutting-edge healthcare and research.
   
   Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital is a 171- bed non-profit, community teaching hospital located in Jamaica Plain directly across the street from the Arnold Arboretum. Founded in 1900, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital offers comprehensive care in a wide variety of specialties. Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital is a designated Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a recognition that fewer than nine percent of all US hospitals receive.
   
   At Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, we believe that everyone should have the chance to live a healthy life. From creating breakthroughs that have paved the way for treatments around the globe to training the next generation of providers, our patients, and those we may never meet, are at the center of everything we do. If you're looking for more than a career, join Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital. Our patients call it better care. Our employees call it home.
   
   Qualifications
   Enrolled in an ACPE accredited school of Pharmacy and at minimum entering first professional year of a six year School of Pharmacy program or who is a qualified applicant awaiting examination for licensure Current Registration as a Pharmacy Intern in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Staff adheres to all ICARE Standards Must be able to understand and clearly communicate with all areas of health care personnel Must maintain sufficient pharmaceutical knowledge for the safe and effective distribution of medications.
   
   EEO Statement
   Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospitalis an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Partner's Healthcare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right pharmacy internship for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your pharmacy internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality pharmacy internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit pharmacy interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmacy internship

   Once you've found the pharmacy internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new pharmacy internship. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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