Kentucky Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Kentucky pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy.
A Kentucky pharmacist license is renewed every year and expires on February 28. Online renewal opens through the board's Licensure Gateway in the first week of January, and the board emails a reminder about eight weeks before expiration. A license not renewed by the expiration date goes to Expired status and must be reinstated, which can include retaking the MPJE or the NAPLEX.
Summary
Kentucky pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy. A Kentucky pharmacist license is renewed every year and expires on February 28. Online renewal opens through the board's Licensure Gateway in the first week of January, and the board emails a reminder about eight weeks before expiration. A license not renewed by the expiration date goes to Expired status and must be reinstated, which can include retaking the MPJE or the NAPLEX. Kentucky also mandates specific subjects. The opioid epidemic or opioid use disorder: 1 CEU every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Kentucky 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 02/28 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 1.5 CEUs |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
201 KAR 2:015 Section 5(1)(a) requires a pharmacist to complete a minimum of one and five-tenths (1.5) CEU, which the rule itself states is fifteen (15) contact hours, annually between March 1 and February 28 of the subsequent year prior to licensing renewal. The board's continuing education page states the same requirement in hours: fifteen hours earned between March 1 and February 28 of each year. The CE window and the licence year are both twelve months but they are offset from the February 28 expiration date by one day, so continuing_education.cycle_months is left null. Section 5(1)(c) forbids transferring or applying excess hours or units to future years. Section 5(3) exempts a pharmacist first licensed by the board within the twelve months immediately preceding the annual renewal date, and the board's Pharmacist Information page repeats that pharmacists newly licensed during the previous year are exempt. Section 5(2) allows a year-by-year deferral for illness, incapacity, or other extenuating circumstances. A licensee who failed to renew on time owes fifteen hours for each year not renewed, capped at seventy-five hours (Section 8). CEU earned in another state may be transferred to Kentucky if that state recognizes Kentucky CEU (Section 7). Pharmacy technicians and pharmacist interns are separate credentials registered under KRS 315.135 and 201 KAR 2:045, with technician registrations expiring annually on March 31; their requirements are not included here.
Required CE topics for Kentucky pharmacists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The opioid epidemic or opioid use disorderFor licensing years 2023 through 2028, one contact hour of the fifteen contact hours must be on the opioid epidemic or opioid use disorder. It counts toward the annual total rather than being added to it. The rule is time limited, so it should be rechecked after the 2028 licensing year. | 1 CEU | Every renewal | All licensees | 201 KAR 2:015 Section 5(1)(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | All courses and providers must be approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or by the board (201 KAR 2:015 Sections 2 and 4). Continuing education that has not been approved by ACPE or the board cannot be used for renewal. The board's continuing education page also accepts interprofessional continuing education (IPCE) credit from jointly accredited providers, because it reaches CPE Monitor the same way ACPE credit does. Individually obtained education can be submitted to the board for approval within thirty days of completion. The board uses the NABP CPE Monitor to conduct CE audits and tells licensees to check their CPE Monitor profile periodically. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Kentucky RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Kentucky pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy. 201 KAR 2:015 Section 5(1)(a) requires a pharmacist to complete a minimum of one and five-tenths (1.5) CEU, which the rule itself states is fifteen (15) contact hours, annually between March 1 and February 28 of the subsequent year prior to licensing renewal. The board's continuing education page states the same requirement in hours: fifteen hours earned between March 1 and February 28 of each year. The CE window and the licence year are both twelve months but they are offset from the February 28 expiration date by one day, so continuing_education.cycle_months is left null. Section 5(1)(c) forbids transferring or applying excess hours or units to future years. Section 5(3) exempts a pharmacist first licensed by the board within the twelve months immediately preceding the annual renewal date, and the board's Pharmacist Information page repeats that pharmacists newly licensed during the previous year are exempt. Section 5(2) allows a year-by-year deferral for illness, incapacity, or other extenuating circumstances. A licensee who failed to renew on time owes fifteen hours for each year not renewed, capped at seventy-five hours (Section 8). CEU earned in another state may be transferred to Kentucky if that state recognizes Kentucky CEU (Section 7). Pharmacy technicians and pharmacist interns are separate credentials registered under KRS 315.135 and 201 KAR 2:045, with technician registrations expiring annually on March 31; their requirements are not included here.
- How often does a Kentucky RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Kentucky renew every year. A Kentucky pharmacist license is renewed every year and expires on February 28. Online renewal opens through the board's Licensure Gateway in the first week of January, and the board emails a reminder about eight weeks before expiration. A license not renewed by the expiration date goes to Expired status and must be reinstated, which can include retaking the MPJE or the NAPLEX.
- What specific CE topics are required for Kentucky pharmacists?
- The opioid epidemic or opioid use disorder: 1 CEU every renewal cycle. Citations: the opioid epidemic or opioid use disorder (201 KAR 2:015 Section 5(1)(b)).
- Do Kentucky pharmacists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. All courses and providers must be approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or by the board (201 KAR 2:015 Sections 2 and 4). Continuing education that has not been approved by ACPE or the board cannot be used for renewal. The board's continuing education page also accepts interprofessional continuing education (IPCE) credit from jointly accredited providers, because it reaches CPE Monitor the same way ACPE credit does. Individually obtained education can be submitted to the board for approval within thirty days of completion. The board uses the NABP CPE Monitor to conduct CE audits and tells licensees to check their CPE Monitor profile periodically.
- Is the first Kentucky RPh/PharmD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Kentucky does not require continuing education for a RPh/PharmD's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 11, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 201 KAR 2:015, Continuing education (Kentucky Administrative Regulations, Legislative Research Commission)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- 201 KAR 2:050, Licenses and permits; fees (annual renewal of a pharmacist license)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- 201 KAR 2:160, Licensees; inactive statusStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- Continuing Education, Kentucky Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- Pharmacist Information, Kentucky Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- Pharmacy Technicians, Kentucky Board of Pharmacy (separate credential, March 31 expiration)State board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- KRS 315.110, License expiration date, renewal fee (FindLaw mirror of the Kentucky Revised Statutes)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
The CE requirement, the annual cycle, the March 1 to February 28 CE window, the opioid hour, the no-carryover rule, the first-year exemption and the three year record retention were read in 201 KAR 2:015 on the Legislative Research Commission's own site and are repeated on the board's continuing education page. The annual renewal cycle is independently confirmed by 201 KAR 2:050 Section 1(3) and by 201 KAR 2:160, which calls the form an annual renewal application. The February 28 expiration date itself is in KRS 315.110, which the Legislative Research Commission publishes only as a PDF (apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=31004 returns application/PDF), so it was read on a FindLaw mirror of the statute and is recorded as a third party source. Every other value comes from an official host. The board states no live or interactive minimum, no self study cap, no jurisprudence CE for renewal (the MPJE is an entry examination, and the five hours of pharmacy law CE mentioned on the initial licensure page is a remedy for a failed MPJE, not a renewal requirement), and no alternative non-course activities. Opioid antagonist dispensing certification is applied for through the Licensure Gateway and the board pages read state no separate CE hours for it.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.