Pharmacy

License Requirements

General Requirements

Any use of the title "pharmacist" within New York State requires licensure.

To be licensed as a pharmacist in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education, examination, and experience requirements; and
• be a United States citizen or alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (Alien Registration Card /USCIS I-551 Status - "Green Card").
  
  

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 137, Section 6805 of New York's Education Law and Part 63 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

Fees

The fee for licensure is $339.

The fee for a limited (intern) permit is $70.

The fee listed is the fee in place when this page was posted. Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail your application and fee to:

  NYS Education Department, Office of the Professions
  P.O. Box 22063
  Albany, NY 12201

Partial Refunds

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Pharmacy Unit at opunit1@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 250 or by fax at 518-402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Education Requirements

To meet the professional education requirements for licensure as a pharmacist, you must have:

1. completed a program in pharmacy leading to a bachelor's degree or higher from a pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
   
   

   Proof of Education

   Upon graduation, you must request a Form 2 or an official transcript with degree and conferral date be sent directly to the Office of the Professions at the address on the form.
   
   OR,
   
   
2. graduated from a pharmacy program accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP):
   
   
   • between 1993 and 2004 (see Section I, "Proof of Education" requirements above) or,
   • before 1993 (see Section III, "Proof of Education" requirements below).
   
   OR,
   
   
3. completed a pharmacy program that is not accredited by ACPE or CCAPP, and:
   
   
   1. have completed a program in pharmacy leading to a degree, diploma or certificate in pharmacy (at the level of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent) recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of the jurisdiction in which the school is located as meeting the education requirements for entry into practice in that jurisdiction.
      
      AND,
      
      
   2. have Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
      
      For information regarding FPGEC certification, contact:

      National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
      1600 Feehanville Drive
      Mt Prospect, IL 60056
      Phone: 847-391-4406
      Web: www.nabp.net

      AND,
      
      
   3. the New York State Education Department must determine that the non-accredited pharmacy program meets the following preprofessional and professional study requirements:
      
      
      1. Preprofessional Study
         
         At least 60 semester hours of preprofessional study in the basic sciences and general education content areas, with a minimum of 20 semester hours in the basic sciences content area and a minimum of 20 semester hours in the general education content area.
         
         Basic Sciences Content Area includes but is not limited to coursework in:
         
         
         • mathematics;
         • biological sciences, including but not limited to general biology; and
         • physical sciences, including but not limited to general and organic chemistry.
         
         General Education Content Area includes but is not limited to coursework in each of the following areas:
         
         
         • social and behavioral sciences, and
         • humanities, including but not limited to English.
         
         
      2. Professional Study
         
         At least 90 semester hours of professional study in the biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, and clinical sciences content areas, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in the biomedical sciences content area, a minimum of 20 semester hours in the pharmaceutical sciences content area, and a minimum of 15 semester hours in the clinical sciences content area.
         
         Biomedical Sciences Content Area includes but is not limited to coursework in each of the following areas:
         
         
         • anatomy;
         • physiology;
         • microbiology/immunology;
         • biochemistry;
         • pathology; and
         • biostatistics.
         
         Pharmaceutical Sciences Content Area includes but is not limited to coursework in each of the following areas:
         
         
         • pharmaceutical or medicinal chemistry;
         • basic pharmaceutics, including but not limited to compounding and dispensing;
         • biopharmaceutics;
         • pharmacokinetics;
         • pharmacognosy or natural products;
         • pharmacology; and
         • pharmacy administration.
         
         Clinical Sciences Content Area means coursework in clinical applications using knowledge gained in the biomedical sciences and pharmaceutical sciences content areas, including but not limited to coursework in each of the following:
         
         
         • clinical and practice foundations;
         • disease processes;
         • clinical pharmacology and therapeutics; and
         • drug information and literature evaluation.
         
         Additionally, the coursework in the clinical sciences content area must include an appropriate mix of clinical experiences in community and institutional pharmacies and in appropriate inpatient and outpatient settings.

   Proof of Education

   Send Form 2 to your school and ask that they complete and return it with an official transcript directly to the Office of the Professions at the address on the form.

Examination Requirements

You must pass all three parts of the pharmacist licensing exam series within 5 years:

• Part I: North American Pharmacist Licensing Exam (NAPLEX)
• Part II: Multi-State Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) [Study Guide]
• Part III: Written and Practical (Compounding)
  OR, on or after September 1, 2009, obtain Certification of Completion of Pharmacy Practice Residency Competencies

NAPLEX (Part I)

1. Admission Requirements
   
   To be admitted into the examination you must:
   
   
   • submit your completed licensure application (Form 1 and fee) to the New York State Education Department, and
   • have your completed education documentation submitted and approved by the New York State Education Department.
   
   
2. Examination Application Procedure
   
   If you meet the admission requirements listed, apply on-line at www.nabp.net. NABP will mail you the Authorization To Test (ATT) once New York State verifies your eligibility with NABP.

   National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
   PO Box 1057
   Park Ridge, IL 60068
   Phone: 847-391-4406
   Web: www.nabp.net

MPJE (Part II)

1. Admission Requirements
   
   To be admitted into the examination you must:
   
   
   • submit your completed licensure application (Form 1 and fee) to the New York State Education Department if you haven't already submitted one;
   • have your completed education documentation submitted and approved by the New York State Education Department if you haven't already; and
   • have your completed internship experience submitted and approved (Note: PharmD graduates are exempt from the experience requirement; see Internship Experience Requirement section for additional details) by the New York State Education Department as follows:
     
     
     • Graduates from ACPE accredited programs or CCAPP accredited programs (since 1993) must submit documentation of completion of 6 months (1,040 hours) of approved internship according to the requirements listed under Experience Requirements.
     • Graduates from non-accredited programs must have a passing score on Part I and submit documentation of completion of 12 months (2,080 hours) of approved internship according to the requirements listed under Experience Requirements.
     
     
2. Examination Application Procedure
   
   If you meet the admission requirements listed, apply on-line at www.nabp.net. NABP will mail you the Authorization To Test (ATT) once New York State verifies your eligibility with NABP.

   National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
   PO Box 1057
   Park Ridge, IL 60068
   Phone: 847-391-4406
   Web: www.nabp.net

Compounding (Part III) - Written and Practical

1. Admission Requirement
   
   
   • To be admitted into the examination you must meet all the eligibility requirements for Part II (MPJE).
   • If you are in your last semester and enrolled in a New York State pharmacy school, your school will automatically provide us with a tentative graduation list.
   • If you are in your last semester and enrolled in an ACPE accredited pharmacy program, you must request your institution to send Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education) directly to the address listed on the form prior to the exam application deadline date. Upon graduation, a new Form 2 or official transcript with degree and conferral date must be sent directly from the school. (We cannot confirm your eligibility to sit for the exam until we receive Form 2 noting an anticipated graduation date.)
   
   
2. Examination Application Procedure
   
   Send your completed examination scheduling form and fee to:

   CASTLE Worldwide-NY EXAMS
   PO Box 570
   Morrisville, NC 27560-0570
   Phone: 800-655-4845 or 919-572-6880
   Web: www.castleworldwide.com/castests/webdesign/DEFAULTnew_york_state.htm

3. Examination Application Deadlines
   
   Deadlines for filing applications and fees with BOTH the New York State Education Department and CASTLE Worldwide are as follows:
   
   

   If you would like to take the exam in:	Your completed applications must be postmarked by:
   January	November 1 of the previous year
   June	April 1 of the same year

   
   
   Note: A completed Form 4 - Certification of an Internship in Pharmacy must also be submitted to the Department by these deadlines.

Certification of Completion of Pharmacy Practice Residency Competencies

On or after September 1, 2009, if you have not previously sat for the Part III exam, you may obtain Certification of Completion of Pharmacy Practice Residency Competencies as an alternative to taking Part III.

Reexamination

If you must retake any part of the licensing exam, reapply only to the appropriate exam administrator. DO NOT submit another licensure application and fee to the State Education Department.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

All applicants requesting special testing accommodations for the NAPLEX, MPJE, and Part III: Written and Practical (Compounding) examinations must complete the New York State Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form and supply documentation supporting their request. The Department, in consultation with NABP, will evaluate all requests. Timely submission of your request for reasonable accommodations and support documentation will help prevent a delay in your testing process.

Experience Requirements

A Limited (Intern) Permit must be issued in order to practice pharmacy under supervision. You must apply for, and have been issued, an intern permit before starting your supervised pharmacy practice. All applicants except graduates of ACPE accredited programs leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree must complete an internship experience.

You may be granted credit for internships completed in other states, if the internship meets New York State and the other state's requirements as verified on Form 4.

Limited (Intern) Permit

Anyone who has not applied for and received an intern permit from the Office of the Professions, State Board of Pharmacy is not authorized to begin an internship in New York and credit will not be granted for such practice. Only internships done in a registered pharmacy are acceptable.

The preceptor assumes the responsibility for training the intern even though the intern may practice occasionally under the supervision of another pharmacist in the same pharmacy.

If an intern permit is lost or damaged, send a letter to the State Board of Pharmacy to request a replacement. Please include your name, address, Social Security Number and telephone number.

Internship Credit

New York accepts intern hours accumulated during the summer and winter semester breaks as well as after graduation and prior to licensure in another state (Spring break or other non-semester breaks are not acceptable). Credit may be granted from the day after the semester ends through the day before classes begin with each semester. New York does not accept clerkship or externship hours that form part of the school curriculum and are required to obtain the degree. Intern hours accumulated concurrent with the school year are also not acceptable.

Credit cannot be given for any hours that exceed 40 hours per week. For calculation purposes, a week is considered a 7-day period and one month is equal to 173 hours.

Your internship must be approved before you can be considered eligible to take Part II (MPJE) and/or Part III (Written and Practical) of the licensing exam series. In addition, internship certification (Form 4) must be submitted to the Department before the Part III exam application deadline dates: November 1 for the January exam and April 1 for the June exam.

We will accept intern hours beginning with the day after the semester ends and ending with the last day of the month (January or June) of the Part III exam to which you seek admission. If for any reason the intern does not complete the projected hours, it is the obligation of both the preceptor and the intern to notify the Department immediately.

Internships completed in another state may be accepted as long as the intern meets all requirements to practice pharmacy and is authorized to do so by that State's Board of Pharmacy. Before you begin an internship in another state, check with the State's Board Office to insure that you meet their requirements and that they will be able to certify the hours you will accumulate to New York.

If you have already completed your internship in another state, request verification from that State Board to be sent directly to the New York State Education Department. The verification must include a detailed description of the internship and beginning and ending dates for each session. If you also attended a school in another state, we require your school to provide us with a letter indicating the beginning and ending dates for each semester you attended.

Certification of Internship to Another State

If you want your internship to be certified to another state, you must submit a written request to the Office of the Professions with a $20 check or money order made payable to the New York State Education Department. Send your request to:

The New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Board of Pharmacy
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000.

Applicants Licensed in Another State *

Individuals licensed in another state applying for licensure in New York State must submit the Application for Licensure and First Registration (Form 1) along with the $339 licensure fee. The form and fee should be sent to the address at the end of Form 1.

You must complete the NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer of Pharmaceutic Licensure and submit it to NABP. The preliminary application form can be obtained at www.nabp.net or by calling NABP at 847-391-4406. The NABP Official Application will be mailed to you with instructions¹ for filing that application with the Office of the Professions.

Applicants must have, during the five year period preceding the filing of their application, at least one year of satisfactory experience following their initial licensure.

Your employer must complete and forward written verification of one full year (12 months on a full-time basis or the equivalent, if part-time) of licensed practice. This verification should be sent directly by your employer to:

NYS Education Department
Office of the Professions
State Board of Pharmacy
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000
Phone 518-474-3817 ext. 130
Fax: 518-473-6995
E-mail: pharmbd@mail.nysed.gov

Upon submission and approval of the above application materials, you will receive a letter and instructions to apply to NABP to take the MPJE (Part II) examination. A study guide is available to help prepare you for the exam.

If you need additional information or assistance, please contact the Pharmacy Board at the above address.