CE FOR PHARMACISTS: FIND YOUR STATE’S REQUIREMENTS
In July 2020 there were 314,000 pharmacists in the United States!
Pharmacists Continuing Education pharmacy CE (CE) requirements vary by state. Here, we have compiled all of the locations where you can find your most up-to-date pharmacy CE needs. This information is offered as a summary and does not include specifics regarding content. Information may have changed since this information was last verified by Medscape on October 2014. Additionally, licenses are offered and renewed at the sole discretion of the state boards.
In need of some extra Live hours to stay on top of your own pharmacy CE? It’s time to book a CE seminar with us! Take a look at our current offerings here!
In need of some extra Live hours to stay on top of your own pharmacy CE? It's time to book a CE seminar with us! Take a look at our current offerings here!
CE for Pharmacists: Requirements by State
| State | Term | CE Requirements (contact hours) |
Requirements for "Live" Hours |
| Alabama | 1 | Pharmacists shall obtain no less than 15 hours of approved continuing (CE) ONLY ACPE approvedprograms or courses may be used to satisfy Continuing Education requirements. |
3 |
| Alaska | 2 | 30 hours of continuing education accepted by the board. | 0 |
| Arizona | 2 | 30 contact hours (3.0 CEU's) of continuing education activity sponsored by an Approved Provider, of which at least three contact hours (0.3CEU's) are approved courses in pharmacy law. | 0 |
| Arkansas | 2 | Thirty (30) hours of continuing education every biennium. A minimum of twelve (12) continuing education hours of the thirty (30) required hours, must be accredited by the ACPE. |
12 |
| California | 2 | Pharmacists are required to have completed a total of 30 hours of continuing education during the renewal period. If a CE course is not accredited by the ACPE or the Pharmacy Foundation of California, you may petition the board for CE credit. | 0 |
| Colorado | 2 | 24 hours of continuing pharmaceutical education currently approved by the ACPE or an equivalent accrediting body as determined by the board. | 0 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 15; At least one of the fifteen contact hours shall be on the subject matter of pharmacy law or drug law. | 5 |
| Delaware | 2 | 30; At least 2 hours must be medication safety/errors. Board approved providers are any approved by ACPE. | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 40 hours with 2 hours in Medication Errors and 2 hours in HIV Awareness, Treatment, or Preparedness. Pharmacists certified to administer immunizations shall complete 2 hours each renewal period on administration of immunizations and vaccinations. | 10 |
| Florida | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the license per biennium (two year licensure period), 2 hours Pharmaceutical Education on medical errors per biennium (may be counted towards required CE hours). 10 hours must be either live or interactive computer-based. | 10 |
| Georgia | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Idaho | 1 | 15 contact hours; At a minimum, 12 hours will be all or a combination of ACPE or Continuing Medical Education (CME) approved programs. One hour must be Board of Pharmacy approved jurisprudence (pharmacy law) programs. A maximum of 3 hours may be Board approved non-APCE approved programs. | 3 |
| Illinois | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Indiana | 2 | 30; A maximum of one-fifth (1/5) of the total hours may be business, management, or computer courses. At least four-fifths (4/5) of the total hours must be pharmacy practice related. least one-half (1/2) of the total hours must be provided by sponsors approved by ACPE. | 0 |
| Iowa | 2 | 30; ACPE accredited activities - 15 hours must be in drug-therapy (01-P or 02-P). At least 2 hours of CE in pharmacy law (03-P) and 2 hours of CE in medication/patient safety (05-P). | 0 |
| Kansas | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 15 hours of general pharmacy continuing education completed and certified by December 31, Pharmacists must submit CE list with their annual renewal. All courses and/or providers shall be Kentucky Board of Pharmacy or ACPE approved. A 1 hour Board approved HIV/AIDS course must be taken at least once every 10 years. | 0 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 15 hours of ACPE-approved education. 3 hours must be live or an additional 5 hours of non-live is required. | 3 |
| Maine | 1 | 15 hours of board approved continuing education is required with renewal - at least 2 hours must be in board-approved courses on drug administration. | 0 |
| Maryland | 2 | 30 hours. 2 hours on preventing medication errors. | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 30; A registrant seeking renewal of a personal registration must complete a minimum of 1.5 CEUs (15 contact hours) each calendar year of the two-year renewal cycle. Of the 15 contact hours, at least two contact hours shall be in the area of pharmacy law; and not more than ten contact hours shall be acquired through home study or correspondence. | 10 |
| Michigan | 2 | 30; at least 1 hour in pain management. | 10 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Missouri | 2 | 30 contact hours per biennium; no carry over is allowed. | 0 |
| Montana | 1 | 15 required each renewal period. 1.5 CEUs (10 hours = 1 CEU) with 0.5 CEU obtained in an approved contact/group hours or 2.0 CEUs if a pharmacist does not take at least 0.5 CEU in an approved contact/group program. | 5 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 30 hours of ACPE-approved continuing education required for each renewal period (no restrictions on home study versus live). Board accepts activities from ACPE accredited providers. | 0 |
| Nevada | 2 | 30; 1 hour on pharmacy law is required (must be Board approved). | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 15; carry over is not allowed | 5 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 30; 3 hours on pharmacy law, applicable to practice in NJ is required. Renews April 30 every 2 years | 10 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 30 contact hours for license renewal including (2)hours in the subject area pharmacy law by attending a Board of Pharmacy law program. Pharmacists with an active license, who do not practice pharmacy in this state, may substitute an ACPE accredited program in the subject area Pharmacy Law in lieu of attending a Board approved program in New Mexico. 2 hours in Pharmacy Safety. | 10 |
| New York | 3 | A minimum of 45 contact hours is required in each three-year registration period, at least 3 of the required hours must be formal continuing education on strategies and techniques to reduce medication and prescription errors. | 23 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 15; 8 of these hours must be "contact" activities. Online activities can be considered "contact" if two-way communication between faculty and attendee is available. | 8 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Ohio | 3 | 60 contact hours (6 CEUs) of approved continuing education shall be submitted by the date indicated on the continuing pharmacy education report form and at intervals not to exceed three years. At least 0.3 CEUs of the total must be obtained from Ohio state board of pharmacy approved programs in jurisprudence. | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 15 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 15; minimum of one hour must be completed in the area of pharmacy or drug law or legal aspects of health care. 11 hours must be in therapeutics. There is a one-time requirement of 7 hours in pain management. | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 30; For licensees with the authority to administer injectable medications, biologicals or immunizations, 2 hours are required in the administration of injectables including disease epidemiology, vaccine characteristics, injection technique, emergency responses to adverse events and related topics. 2 of the 30 contact hours required for the renewal of a pharmacist license shall be completed in the ACPE topic designator "Patient Safety (“05”). |
0 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 15 hours of approved CE. | 5 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 15; At least fifty percent of the total number of hours required must be in drug therapy or patient management. Hours completed in excess of the requirement may be carried forward for credit in the next license year but may not be carried forward for more than one license year. | 6 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 12 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 15 |
| Texas | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Utah | 2 | 30; minimum of 15 hours in drug therapy or patient management and 1 hour of laws & ethics. | 12 |
| Vermont | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 10 |
| Virginia | 1 | 15; added 12/22/14: 1 hour of opioid use of abuse-one time requirement | 0 |
| Washington | 1 | 15 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 30; 3 hours on drug diversion and best practice prescribing of controlled substances in 1st year of licensing period. All pharmacists registered as consultants must have 3 hours of CE in consulting practice each year. Program must be submitted to Board for approval and assignment of number. | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 30 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 12 hours of approved CE. | 0 |
