As a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, you understand the importance of staying up to date with new developments in the field. Not only is continuing education essential to good practice, but many states and certification organizations require it to maintain your credentials.
Are you wondering about the state CE requirements for pharmacy technicians and pharmacists? Each state board has unique demands, and it’s crucial to understand the rules in your jurisdiction. This resource will help you learn what you need to renew your license so you can stay on track toward your professional goals.
*Author note: There are additional new state-specific CE requirements that are currently in progress and are not yet embedded in the established laws. In multiple states (not all), pharmacists may prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptives after completing additional continuing education. Make sure to keep an eye on your state's requirements in the coming months!
Missouri
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in Missouri do not currently have any general continuing education course requirements to maintain registration with the state. However, the state does allow pharmacies and institutions to require certification.
Additionally, if you are authorized to immunize patients, you must take a competency assessment each year.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcareers Association both offer the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential. These organizations don’t differentiate pharmacy tech CE requirements by state. Instead, both organizations require 20 hours of CE every two years for certification renewal.
Pharmacist
For each license renewal cycle, Missouri pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education courses. For most pharmacists, all courses may be home study and cover general topics of interest. However, there are a few requirements for those with special authority, including:
- Four hours of CE related to blood clotting factor concentrates or infusion treatments for those who administer them
- Six hours of medication therapy management CE for pharmacists with medication therapeutic plan authority
- Two hours of vaccine-related CE for those authorized to immunize
All coursework must be completed by October 31 of even-numbered years.
Montana
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in Montana must renew their licenses each year by June 30. Because all pharmacy techs in the state must be certified by either the PTCB or the NHA, you must complete the 20 hours of CE courses required by these organizations to maintain your credentials. There is no additional CE required by the state.
Pharmacist
As a Montana pharmacist, you have a choice when it comes to your CE course requirements. You may choose between:
- 15 hours of CE annually with a five-hour live course requirement
- 20 hours of home study CE courses
Like pharmacy technicians, pharmacists must renew their professional licenses each year by June 30.
Nebraska
Pharmacy Tech
While pharmacy technicians in Nebraska must apply for license renewal by the first day of every odd-numbered year, there is no CE requirement to qualify. However, if you are certified by the PTCB or the NHA, you must complete 20 CE hours every two years to renew your credential.
Pharmacist
In comparing pharmacist CE requirements by state, Nebraska offers a lot of flexibility. You need 30 CE course hours every two years, all of which can be home study. You must complete your coursework and renewal application before the first day of even-numbered years.
Nevada
Pharmacy Tech
Nevada pharmacy technicians must renew their licenses every two years and complete 12 hours of CE training before submitting their application. One of these hours must be an approved Nevada-specific law course.
You may substitute coursework required to maintain your CPhT credential for the biennial training requirement. All coursework must be completed by October 31 of odd-numbered years.
Pharmacist
As a Nevada pharmacist, you must complete 30 hours of CE courses by October 31 of every odd-numbered year. Twenty-nine of these hours may cover general topics aligned to your interests, but the board requires one hour of approved Nevada-specific law, for which they offer their own course. All CE courses may be home study.
New Hampshire
Pharmacy Tech
All New Hampshire pharmacy technicians must be nationally certified. Though the state itself does not require CE, both the PTCB and the NHA require 20 hours of CE every two years to maintain your CPhT credential. You must complete your renewal by March 31 every two years from the date it was issued.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists in New Hampshire are required to complete 30 hours of CE coursework every two years, 10 of which must consist of live instruction. All coursework must be completed by the last day of the year in which the renewal occurs.
New Jersey
Pharmacy Tech
New Jersey requires pharmacy technicians to renew their licenses every two years. There are no state-specific CE requirements, but if you are nationally certified through PTCB or NHA, you must complete 20 CE hours every two years for credential renewal.
Pharmacist
New Jersey pharmacists must complete 30 hours of CE coursework by April 30 of odd-numbered years to maintain licensure. Twenty of those hours may be home study, while 10 must be live instruction. Specific requirements include:
- 16 hours of general topics
- Three hours of law-related courses
- One hour of instruction on opioids
If you are an immunizing pharmacist, you must also take two hours of immunization courses.
New Mexico
Pharmacy Tech
New Mexico pharmacy techs are required to renew registration on the last day of their birth month every two years from the time of licensure.
While there are no state-specific CE requirements, those who are nationally certified must take the necessary coursework to maintain those credentials. For CPht certifications from the PTCB and NHA, this means 20 CE hours every two years.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists in New Mexico must complete 30 hours of CE coursework by the last day of their birth month every two years. Ten of those 30 hours must consist of real-time instruction. Topic-specific requirements include:
- Two hours of patient safety courses
- Two hours on the safe use of opioids
- 14 hours of general topics of interest in the field
If you live and work in New Mexico, you must attend a live pharmacy law course provided by the board. If you work out of state, you must attend a live course approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
New York
Pharmacy Tech
The state of New York does not require continuing education courses for pharmacy technicians. However, they do require registered pharmacy technicians who also wish to be licensed to maintain national certification through the PTCB or NHA. Those organizations require 20 hours of CE every two years to maintain a CPht credential.
Pharmacist
When it comes to pharmacist CE requirements by state, New York has some of the most extensive demands. All pharmacists must complete 45 hours of CE coursework every three years. This includes:
- 23 hours of live instruction
- Three hours of compounding coursework
- Three hours of medication errors coursework
The deadline for completing all CE courses is the last day of your birth month in the year of renewal.
North Carolina
Pharmacy Tech
North Carolina pharmacy technicians do not have state-imposed CE requirements to renew their licenses each year. However, those who have been certified through PTCB or NHA must complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years to renew CPhT certification.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists in North Carolina must complete 15 CE hours on an annual basis for license renewal. Five of these hours must be presented live, and all coursework must be completed by the last day of the year. Immunizing pharmacists must complete three hours of immunization courses every two years.
North Dakota
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in North Dakota must complete 10 hours of continuing education courses by the last day of February each year. This requirement is in line with national certification organizations like PTCB and NHA, which require 20 hours every two years.
There are no specific course topics required by the state, so pharmacy techs may choose coursework aligned with their interests.
Pharmacist
North Dakota pharmacists must complete 15 hours per year of continuing education, all of which can be home study courses. Like pharmacy techs, pharmacists must complete all coursework by the last day of February and can take courses on any pharmacy-related topic.
Ohio
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in Ohio must renew their licenses by March 31 of every even-numbered year. Techs must complete 10 hours of CE by that deadline, all of which can be home study courses.
In addition to six hours of coursework on general topics, pharmacy techs must also complete two hours of medication error and patient safety-related coursework and two hours of law-related courses.
Pharmacist
Ohio pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education coursework by September 15 of each odd-numbered year. All 30 hours may be home study courses, with two required hours of law or jurisprudence courses and two hours of patient safety courses.
The CE requirement is waived for all first-time renewals but applies to all subsequent renewal applications.
Oklahoma
Pharmacy Tech
Though Oklahoma pharmacy techs must renew their licenses annually by the last day of their birth month, there is no CE required by the state to do so. If you are nationally certified by the PTCB or NHA, you must complete 20 CE hours every two years to renew your CPhT credential.
Pharmacist
Oklahoma pharmacists must complete 15 hours of continuing education annually by the last day of their birth month. All 15 hours can be completed with home study courses on any profession-related topic of interest.
Oregon
Pharmacy Tech
Oregon has some of the most stringent and specific pharmacy tech CE requirements by state. All pharmacy techs must complete 20 CE hours by June 30 of even-numbered years, all of which may be home study. Topics must include:
- Two hours of cultural competency coursework
- Two hours of patient safety and medication errors instruction
- Two hours of pharmacy law-related coursework
The other 14 hours can be related to any pharmacy topic of your choosing.
Pharmacist
All Oregon pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education by June 30 of each odd-numbered year. This must consist of:
- Two hours of cultural competency courses
- Two hours of patient safety and medication errors courses
- Two hours of law coursework
You must also complete a one-hour pain management course offered by the Oregon Health Authority’s Pain Management Commission.
Pennsylvania
Pharmacy Tech
Pennsylvania does not require pharmacy technicians to register or be licensed and, therefore, does not have any state-specific CE requirements for the profession. If you are nationally certified, you must complete 20 hours of CE coursework to maintain your CPhT credential.
Pharmacist
Pennsylvania pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education coursework by September 30 of every even-numbered year. While all 30 hours may be home study, there are specific topic requirements, including:
- Two hours of child abuse recognition training
- Two hours of pain management coursework
- Two hours of patient safety courses
You must also complete a two-hour immunization course if you are authorized to administer vaccines.
Rhode Island
Pharmacy Tech
Rhode Island pharmacy technicians must complete 10 hours of general continuing education courses by the last day of every year. This is enough to maintain national CPhT certification through the PTCB or NHA.
Pharmacist
Rhode Island pharmacists must also complete 15 hours of continuing education coursework each year. However, five of those hours must consist of live instruction. One of those hours must be law-related, and one must be an immunization course.
South Carolina
Pharmacy Tech
South Carolina pharmacy technicians must complete 10 CE hours every year by June 30. All of those 10 hours may be home study courses on the pharmacy-related topic of your choosing.
Pharmacist
South Carolina pharmacists must complete 15 hours of continuing education annually. All CE courses may be home study. However, there are specific topics that must be covered, including:
- 7.5 hours (50% of the time requirement) of drug therapy or patient safety topics
- One hour of controlled substances coursework
- One hour of hormonal contraceptives training (when applicable)
- One hour of immunization training (for those administering vaccines)
All continuing education coursework must be completed by March 31 of each year.
South Dakota
Pharmacy Tech
South Dakota pharmacy technicians must renew their licenses by October 31 of each year, but there are currently no state-specific CE requirements. Those with CPhT certification must complete 20 hours of coursework biennially to maintain that credential.
Pharmacist
As a South Dakota pharmacist, you must complete 12 hours per year of continuing education courses by September 30. While there is no live CE requirement, those authorized to immunize must complete one hour of related coursework.
Tennessee
Pharmacy Tech
Tennessee pharmacy technicians must renew their licenses every two years, but are not required by the state to take CE courses. However, those with CPhT certification must complete 20 CE hours every two years, as required by the PTCB and NHA.
Pharmacist
Tennessee pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. Fifteen of those 30 hours must include live instruction, but there are no course topic requirements.
Texas
Pharmacy Tech
Texas requires pharmacy technicians to complete 20 hours of continuing education coursework every two years before the last day of the month they initially registered. This includes one hour of Texas-specific pharmacy law coursework and one hour of approved human trafficking prevention training.
Pharmacist
After the initial license renewal, Texas pharmacists need 30 hours of CE courses to maintain licensure. In terms of pharmacist CE requirements by state, Texas has highly specific and unique topic requirements, including:
- One hour of Texas-specific pharmacy law coursework
- One hour of human trafficking prevention training (which may or may not count toward required CE hours)
- Two hours of training on prescribing and monitoring controlled substances (for first-time renewals)
Though not required for renewal, the Texas state board recommends mental health awareness and substance use disorder training.
Utah
Pharmacy Tech
Utah pharmacy technicians must complete 20 hours of CE courses by September 30 of even-numbered years. Because all techs must be nationally certified, one hour of patient safety coursework and one hour of law-related coursework are required. Immunizing techs must also take a two-hour immunization course.
Pharmacist
Utah pharmacists must complete 30 continuing education hours by September 30 of odd-numbered years, 12 of which must be live. Pharmacists must take 15 hours of drug therapy, disease state management, or patient safety courses and one hour of law-related coursework.
Those with specialty authorizations must also complete two hours of immunization, hormonal contraceptive therapy, or long-acting injectables administration.
Vermont
Pharmacy Tech
Vermont pharmacy techs are required to renew their licenses by July 31 of each year. However, there are no CE demands other than the 20 hours of continuing education required for CPhT certification renewal.
Pharmacist
Vermont pharmacists must complete 30 hours of CE (including 10 live hours) by July 31 of every odd-numbered year. Two CE hours must be controlled substances-related coursework.
Virginia
Pharmacy Tech
Virginia pharmacy technicians must complete five hours of CE courses by the last day of each year. There are no specific topic requirements.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists in Virginia must complete 15 hours of CE coursework by the last day of each year, including three hours of live instruction. There is a one-time requirement for a two-hour course covering opioid use disorders and medications.
Washington
Pharmacy Tech
Washington pharmacy technicians must complete 20 hours of CE coursework every two years by their birthdate. All 20 hours can be home study and must include one hour of health equity training.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists in Washington must complete 30 CE hours before their birth date every two years. In addition to an annual one-hour health equity training requirement, there is also a one-time, three-hour suicide prevention training requirement.
West Virginia
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in West Virginia must renew their licenses annually by June 30, but do not have a state-specific CE requirement. Nationally certified techs must still complete 20 hours of CE coursework to maintain their CPhT credential.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists practicing in West Virginia must complete 30 hours of continuing education by June 30 of each odd-numbered year. Six of those 30 hours must be live instruction, and all pharmacists must take an approved two-hour drug diversion training course that explains best practices for prescribing controlled substances.
Wisconsin
Pharmacy Tech
Pharmacy technicians in Wisconsin do not have to be licensed but must register with the state by May 31 of every even-numbered year. There is no CE course requirement put forth by the state board. However, those with national CPhT certification must complete 20 hours of coursework biennially for renewal.
Pharmacist
Wisconsin pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education courses by May 31 of every even-numbered year. All courses may be home study, and pharmacists may choose topics that align most with their interests and professional goals.
Wyoming
Pharmacy Tech
Wyoming requires pharmacy technicians to complete six hours of continuing education courses by the last day of each year. All hours may be completed with home study courses on any pharmacy-related topic.
Pharmacist
Wyoming pharmacists must complete 12 hours of continuing education courses annually by December 31. An hour and a half must be dedicated to coursework covering best practices for prescribing controlled substances. Immunizing pharmacists must also complete one hour of immunization training.
Didn't see your state? Make sure to read Part 1 here!
*Are you looking for requirements for Guam, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands pharmacy techs and pharmacists? Don't worry, RxCe provides CEs for you as well!
