Pharmacists need at least 30 hours of approved CE in order to renew a regular (non-initial) active license. (Board rule 295.8(d)(1))
Yes. For regular renewal, all pharmacists are required to have at least thirty hours of approved CE (Board rule 295.8(d)(1)), including the following subjects, which have been summarized below.
For a comprehensive look at these requirements and what CE programs may be counted for each, click on the corresponding "Learn More" button for that requirement.
TEXAS PHARMACY LAWS OR RULES
295.8(d)(1)(A)
Hours Per Renewal Period: 1
Date(s) Required: Current requirement each renewal period
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HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION (Legislatively Mandated)
295.8(d)(1)(F)
Date(s) Required: Current requirement each renewal period
NOTE: This is a training requirement under the purview of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and may or may not count toward your total required hours, dependent upon the course accreditation. Click the "Learn More" button for details and where to find courses approved by Texas HHSC.
PROVIDERS: Providers that wish to submit their human trafficking prevention course(s) for approval to meet this requirement can find additional information and application materials on Texas HHSC’s website here.
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NEW TEXAS PHARMACISTS ONLY | PRESCRIBING AND MONITORING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES (Legislatively Mandated)
295.8(d)(1)(C)
Hours Per Renewal Period: 2
NOTE: Pharmacists licensed on or after September 1, 2020 must complete this requirement not later than the first anniversary of their licensure.
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The following program is not required for license renewal, although participation is highly encouraged:
RECOMMENDED TRAINING (Legislatively Mandated)
House Bill 3285 (86R) mandates that the board encourage pharmacists to participate in a program that provides a comprehensive approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders and persons who are at risk of developing substance use disorders, such as a program promoted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Texas Targeted Opioid Response is a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) through federal funding from SAMHSA and offers free continuing education on its website: Texas Opioid Training Initiative.
The Board considers several accreditation types as approved. The most common approved accreditation type is ACPE. A complete list of approved programs can be found in Board rule 295.8(e).
No. You are exempt from needing to report CE within the 30-day renewal period upon initial licensure.
Both of these requirements were mandated by legislation passed during the 86th Texas Legislature.
You may also need CE if you wish to maintain specific certifications during your initial renewal period (e.g., sterile compounding, immunization, etc.). See this summary of specific certification requirements for details.
No. Pharmacists are required to maintain certificates of completion of approved continuing education for three years from the date of reporting the hours on a license renewal application (Board rule 295.8(f)(1)). Do not send CE certificates to the Board office unless requested.
The Board has the authority to conduct an audit of pharmacist CE records for verification of reported CE credits (Board rule 295.8(f)(2)). Upon written request, a pharmacist will be required to provide to the board copies of completion certificates for all CE hours reported during a specified time period. Failure to provide all requested records during a specified time period constitutes prima facie evidence of failure to keep and maintain records and may result in disciplinary action. A license would also be subject to disciplinary action if false or fraudulent records were submitted in response to an audit.
A pharmacist with an inactive license is not required to report any CE hours at the time of renewal. For more information regarding inactive license renewal and/or license reactivation, click here.
Yes. Please click here for additional information regarding reactivating your inactive pharmacist license.
No. Any CE requirements imposed upon a pharmacist as part of a disciplinary order shall be in addition to the hours required to renew the license.
If you'd like to update your license with a specific certification, you can find initial continuing education requirements here. Once you've completed the required CE and any other initial certification requirements, you may submit either the board certification update form or the drug therapy management form, depending on which certification(s) you've obtained. Both forms and submission instructions can be found on the pharmacist license update page.
You can find a summary of the preceptor CE requirements by clicking here. Complete preceptor CE requirements, including initial certification, can be found in Board rule 283.6. The Texas Consortium on Experiential Programs (TCEP) is the approving body for continuing education for preceptors. Learn more about TCEP and approved providers and scheduled programs here and learn more about the application process here.
You can find a summary of the sterile compounding CE requirements by clicking here. Complete sterile compounding CE requirements, including initial certification, can be found in Board rule 291.133.
You can find a summary of pharmacist immunizer CE requirements by clicking here. Complete pharmacist immunizer CE requirements, including initial certification, can be found in Board rule 295.15.
You can find a summary of drug therapy management CE requirements by clicking here. Complete drug therapy management CE requirements, including initial certification, can be found in Board rule 295.13.
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy offers online courses and webinars that may be counted toward Texas license or registration renewal. TSBP courses are not required, but are additional resources for you to obtain CE. You can find all TSBP CE programs on our catalog page here.
Board rule 295.8 - General pharmacist CE requirements and approved programs
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy is the state agency responsible for the licensing/registration of Texas pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies; for establishing regulations for pharmacy practice; and for disciplining licensees and registrants. Look here for information about the Board's mission, Compact with Texans, policies and guidelines, members, staff, public information reports, statutes, meeting agendas, calendar of events and more.
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