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

(a) Authority and purpose.

  (1) Authority. In accordance with §559.053 of the Texas Pharmacy Act, (Chapters 551 - 569, Occupations Code), all pharmacists must complete and report 30 contact hours (3.0 CEUs) of approved continuing education obtained during the previous license period in order to renew their license to practice pharmacy.

  (2) Purpose. The board recognizes that the fundamental purpose of continuing education is to maintain and enhance the professional competency of pharmacists licensed to practice in Texas, for the protection of the health and welfare of the citizens of Texas.

(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

  (1) ACPE--Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

  (2) Act--The Texas Pharmacy Act, Chapters 551 - 569, Occupations Code.

  (3) Approved programs--Live programs, home study, and other mediated instruction delivered by an approved provider or a program specified by the board and listed as an approved program in subsection (e) of this section.

  (4) Approved provider--An individual, institution, organization, association, corporation, or agency that is approved by the board.

  (5) Board--The Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

  (6) Certificate of completion--A certificate or other official document presented to a participant upon the successful completion of an approved continuing education program.

  (7) Contact hour--A unit of measure of educational credit which is equivalent to approximately 60 minutes of participation in an organized learning experience.

  (8) Continuing education unit (CEU)--A unit of measure of education credit which is equivalent to 10 contact hours (i.e., one CEU = 10 contact hours).

  (9) CPE Monitor--A collaborative service from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and ACPE that provides an electronic system for pharmacists to track their completed CPE credits.

  (10) Credit hour--A unit of measurement for continuing education equal to 15 contact hours.

  (11) Enduring Materials (Home Study)--Activities that are printed, recorded, or computer assisted instructional materials that do not provide for direct interaction between faculty and participants.

  (12) Initial license period--The time period between the date of issuance of a pharmacist's license and the next expiration date following the initial 30 day expiration date. This time period ranges from eighteen to thirty months depending upon the birth month of the licensee.

  (13) License period--The time period between consecutive expiration dates of a license.

  (14) Live programs--Activities that provide for direct interaction between faculty and participants and may include lectures, symposia, live teleconferences, workshops, etc.

  (15) Standardized pharmacy examination--The North American Pharmacy Licensing Examination (NAPLEX).

(c) Methods for obtaining continuing education. A pharmacist may satisfy the continuing education requirements by either:

  (1) successfully completing the number of continuing education hours necessary to renew a license as specified in subsection (a)(1) of this section;

  (2) successfully completing during the preceding license period, one credit hour for each year of their license period, which is a part of the professional degree program in a college of pharmacy the professional degree program of which has been accredited by ACPE; or

  (3) taking and passing the standardized pharmacy examination (NAPLEX) during the preceding license period as a Texas licensed pharmacist, which shall be equivalent to the number of continuing education hours necessary to renew a license as specified in subsection (a)(1) of this section.

(d) Reporting Requirements.

  (1) Renewal of a pharmacist license. To renew a license to practice pharmacy, a pharmacist must report on the renewal application completion of at least thirty contact hours (3.0 CEUs) of continuing education. The following is applicable to the reporting of continuing education contact hours:

    (A) at least one contact hour (0.1 CEU) specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be related to Texas pharmacy laws or rules;

    (B) not later than the first anniversary of becoming licensed to practice pharmacy, a pharmacist must have completed at least two contact hours (0.2 CEU) specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection related to approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances as specified in §481.07635 of the Texas Health and Safety Code;

    (C) any continuing education requirements which are imposed upon a pharmacist as a part of a board order or agreed board order shall be in addition to the requirements of this section; and

    (D) a pharmacist must have completed the human trafficking prevention course required in §116.002 of the Texas Occupations Code.

  (2) Failure to report completion of required continuing education. The following is applicable if a pharmacist fails to report completion of the required continuing education:

    (A) the license of a pharmacist who fails to report completion of the required number of continuing education contact hours shall not be renewed and the pharmacist shall not be issued a renewal certificate for the license period until such time as the pharmacist successfully completes the required continuing education and reports the completion to the board; and

    (B) a pharmacist who practices pharmacy without a current renewal certificate is subject to all penalties of practicing pharmacy without a license, including the delinquent fees specified in the Act, §559.003.

  (3) Extension of time for reporting. A pharmacist who has had a physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances which prohibits the pharmacist from obtaining continuing education credit during the preceding license period may be granted an extension of time to complete the continuing education requirement. The following is applicable for this extension:

    (A) the pharmacist shall submit a petition to the board with his/her license renewal application which contains:

      (i) the name, address, and license number of the pharmacist;

      (ii) a statement of the reason for the request for extension;

      (iii) if the reason for the request for extension is health related, a statement from the attending physician(s) treating the pharmacist which includes the nature of the physical disability or illness and the dates the pharmacist was incapacitated; and

      (iv) if the reason for the request for the extension is for other extenuating circumstances, a detailed explanation of the extenuating circumstances, and if because of military deployment, documentation of the dates of the deployment;

    (B) after review and approval of the petition, a pharmacist may be granted an extension of time to comply with the continuing education requirement which shall not exceed one license renewal period;

    (C) an extension of time to complete continuing education credit does not relieve a pharmacist from the continuing education requirement during the current license period; and

    (D) if a petition for extension to the reporting period for continuing education is denied, the pharmacist shall:

      (i) have 60 days to complete and report completion of the required continuing education requirements; and

      (ii) be subject to the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection relating to failure to report completion of the required continuing education if the required continuing education is not completed and reported within the required 60-day time period.

  (4) Exemptions from reporting requirements.

    (A) All pharmacists licensed in Texas shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements in paragraph (1) of this subsection during their initial license period, with the exception of the requirements in paragraph (1)(B), (C), and (F) of this subsection which must be completed during the time periods specified in the subparagraphs.

    (B) Pharmacists who are not actively practicing pharmacy shall be granted an exemption to the reporting requirements for continuing education, provided the pharmacists submit a completed renewal application for each license period which states that they are not practicing pharmacy. Upon submission of the completed renewal application, the pharmacist shall be issued a renewal certificate which states that pharmacist is inactive. Pharmacists who wish to return to the practice of pharmacy after being exempted from the continuing education requirements as specified in this subparagraph must:

      (i) notify the board of their intent to actively practice pharmacy;

Cont'd...

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