Arkansas Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Arkansas pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.
A pharmacist license expires on December 31 of the first odd numbered year after it is issued, so renewal is every two years on December 31 of an odd numbered year. If the renewal fee is unpaid by February 1 after expiration a monthly penalty applies, and a license not renewed by April 1 after expiration is null and void.
Summary
Arkansas pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. A pharmacist license expires on December 31 of the first odd numbered year after it is issued, so renewal is every two years on December 31 of an odd numbered year. If the renewal fee is unpaid by February 1 after expiration a monthly penalty applies, and a license not renewed by April 1 after expiration is null and void.
Arkansas Pharmacist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 12/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 12 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | A certification awarded by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties during the biennium, subject to approval by the Arkansas Tripartite Committee on Continuing Pharmacy Education; Postgraduate health professional course work, subject to approval by the Arkansas Tripartite Committee on Continuing Pharmacy Education; Speaking, serving on a panel, or leading structured discussions, workshops, demonstrations and question and answer sessions, credited hour for hour |
17 CAR 160-803(b) requires 30 hours of continuing education each biennium, of which at least 12 must be live contact hours and at least 12 must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. The two 12 hour minimums are separate conditions on the same 30 hours, not additions to it. Arkansas defines the continuing education unit as the basis for accreditation and states that 0.1 CEU equals one contact hour (17 CAR 160-802(a)(1)), which is the standard 1 CEU to 10 contact hours convention, but the requirement itself is stated in hours. No credit is allowed for banquet meetings with no educational program, unstructured demonstrations, or unstructured question and answer sessions. A pharmacist who does not want to meet the requirement may move to inactive status indefinitely and must make up the missed hours plus the current period's hours to return to active practice. The rules state no carryover provision, no cap on home study beyond the 12 live hour floor, and no first renewal exemption.
Required CE topics for Arkansas pharmacists
The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | The board adopts the accreditation guidelines of the Arkansas Tripartite Committee on Continuing Pharmacy Education and accredits intrastate and interstate offerings that have been reviewed by an appropriate national agency; requests for board accreditation must reach the board office in writing at least seven days before the offering. At least 12 of the 30 hours must be ACPE accredited. Credits approved by another state's board of pharmacy are accepted where a reciprocal arrangement exists and the Arkansas requirements are met. The pharmacist certifies completion on a form furnished with the license renewal forms, keeps certificates of participation for four years, and must present them to any representative of the board on request. The rules do not require reporting through NABP CPE Monitor and do not describe a random audit program. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arkansas RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Arkansas pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. 17 CAR 160-803(b) requires 30 hours of continuing education each biennium, of which at least 12 must be live contact hours and at least 12 must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. The two 12 hour minimums are separate conditions on the same 30 hours, not additions to it. Arkansas defines the continuing education unit as the basis for accreditation and states that 0.1 CEU equals one contact hour (17 CAR 160-802(a)(1)), which is the standard 1 CEU to 10 contact hours convention, but the requirement itself is stated in hours. No credit is allowed for banquet meetings with no educational program, unstructured demonstrations, or unstructured question and answer sessions. A pharmacist who does not want to meet the requirement may move to inactive status indefinitely and must make up the missed hours plus the current period's hours to return to active practice. The rules state no carryover provision, no cap on home study beyond the 12 live hour floor, and no first renewal exemption.
- How often does a Arkansas RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Arkansas renew every two years. A pharmacist license expires on December 31 of the first odd numbered year after it is issued, so renewal is every two years on December 31 of an odd numbered year. If the renewal fee is unpaid by February 1 after expiration a monthly penalty applies, and a license not renewed by April 1 after expiration is null and void.
- Does Arkansas require specific CE topics for pharmacists?
- The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy does not list mandated subject areas for RPh/PharmD renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Arkansas pharmacists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and records must be kept for 4 years. The board adopts the accreditation guidelines of the Arkansas Tripartite Committee on Continuing Pharmacy Education and accredits intrastate and interstate offerings that have been reviewed by an appropriate national agency; requests for board accreditation must reach the board office in writing at least seven days before the offering. At least 12 of the 30 hours must be ACPE accredited. Credits approved by another state's board of pharmacy are accepted where a reciprocal arrangement exists and the Arkansas requirements are met. The pharmacist certifies completion on a form furnished with the license renewal forms, keeps certificates of participation for four years, and must present them to any representative of the board on request. The rules do not require reporting through NABP CPE Monitor and do not describe a random audit program.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 17 CAR 160-803, Implementation of pharmacy continuing education (Code of Arkansas Rules, Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 160-802, Accreditation guidelines (CEU and contact hour definition, accreditation mechanism)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 160-105, Certificates of licensure, ExpirationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 160-2902, Prescription orders to administer medication and/or immunizationsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
Every value was read in the Code of Arkansas Rules at codeofarrules.arkansas.gov, which the site states is the official version of the code under Arkansas Code 25-15-218 and which was last updated September 8, 2026. The board's own site, www.pharmacyboard.arkansas.gov, and healthy.arkansas.gov return HTTP 403 to automated clients, so board_url is listed as the board's address only and no page there is cited. A keyword search of the whole board rule part for immunization, vaccine, naloxone, opioid and continuing education returned no subject specific continuing education mandate, so mandatory_topics is empty: Arkansas requires no jurisprudence, opioid, immunization or human trafficking CE for pharmacists, and 17 CAR 160-2902 lets a pharmacist administer any medication they have been trained to administer without prescribing a CE quantity. The Code of Arkansas Rules lists the board's chapter as Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, Department of Health, reflecting the state's placement of the board under the Department of Health; the board itself is still the licensing authority named throughout the rules. Whether the board audits CE at renewal is not stated in the rules; it only says certificates must be produced on request.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.