State Board of Pharmacy ​

Information on the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, called ABC-MAP, may be obtained from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Office under the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

E-mail ra-dh-pdmp@pa.gov Phone Number 844-377-7367 Web Site www.doh.pa.gov/pdmp

For information on Act 139 of 2014 and the use of naloxone for an overdose caused by an opioid drug, please go to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Program’s web site at https://www.ddap.pa.gov/overdose/Pages/Naloxone_Reversal.aspx.

The Department of Health’s Bureau of Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics regulates wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, durable medical equipment providers and medical gases. You may reach this agency at 717-787-4779 or visit their web site at https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/Pages/Drugs- Devices-and-Cosmetics.aspx.

At this time, pharmacy technicians do not register with the Board of Pharmacy (Board) and the Board does not require pharmacy technicians to be “certified” although an employer may require certification as a condition of employment.

The Board is unable to provide information on the certification programs that are offered by private organizations.

To apply for a pharmacy intern registration, the authorization to administer injectables, a pharmacist license, a PA pharmacy permit or a nonresident pharmacy registration, you must apply online at www.pals.pa.gov. You will register first in order to create a user ID and password. You then login to the system using the user ID and password. Once you reach your dashboard, scroll to the bottom of the web page where you will see the link to apply for a license.

Other types of applications are still paper applications that must be submitted by

U.S. mail. These may be downloaded from the Board of Pharmacy’s web site at www.dos.pa.gov/pharm.

Anyone working as a pharmacy intern in Pennsylvania must be properly registered with the PA State Board of Pharmacy as a pharmacy intern. Students may apply online for a pharmacy intern registration at www.pals.pa.gov.

After hearing public comment about processing delays for licensure by exam and conducting discussions with stakeholders, the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy Board voted at a special meeting on June 28, 2018, to temporarily waive Board regulations section 27.26(d)(3)-(4). This waiver removes the requirement that applicants with a Pharm.D. degree from a school of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) serve at least 500 of the 1,500 required hours in a pharmacy and outside of school.

This means that, for applicants who have a Pharm.D. degree from an ACPE- accredited school of pharmacy:

1. The Board will accept 1,500 school-related intern hours and these applicants do NOT need to earn any intern hours outside of their school program.
2. Once the Board has received verification of graduation directly from the school of pharmacy, these applicants can be made eligible to take the exams. Note: The applicant must have registered for the exams at www.nabp.pharmacy before they can be authorized.

Note: The Board of Pharmacy is in the process of updating the regulations to make this a permanent change. This temporary waiver was extended until at least January 1, 2022 while the regulations are being amended.

You would begin the process by obtaining FPGEC certification from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (web site www.nabp.pharmacy). Once you have obtained FPGEC certification, you must register as a pharmacy intern in order to earn 1,500 intern hours. Once you have earned the required intern hours, you may apply for a pharmacist license and take the licensure exams.

Please access our website for information on the current continuing education requirements.

Please use this link for information on acceptable CPR programs/providers - Approved CPR Providers for Authorization to Administer Injectables.

Routine, unannounced inspections cannot be scheduled. A pharmacy may be able to obtain an inspection through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) if an inspection is needed for registration with another state’s board of pharmacy.

When a pharmacy must undergo a directed inspection pursuant to an application for a proposed pharmacy, change in location or remodel, the application must first be in order before an inspection request will be sent to the Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation (BEI). BEI will then assign the inspection to a pharmacy inspector who will contact the pharmacy’s representative to schedule the required inspection.

House Bill 75 was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 7, 2015. This bill amended the Pharmacy Act and granted the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Board) the authority to register nonresident pharmacies. The effective date of the law is December 6, 2015. The initial nonresident pharmacy application is an online application at www.pals.pa.gov.