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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements

    Pharm.D. Degree or
    B.S. in Pharmacy

    2 Examinations

    1,500 Hours of Experience

    3 Hours of Continuing Education

    $45.00 Initial Fee

    $190.00 Renewal Fee

    A health-care professional licensed to engage in the practice of pharmacy with duties including dispensing prescription drugs, monitoring drug interactions, administering vaccines, and counseling patients regarding the effects and proper usage of drugs and dietary supplements.

    Degree Requirement:

    Pharm.D. Degree or B.S. in Pharmacy

    A candidate must have graduated with a Pharm.D. degree or a B.S. in Pharmacy from a school of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). If the candidate is a graduate of a foreign pharmacy school, they must have certification from the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee.

    Examination Requirement: 

    2 Examinations
    A candidate must pass the NAPLEX (National Exam) and the Pennsylvania State Law Exam (PA MPJE).

    Experience: 

    1,500 Experience Hours

    A candidate is required to complete a minimum of 1500 intern hours.   All 1500 intern hours will be accepted from an ACPEaccredited Pharm.D. program.

    Continuing Education:

    3 Hours (for initial licensure) 

    Applicants must complete 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting for initial licensure. 

     

    30 Hours of Continuing Education (when renewing license)

    The Board will renew the license of a pharmacist who has completed a minimum of 30 contact hours (3 CEU) of continuing education during the preceding biennial renewal period. Of those 30 hours, 2 hours must be Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting. 

    Section 9.1(a) of ABC-MAP* requires that all prescribers or dispensers, as defined in Section 3 of ABC-MAP, applying for licensure/approval complete at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. Applicants seeking licensure/approval on or after July 1, 2017, must document, within one year from issuance of the licensure/approval, that they completed this education either as part of an initial education program, a stand-alone course from a Board-approved course provider, or a continuing education course from an approved continuing education provider.

    The 4 hours of Board-approved education needs to be completed only once. 

    Initial Licensing Fee:

    $45.00

    Application for pharmacist license - $45

    Certification of examination scores or internship hours - $25 Verification of licensure - $15

    License Renewal Fee:

     $190.00

    Biennial renewal of license.

    Licensure by Act 41:

    Act 41 allows for portability of out-of-state professional licensees coming to work in Pennsylvania. Act 41 does this by granting all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction.