3.1 Pharmacist Licensure & the PA Board of Pharmacy
Key Takeaways
- The PA State Board of Pharmacy sits under the Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA); its regulations are in 49 Pa. Code Chapter 27 and its enabling statute is the Pharmacy Act, Act 699 of 1961 (63 P.S. § 390-1 et seq.).
- Initial pharmacist licensure requires an ACPE-accredited PharmD (or B.S. Pharmacy), 1,500 hours of supervised practical experience, and passing scores on both the NAPLEX and the PA MPJE.
- Foreign pharmacy graduates must obtain Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certification before applying for Pennsylvania licensure.
- The initial pharmacist license application fee is $45; the biennial renewal fee is $190, with renewal by September 30 of even-numbered years.
- Pennsylvania allows licensure by examination and reciprocity; reciprocity applicants must still pass the PA MPJE, and MPJE candidates are limited to 5 attempts per jurisdiction with a 30-day wait between attempts.
The PA State Board of Pharmacy
Pharmacy practice in Pennsylvania is regulated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (the "Board"), which sits within the Department of State (DOS) under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA). The Board's authority is not free-standing: it derives from the Pharmacy Act of 1961 (Act 699), codified at 63 P.S. §§ 390-1 through 390-13, and its operational rules are in 49 Pa. Code Chapter 27. When a PA MPJE item cites "the Board," it means this DOS/BPOA agency — not the Department of Health, not the Attorney General, and not federal DEA.
The Board's core functions include issuing pharmacist licenses and pharmacy permits, registering interns and technicians, adopting regulations (49 Pa. Code Ch. 27), investigating complaints, and disciplining licensees. PA's controlled-substance statute — the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act (35 P.S. §§ 780-101 et seq.) — works alongside the federal Controlled Substances Act; when PA is stricter, PA controls, and when federal law is stricter, federal controls.
Educational Requirements
To sit for licensure in Pennsylvania, an applicant must hold a professional degree from a school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The Board accepts either the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) or the older Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. PharmD candidates earn the degree after a four-year professional curriculum following pre-pharmacy prerequisites.
Foreign pharmacy graduates — those whose pharmacy degree is not from an ACPE-accredited program — must first obtain Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certification through NABP. FPGEC certification requires passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE), demonstrating English proficiency (TOEFL iBT), and submitting a verified licensure history. Without FPGEC certification, a foreign graduate cannot begin earning Pennsylvania intern hours or sit for NAPLEX/MPJE.
Practical Experience — 1,500 Hours
Every candidate must complete 1,500 hours of supervised practical experience as a registered pharmacy intern. ACPE-accredited PharmD programs typically embed these hours as Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs); the Board accepts ACPE-accredited PharmD experiential hours as satisfying the 1,500-hour requirement without a separate Pennsylvania-specific internship. Candidates who earned a B.S. in Pharmacy or who completed hours outside an ACPE curriculum must document hours under a Board-registered preceptor.
Hours must be recorded on Board-approved affidavits and submitted with the licensure application. Falsifying hours is grounds for denial of licensure and disciplinary action.
Examination Requirements — NAPLEX + PA MPJE
Pennsylvania requires candidates to pass two NABP examinations:
- NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination) — tests pharmacotherapy, calculations, and clinical judgment.
- PA MPJE (Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) — tests federal pharmacy law and Pennsylvania-specific law (Pharmacy Act, 49 Pa. Code Ch. 27, Controlled Substances Act, and PDMP, immunization, e-prescribing, and opioid rules).
The PA MPJE is a fixed-length computer-adaptive test (CAT) with 120 questions (100 scored + 20 pretest) over 2.5 hours; the scaled passing score is 75. NABP limits candidates to 5 attempts per jurisdiction for the MPJE, with a minimum 30-day wait between attempts. The exam fee is $270 ($100 NABP eligibility application + $170 exam purchase fee) through Pearson VUE.
Licensure by Examination vs. Reciprocity
Licensure by examination is the standard path for new graduates: PharmD + 1,500 intern hours + NAPLEX + PA MPJE + $45 initial fee.
Licensure by reciprocity (license transfer) is for pharmacists already licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction. Reciprocity applicants file through NABP's Electronic Licensure Transfer Program. They do not retake NAPLEX, but they must pass the PA MPJE because jurisprudence is state-specific. The applicant's home-state license must be active and in good standing; any open disciplinary action must be disclosed and reviewed.
Fees, Renewal, and CE
The initial license application fee is $45. The biennial renewal fee is $190, with licenses expiring September 30 of even-numbered years. Each biennium requires 30 CE contact hours, including 2 hours of patient safety and 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting per 49 Pa. Code § 27.32(a). Certificates must be retained for 2 years and produced on a 5% random audit. Pharmacists are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6311, and 3 hours of child-abuse recognition and reporting training are required for initial licensure.
PA Pharmacist Licensure Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Standard Path (by Exam) | Reciprocity Path |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ACPE-accredited PharmD or B.S. Pharmacy | Same |
| Foreign grads | FPGEC certification required | Same |
| Practical experience | 1,500 intern hours | Credited from home jurisdiction |
| NAPLEX | Required, score ≥ 75 | Not retaken |
| PA MPJE | Required, score ≥ 75 | Required, score ≥ 75 |
| Initial fee | $45 | $45 |
| Attempt limit | 5 per jurisdiction for MPJE | Same |
| Renewal | $190 biennially, by Sept 30 (even years) | Same |
Exam Traps
- "BPOA" vs. "Department of Health": The Board of Pharmacy is under DOS/BPOA, not the DOH. The DOH operates the PDMP (ABC-MAP), not the Board.
- "Act 699 of 1961" is the Pharmacy Act — not the Controlled Substances Act (35 P.S. § 780-101 et seq.) and not Act 80 of 2022 (immunization amendments).
- The 1,500-hour requirement is satisfied by ACPE PharmD experiential hours; do not assume a separate Pennsylvania internship is required of PharmD graduates.
A 2026 PharmD graduate of an ACPE-accredited college applies for a Pennsylvania pharmacist license. Which combination of items satisfies the experience and examination requirements?
A pharmacist licensed in Ohio for six years applies for Pennsylvania licensure by reciprocity. Their Ohio license is active and unencumbered. Which additional examination must they pass before practicing in Pennsylvania?
A foreign-trained pharmacist whose degree is from a non-ACPE-accredited program wishes to pursue Pennsylvania licensure. Which credential must they obtain before they can begin earning intern hours or sitting for NAPLEX?