Indiana BOARD OF PHARMACY
CE REQUIREMENTS | LIVE CERT

Biennial Continuing Education Requirements

Indiana Board of Pharmacy requires 30 continuing education (CE) hours to be completed every 2 years. These education hours may be completed in a live or home study setting.

At least 24 of the biennial CE requirement must be directly pharmacy related. These topics cannot be management based. A maximum of 6 can be management, business or computer related. In addition, 15 hours must be accredited by the ACPE.

Additional CE Requirements

If the pharmacist dispenses tobacco cessation products, they must obtain education related to tobacco cessation biennially.

Section 856 IAC 1-26-1: Continuing professional education; general requirements; definitions

(a) The following definitions apply throughout this rule:

(1) “Continuing professional education” or “continuing education” means accredited post licensure professional educational experience derived from participation in postgraduate studies, institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, and such other forms of educational experiences so as to maintain the professional competency of the practice of pharmacy, improve pharmacy professional skills, and preserve pharmaceutical standards for the purpose of the protection of the health and welfare of the citizens of Indiana.

(2) “Hours” means measurement of value applied to a particular accredited continuing pharmacy educational activity as assigned by the Indiana board of pharmacy (board) relative to maintaining the competency of a pharmacist.

(3) “Contact hour” means not less than fifty (50) nor more than sixty (60) minutes of clock time participating in a continuing education program.

(4) “Continuing education unit” or “CEU” means ten (10) contact hours of continuing education credit.

(5) “Approved by ACPE” means pharmacy continuing education providers that meet the requirements of “The ACPE Continuing Education Provider Approval Program Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines” as published by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education, Inc., Chicago, Illinois on July 1991.

(b) In order to qualify for licensure renewal, a pharmacist must meet the continuing professional education requirements as follows:

(1) Thirty (30) hours (three (3) CEUs) of continuing education as required by this rule shall be required each biennium.

(2) No hours may be carried forward from one (1) biennium to another. However, if a pharmacist fails to meet the requirements of this rule during the biennial period, the pharmacist may earn and report sufficient hours during a succeeding biennium and apply the continuing education hours retroactively to the previous biennium as if they had been earned in that previous biennium in order to qualify for renewal of the pharmacist’s license. In the event a pharmacist applies credits to a previous biennium for the reasons stated in this section, those credits may not be used for any other biennium.

(3) All continuing education program hours from sponsors not approved by ACPE must be evaluated and accepted by the board.

(4) Continuing education biennium shall be that time period consisting of January 1 of all even-numbered years through December 31 of the following odd-numbered year.

(c) Accredited continuing education hours may be compiled in the following ways if the sponsor grants the participant a certificate of completion:

(1) Cassette and audio-visual presentation.

(2) In-company professional seminars.

(3) Accredited school of pharmacy continuing education programs.

(4) Postgraduate courses in pharmaceutical sciences.

(5) Correspondence courses.

(6) Programs granted continuing education credit by other states.

(7) Continuing education television series.

(8) Programs sponsored by professional groups in public health provider services.

(9) Professional society and association sponsored program.

(10) Approved business, management, and computer courses.

(11) Programs of sponsors approved by ACPE.

(d) Accredited continuing education hours may be compiled from other programs and experiences if they are evaluated and accepted by the board as meeting the definition of continuing professional education as found in subsection (a)(1).

(e) As provided in subsection (b)(3), continuing education sponsors (hereinafter referred to as sponsors) are responsible for submitting continuing education programs to the board for approval in addition to the following:

(1) A sponsor shall be any person, school, association, or corporation who develops a continuing education program.

(2) The continuing education program must receive approval of the board for final acceptance.

(3) If a sponsor wishes to notify prospective participants in advance of the value (in hours or in CEUs) of a program, the content of the program shall be submitted to the board for evaluation. If the sponsor does not submit the content for evaluation, the sponsor shall note in all material relevant to the program that it has not been evaluated and the hours of credit listed are subject to review by the board.

(4) 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.

(5) Program changes must be made to and accepted by the board or the evaluation and acceptance of the program becomes null and void.

(6) Continuing education credit may be granted only once for each program to any individual participant.

(7) Any member of the board shall have the right to attend and participate in any continuing education program.

(8) Programs may be evaluated after presentation or participation if a written request is made to the board within ninety (90) days of the date of presentation.

(9) Sponsors shall retain a file of participants’ program completion for four (4) years.

(10) When applying to the board for credit, sponsors shall supply the following information on the application for continuing education course approval, supplied by the board:

(A) Name and address of applicant.

(B) Program title.

(C) Location, date, and time of program.

(D) Sponsoring organization.

(E) Type of program.

(F) Name and qualification of each speaker.

(G) Three (3) learning objectives for the program.

(H) Contact hours of the course.

(I) Method for evaluating the program.

(f) Pharmacists licensed with the board (hereinafter called participants) have the following responsibilities:

(1) Obtain a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing education per biennium unless first licensed during the biennium which would make those newly licensed individuals subject to subdivision (5):

(A) a maximum of one-fifth (1/5) of the total hours may be business, management, or computer courses;

(B) at least four-fifths (4/5) of the total hours must be pharmacy practice related; and

(C) at least one-half (½) of the total hours must be provided by sponsors approved by ACPE.

(2) Report program name, identification number, and approved hours of continuing education to the board at the time of license renewal.

(3) Retain a file of certificates of completion for four (4) years from the end of the biennium for which the continuing education applied in order to provide copies of certificates upon request for the board’s periodic audit of continuing education compliance.

(4) Earn one and one-fourth (1.25) hours of continuing education credit for each month or part of a month from date of licensure until the end of the biennium in which licensure originates if the pharmacist becomes licensed during the biennium. However, a pharmacist who becomes newly licensed for the first time in any state in the last six (6) months of the biennium shall not be required to complete any continuing education for the biennium.

(5) Continuing education hours may be transferred from another state to Indiana if the transfer state recognizes Indiana continuing education hours.

Failure to comply with any one (1) or all of the provisions of this rule while continuing to hold a license as a pharmacist in Indiana shall constitute professional incompetence by failing to keep abreast of current professional theory or practice under IC 25-1-9-3(a)(4)(B) and the pharmacist is subject to discipline under IC 25-1-9.

We cannot guarantee this is the most up-to-date version of this code section. Please refer to the Indiana Code for the most accurate information.

The Indiana Board of Pharmacy does allow for licensure by reciprocity for pharmacists. Applicants are required to meet the following criteria:

• Currently possess a valid license in another state or jurisdiction.
• The licensure prerequisites in the state or jurisdiction must be at par or comparable.
• While holding licensure in another state:
  • Fulfill minimum educational requisites.
  • If relevant, fulfill work experience and clinical supervision prerequisites as mandated at that time in the respective state.
  • If required by the other state or jurisdiction, successfully passed a required licensing or certification examination.
• Have no record of actions that would warrant denial, suspension, or revocation of a license in Indiana.
• Not currently facing complaints or investigations regarding unprofessional conduct before a regulatory body in another state or jurisdiction.

The applicant is required to complete and submit the NABP Licensure Transfer Application. Even though this is an electronic application, it must be printed and mailed to the Indiana Board of Pharmacy, along with an application fee of $100. When the application status is “pending” on the Indiana Board of Pharmacy website, start the process of obtaining the background check.

The Indiana State Board of Pharmacy requires a minimum of 30 hours every 2 years. At least 24 of those hours must be pharmacy-specific.

Newly Licensed Pharmacists

If a pharmacist is licensed less than 6 months into the renewal cycle, there is no CE required. If they are licensed more than 6 months into the renewal cycle, 1.25 hours of CE must be completed per month.

A pharmacist license may be obtained through examination or reciprocity. For the licensure via examination process, the applicant must: 

• Complete the application at the Indiana MyLicense website.
• Pay an application fee of $100
• Complete a criminal background check
• Provide proof of pharmacy practical experience 
• Provide proof of graduation from an accredited school or college
• Provide proof of license verification 
• Obtain passing NAPLEX and MPJE scores

Graduates from non-accredited pharmacy programs can meet intern requirements by providing evidence of completing 1500 intern experience hours within a licensed pharmacy setting. For any hours completed in Indiana, an intern permit must first be obtained. If hours are accrued in a different state, proper licensing is necessary, and the state’s pharmacy board must transfer the hours to Indiana.

The Indiana State Board of Pharmacy mandates that out of the total 30 hours of continuing education (CE) required, 24 of which must be pharmacy-related and 15 of which must be accredited by the ACPE. Rest assured, all CE courses provided by freeCE are ACPE accredited. Additionally, those Indiana-licensed pharmacists who are required to earn CE related to smoking cessation can meet this requirement with ease. 

Consider purchasing a freeCE Gold Membership today! This membership offers convenient access to a variety of home study material as well as live webinars that meet Indiana’s renewal mandates. You will have unrestricted access to numerous live sessions daily, alongside on-demand training options, granting you the autonomy to devise a schedule that suits your needs flawlessly.

Indiana-licensed pharmacists can enhance their professional knowledge by earning continuing education (CE) credits, covering required topics such as smoking cessation products if applicable. These criteria can be satisfied while maintaining the liberty to opt for subjects that resonate with individual interest or specialized areas. This flexibility is facilitated by the comprehensive range of choices offered by freeCE, ensuring a personalized and enjoyable learning experience.