Texas Administrative Code

Texas Administrative Code

TITLE 22	EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 15	TEXAS STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY
CHAPTER 295	PHARMACISTS
RULE §295.8	Continuing Education Requirements

American Heart Association or its equivalent.

(6) Attendance at Texas State Board of Pharmacy Board Meetings shall be recognized for continuing education credit as follows:

(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their continuing education requirement for attending a full, public board business meeting in its entirety;

(B) a maximum of six contact hours (0.6 CEUs) are allowed for attendance at a board meeting during a license period; and

(7) Participation in a Texas State Board of Pharmacy appointed Task Force shall be recognized for continuing education credit as follows:

(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their continuing education requirement for participating in a Texas State Board of Pharmacy appointed Task Force; and

(B) proof of participation for a Task Force shall be a certificate issued by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

(8) Attendance at programs presented by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or courses offered by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as follows:

(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for the number of hours for the program or course as stated by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy; and

(B) proof of attendance at a program presented by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or completion of a course offered by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy shall be a certificate issued by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

(9) Pharmacists shall receive credit toward their continuing education requirements for programs or courses approved by other state boards of pharmacy as follows:

(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for the number of hours for the program or course as specified by the other state board of pharmacy; and

(B) proof of attendance at a program or course approved by another state board of pharmacy shall be a certificate or other documentation that indicates:

(i) name of the participant;

(ii) title and completion date of the program;

(iii) name of the approved provider sponsoring or cosponsoring the program;

(iv) number of contact hours and/or CEUs awarded;

(v) a dated certifying signature of the provider; and

(vi) documentation that the program is approved by the other state board of pharmacy.

(10) Completion of an Institute for Safe Medication Practices' (ISMP) Medication Safety Self Assessment for hospital pharmacies or for community/ambulatory pharmacies shall be recognized for continuing education credit as follows:

(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their continuing education requirement for completion of an ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment; and

(B) proof of completion of an ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment shall be:

(i) a continuing education certificate provided by an ACPE approved provider for completion of an assessment; or

(ii) a document from ISMP showing completion of an assessment.

(11) Pharmacists shall receive credit for three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) toward their continuing education requirements for taking and successfully passing an initial Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties certification examination administered by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. Proof of successfully passing the examination shall be a certificate issued by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties.

(12) Programs approved by the American Medical Association (AMA) as Category 1 Continuing Medical Education (CME) and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education subject to the following conditions:

(A) pharmacists may receive credit for the completion of the same CME course only once during a license period;

(B) pharmacists who present approved CME programs may receive credit for the time expended during the actual presentation of the program. Pharmacists may receive credit for the same presentation only once during a license period; and

(i) name of the participant;

(ii) title and completion date of the program;

(iii) name of the approved provider sponsoring or cosponsoring the program;

(iv) number of contact hours and/or CEUs awarded; and

(v) a dated certifying signature of the approved provider.

(f) Retention of continuing education records and audit of records by the board.

(1) Retention of records. Pharmacists are required to maintain certificates of completion of approved continuing education for three years from the date of reporting the contact hours on a license renewal application. Such records may be maintained in hard copy or electronic format.

(2) Audit of records by the board. The board shall audit the records of pharmacists for verification of reported continuing education credit. The following is applicable for such audits:

(A) upon written request, a pharmacist shall provide to the board documentation of proof for all continuing education contact hours reported during a specified license period(s). Failure to provide all requested records during the specified time period constitutes prima facie evidence of failure to keep and maintain records and shall subject the pharmacist to disciplinary action by the board;

(B) credit for continuing education contact hours shall only be allowed for approved programs for which the pharmacist submits documentation of proof reflecting that the hours were completed during the specified license period(s). Any other reported hours shall be disallowed. A pharmacist who has received credit for continuing education contact hours disallowed during an audit shall be subject to disciplinary action; and

(C) a pharmacist who submits false or fraudulent records to the board shall be subject to disciplinary action by the board.

Source Note: The provisions of this §295.8 adopted to be effective March 19, 1990, 15 TexReg 1234; amended to be effective March 29, 1995, 20 TexReg 1889; amended to be effective March 25, 1999, 24 TexReg 2023; amended to be effective January 3, 2000, 24 TexReg 12068; amended to be effective June 20, 2001, 26 TexReg 4513; amended to be effective December 19, 2001, 26 TexReg 10311; amended to be effective June 23, 2003, 28 TexReg 4639; amended to be effective March 10, 2005, 30 TexReg 1284; amended to be effective November 21, 2007, 32 TexReg 8310; amended to be effective December 14, 2008, 33 TexReg 10027; amended to be effective September 13, 2009, 34 TexReg 6113; amended to be effectiveMarch 10, 2011, 36 TexReg 1556; amended to be effective September 9, 2012, 37 TexReg 6938; amended to be effective March 17, 2013, 38 TexReg 1682; amended to be effective March 7, 2018, 43 TexReg 1279; amended to be effective September 10, 2019, 44 TexReg 4873; amended to be effective December 9, 2019, 44 TexReg 7546; amended to be effective June 18, 2020, 45 TexReg 4035; amended to be effective December 6, 2022, 47 TexReg 8042; amended to be effective May 24, 2023, 48 TexReg 2577