Continuing Education Information & Application
CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR RENEWAL
IC 25-1-4; 856 IAC 1-26
All Indiana pharmacists are required to complete thirty (30) hours of continuing education each biennium in order to renew their pharmacist license. However, if a pharmacist maintains an “Inactive” status on their pharmacist license, then s/he is not required to complete continuing education for renewal.
The continuing education biennium is the time period of January 1 of even-numbered years through December 31 of the following odd-numbered year. Pharmacists must renew their licenses on or before June 30 of even-numbered years. [The biennium for the June 30, 2008 renewal is January 1, 2006-December 31, 2007].
No hours may be carried forward from one biennium to another. HOWEVER, if the pharmacist fails to meet the requirements during the biennial period, the pharmacist may earn and report sufficient hours during a succeeding biennium and apply the CE retroactively to the previous biennium as if they had been earned in that previous biennium. In the event the pharmacist applies credits to a previous biennium, those hours cannot be used for any other biennium.
[If the pharmacist is renewing in 2008 and only completed 25 hours of CE from January 1, 2006-December 31, 2007, s/he can take the remaining 5 CE hours in 2008 as long as s/he does so prior to submitting the renewal. These 5 CE hours absolutely cannot be included with the next CE biennium, January 1, 2008-December 31, 2009, for the 2010 renewal.]
Newly Licensed Pharmacists
Newly licensed pharmacists need not complete any hours if licensed less than six (6) months in the biennium. If licensed more than six (6) months then you must complete 1.25 hours per month. [If the pharmacist license was issued on or after July 1, 2007, then there is no CE requirement for the 2008 renewal.]
Breakdown of Continuing Education Hours
- A minimum of twenty-four (24) hours (4/5 of required CE hours) must be pharmacy related.
- A maximum of six (6) hours (1/5 of required CE hours) can be business, management or computer-related.
- At least fifteen (15) hours (1/2 of required CE hours) must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
Hardship Waiver
The Board may grant the pharmacist a waiver from all or part of the CE requirement for a renewal period if the pharmacist was not able to fulfill the requirement due to a hardship that resulted from one of the following:
- Service in the armed forces of the U.S. during a substantial part of the renewal period;
- An incapacitating illness or injury; or
- Other circumstances determined by the Board.
The waiver request must be submitted in writing to the Board for review.
How to Obtain Hours
CE is acceptable for renewal if it is approved by the Board or taken through an approved organization and is designed to directly enhance the pharmacist’s knowledge and skill in the practice of pharmacy.
The following is a list of approved organizations in accordance with IC 25-1-4-1:
- U.S. Department of Education
- Council on Post-Secondary Education
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals
- Joint Commission on Healthcare Organizations
- Federal, state, and local government agencies
- A college or other teaching institution accredited by the US Department of Education or the Council on post-secondary education
- A national organization or practitioners whose members practicing in Indiana are subject to regulation by a board or agency regulating a profession
- A national, state, district, or local organization that operates as an affiliated entity under the approval of an organization listed in subdivisions 1-7
- An internship or a residency program conducted in a hospital that has been approved by an organization listed in subdivisions 1-7
- Any other organization or individual approved by the Board.
CE hours may be transferred from another state to Indiana if the transfer state recognizes Indiana CE hours.
Continuing Education Certificates of Completion
The pharmacist is not required to submit copies of their certificates of completion for continuing education courses when they renew their license. The pharmacist shall retain copies of these certificates for a period of 3 years from the end of the licensing period for which the continuing education applied. The pharmacist shall provide the Board with copies of the certificates of completion upon the Board's request for a compliance audit.
CE sponsors are also required to retain a file of those who completed their CE for a period of 4 years
Continuing Education SponsorshipAll continuing education program hours from sponsors who are not on the above list of approved organizations must be evaluated and accepted by the Board.
- A sponsor shall be any person, school, association, or corporation who develops a continuing education program.
- Sponsors shall receive written notice from the board for approval or disapproval from the board. Approved programs shall be given an identification number stating the year and hourly value.
- Program changes must be made to and accepted by the board or the evaluation and acceptance of the program becomes null and void.
- Sponsors shall retain a file of participants’ program completion for four (4) years.
Sponsors shall submit the CE program application along with the following required documentation in order for the course to be considered for CE:
- An agenda documenting the hours of organized learning experience;
- Any supplementary materials (outlines, hand-outs, bibliographies, copies of slideshow presentations, etc.);
- A copy of the speaker’s curriculum vitae, description of speaker’s expertise, work history or other documentation regarding the speaker’s expertise on the topic; and
- Three (3) learning objectives for the program.
Continuing education questions may be directed to the Board at 317.234.2067 or by e-mail at pla4@pla.IN.gov.
