North Carolina CE Requirements
For Pharmacists

21 NCAC 46 .2201 Hours: Records: Providers: Correspondence: Reciprocity

(a) As a condition of license renewal, a pharmacist shall accumulate 15 hours of continuing education annually.
(b) Five of these continuing education hours shall be obtained through contact programs. Contact programs are those in which there is an opportunity for live two-way communication between the presenter and attendee. An online continuing education course may satisfy this contact-hour requirement provided that the continuing education course includes live two-way communication between the presenter and attendee.
(c) A pharmacist shall preserve all continuing education records for three years. If a continuing education provider approved in Paragraph (e) of this Rule maintains an electronic database of all pharmacists granted continuing education credits accredited by the provider, then the storage of that information in the provider’s database shall be deemed to satisfy the pharmacist’s recordkeeping requirement.
(d) Upon license renewal, the pharmacist shall report continuing education hours through the Board’s online license renewal portal. The Board may require a pharmacist to submit records, reports of accredited hours and certificates of credit on a random basis pursuant to a continuing education audit.
(e) All continuing education shall be obtained through continuing education courses accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists. Pharmacists may also acquire five hours continuing education credit for precepting, for at least 160 hours, a student enrolled in the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Wingate University School of Pharmacy, or the High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy as part of these schools’ academic program.
(f) A pharmacist shall be exempt from the requirements of this Rule if:

(1) The pharmacist is eligible for a waiver of continuing education requirements under 21 NCAC 46 .1613; or
(2) For the entire year preceding license renewal, the pharmacist resided in another state, did not practice pharmacy in North Carolina, and satisfied the state of residence’s continuing education requirements for pharmacist licensure.

(g) Continuing education shall not serve as a barrier to reciprocity; however, all licensees by reciprocity must observe the continuing education standards specified in Paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of this Rule within the first renewal period
after licensure in this state.

This is not guaranteed to be the most updated version of this North Carolina Pharmacy Law. Refer to the official North Carolina General Statutes and Session Laws or consult an attorney for guidance.

Pharmacists in North Carolina are required to earn 15 hours of CE credit annually covering any topic that improves professional competence. In order for courses to be valid, the CE provider must be approved by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. As an ACPE-accredited continuing education provider, freeCE meets both your live and general requirements.

To help you find the CE you need to renew your license, freeCE has a wide variety of activities. We add new content to this catalog on a regular basis so you can not only meet your requirements each cycle, but you can choose the activities which interest you most. freeCE doesn’t just offer adequate training. We provide training that is educational and interesting. These activities are available in both live and on-demand formats and cover important topics from diverse perspectives. Explore freeCE’s packages here.