Washington State Board of Pharmacy |
CE Requirements

• All CE must be ACPE approved in order to count toward CE requirements 
  • The one-time suicide prevention and awareness training is the only exception to this requirement* 
• Additional CE hours cannot be carried over to the next renewal cycle
• All CE hours may be completed by home study 

Biennial Continuing Education Requirements

Additional CE Requirements

The one-time suicide prevention and awareness training must be at least three hours and include assessment of issues related to imminent harm via lethal means. Many courses are designated specific for pharmacists; however the six-hour courses are also acceptable. 

Please note, all CE except for the one-time suicide prevention and awareness training must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to count toward CE requirements. 

License Renewal Exemptions

CE hours are waived for applicants whose first renewal was issued less than 24 months after graduating from a commission-approved accredited school or college of pharmacy.

We cannot guarantee this is the most up-to-date version of this code section. Please refer to the Washington Code for the most accurate information. The most up-to-date laws in the state of Washington referring to continuing education may be found here. Relevant sections are outlined below: 

(2) A pharmacist shall complete the equivalent of 3.0 of CPE hours (equal to thirty contact hours) administered by an ACPE accredited provider each license renewal cycle.

(3) A pharmacist shall register with a program designated by the commission for tracking completed CPE hours.

(4) A pharmacist shall complete a one-time training in suicide screening and referral by the end of the first full renewal cycle after initial licensure. The training must meet the following requirements:

(a) Be at least three hours long;

(b) Be from the department of health’s model list of approved suicide prevention training programs, and include content related to imminent harm via lethal means; and

(c) The hours spent completing the training in this subsection may count toward meeting CPE requirements.

Applicants applying for a pharmacist license in Washington by reciprocity or license transfer must hold an active pharmacist license. Applicants applying through the score transfer program must provide an official NABP application. Those applying for license reciprocity or license transfer must take the Washington state MPJE following the electronic license transfer program (eLT) with NABP. 

Pharmacists must complete the equivalent of 3.0 CPE hours (equal to 30 contact hours) administered by an ACPE accredited provider each license renewal cycle (every two years). Pharmacists shall complete a one-time training in suicide screening and referral by the end of the first full renewal cycle after initial licensure. The hours spent completing the training in this subsection may count toward meeting CPE requirements. CPE hours cannot be carried over to the next renewal cycle.

• Must be 18 years of age 
• Hold a baccalaureate or doctorate degree in pharmacy from a school or college of pharmacy accredited by the ACPE 
• Certification of at least 1,500 pharmacy internship hours is required only for applicants who graduated before July 1, 2020. 
• Take and pass both the NAPLEX and Washington state MPJE
• Complete a criminal background check
• Pay required fees by logging into your SAW account and going to the Department of Health Online Application Portal. 
  • Apply online using this link 

CE that a pharmacist in Washington obtains can be many different formats such as lecture, classes, or correspondence courses that the licensee obtains live or by pre-recording. All 30 hours of CE may be completed via correspondence courses from home.

freeCE has a wide variety of Washington-approved CE activities. freeCE adds new content to the catalog regularly to allow you to meet your requirements yearly, but also choose activities that will interest you the most. freeCE activities are available both live and on-demands to cater to your needs. Visit freeCE to explore free and premium content to help complete the 30 hours of correspondence courses you need to maintain licensure in the state of Washington.