Pharmacist Licensure Guide

The purpose of the Pharmacist Licensure Guide is to provide transparency, inform applicants of expected timelines for receiving a license, and outline steps applicants can take to reduce mistakes and mitigate delays. To provide the greatest clarity on the licensing process from start to finish, we will break it down into three phases, providing estimated times for each stage of the process, and recommendations for how to reduce processing times.

Pharmacist

Applicants for a pharmacist license may apply by examination, score transfer or reciprocity.

A pharmacist (RP) provides health care services which include:

the interpretation, evaluation and implementation of medical orders for the provision of pharmacy services or prescription drug orders;
the delivery, dispensing or distribution of prescription drugs;
participation in drug and device selection;
drug administration; drug regimen review;
drug therapy management;
drug or drug-related research;
compounding;
proper and safe storage of drugs and devices;
management of drug therapy pursuant to a written agreement or protocol;
maintaining proper records;
patient counseling; and
such acts, services, operations or transactions necessary or incident to the provision of these health care services.

Obtaining a license for Pharmacist by Examination

Individuals apply by examination when the individual does not hold a pharmacist license in any U.S. state and would like Pennsylvania to be the “primary” state of licensure. If Pennsylvania is the “primary” state of licensure, it means that the PA Board will authorize an applicant to take the North American Pharmacist Examination (NAPLEX) exam. Applicants must have graduated with a Pharm.D. or B.S. in Pharmacy degree from a school of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. A graduate of a foreign pharmacy school must have Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certification through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Proof of the required education and completion of 1,500 acceptable intern hours is needed prior to being authorized for the licensure exams (NAPLEX and PA MPJE).

Specific tips for reducing processing time for Pharmacist Licensure by Examination

License verifications are required from any states/jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a health-related professional license, registration, authorization, or permit to practice. Verifications are required regardless of the current status of the license and the verifications must be sent directly to the PA Board from the other licensing agency. Keep in mind that verifications are required for pharmacy intern and pharmacy technician licenses/registrations.

PLEASE NOTE: The Board does NOT need to receive verification if the license, certificate, permit, registration or other authorization to practice any health-related profession was issued by one of the licensing boards within the Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

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General tips for reducing processing time for Pharmacist Licensure

PLEASE NOTE - Applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as soon as possible.

Obtaining a license for Pharmacist by Reciprocity and License Transfer

Individuals apply by reciprocity, otherwise known as “license transfer”, when the individual holds an active pharmacist license in another U.S. state; the pharmacist license being reciprocated is the basis of the Pennsylvania pharmacist license. Applicants must have graduated with a Pharm.D. or B.S. in Pharmacy degree from a school of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. A graduate of a foreign pharmacy school must have Foreign Pharmacist Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certification through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Applicants must demonstrate that they have passed an acceptable national exam (ex. NAPLEX, NABPLEX) under Pennsylvania score standards. Proof of the required education and completion of 1,500 acceptable intern hours or proof of fulltime work as a pharmacist in another U.S. state for at least one year is required prior to being authorized for the PA MPJE.

Specific tips for reducing processing time for Pharmacist Licensure by reciprocity or license transfer

The initial step in the reciprocal licensure process is to submit a reciprocal licensure application to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Once NABP processes your application, you must obtain a copy of the processed application from NABP and upload that processed application to your Pennsylvania pharmacist license application. Do not upload your NABP receipt nor should you think that the Board office staff will obtain the application for you. It is your responsibility to obtain from NABP a copy of the processed NABP reciprocal licensure application and upload that processed NABP reciprocal licensure application to your Pennsylvania pharmacist license application.

A reciprocal licensure application processed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) will already contain licensure verifications for your pharmacist licenses; these are valid for six months from the date that NABP processed the reciprocal licensure application.
The reciprocal licensure application will not include license verifications for otherhealth-related professional licenses, registrations, authorizations or permits to practice. You must arrange for license verifications to be sent directly to the PA Board from the appropriate licensing agency for these other licenses, registrations, authorizations, and permits, including any pharmacy intern and/or pharmacy technician licenses/registrations and any authorization to administer injectables. Be sure that you list these other license types and the state that issued these license types when answering the questions on your Pennsylvania pharmacist license application.