Louisiana Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Louisiana pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
Pharmacist licenses are renewed every year. The renewal period runs from November 1 through December 31, and the completed application and fee must reach the board by December 31. A license not renewed by December 31 expires and is null and void, and the holder must apply for reinstatement through the board's reinstatement committee. Paper applications not received or postmarked by December 31 are returned unprocessed.
Summary
Louisiana pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. Pharmacist licenses are renewed every year. The renewal period runs from November 1 through December 31, and the completed application and fee must reach the board by December 31. A license not renewed by December 31 expires and is null and void, and the holder must apply for reinstatement through the board's reinstatement committee. Paper applications not received or postmarked by December 31 are returned unprocessed. Louisiana also mandates specific subjects. Continuing pharmacy education related to medication administration: 1 CEU every renewal cycle (pharmacists who administer medications, including immunizations, or who supervise other pharmacy personnel administering medications). The first renewal is exempt.
Louisiana 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, 12/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 1.5 CEUs |
| Live or interactive minimum | 0.3 CEUs |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
LAC 46:LIII.507C(1) requires a minimum of 1.5 ACPE or board approved CPE units, or 15 hours, each year as a prerequisite for renewal, of which no less than 0.3 CPE units, or three hours, must come from live presentations designated as live by ACPE or the board. LAC 46:LIII.507B(4) defines one CPE unit as 10 credit hours, so 1.5 units is 15 hours and the 0.3 unit live minimum is 3 hours. A pharmacist who does not want to take three live hours may instead take an extra 0.5 units, or five hours, by any other acceptable method, for a total of 2.0 units or 20 hours; there is no cap on home study under that alternative. The board may mandate specific subjects or increase the live minimum for a given year, and must notify all licensed pharmacists before the year in which that CPE is required (507C(3) and (4)); no such subject mandate was posted on the board's CPE page. The board's CPE page states that pharmacists classified Voluntary Inactive, Gold Voluntary Inactive, or Military are waived from CPE, and that as a courtesy the board waives CPE for a pharmacist licensed by examination who is renewing for the first time, provided the license was obtained by examination during the calendar year in which the renewal is completed; the waiver does not apply to reinstatements. The rule states no carryover provision. Pharmacy interns (LAC 46:LIII.711) and certified pharmacy technicians (LAC 46:LIII.913) are separate credentials with their own rules and are not included here.
Required CE topics for Louisiana pharmacists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing pharmacy education related to medication administrationOne hour of ACPE or jointly accredited continuing pharmacy education per year on medication administration is required to maintain continuing competency, and the rule says that credit may be counted within the total needed to renew the pharmacist license, so it is not added on top of the 15 hours. This attaches to the medication administration privilege, not to the base license. Entering the practice also requires a 20 hour certificate program meeting CDC training guidelines and a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR and AED certification for healthcare professionals, or an equivalent, renewed before it expires. The board no longer issues a separate Medication Administration Registration credential. No canonical topic key covers medication administration, so the key medication_administration is used. | 1 CEU | Every renewal | Pharmacists who administer medications, including immunizations, or who supervise other pharmacy personnel administering medications | LAC 46:LIII.521B(4) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing pharmacy education must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or approved by the board. Pharmacists must maintain their personal CPE record in NABP's CPE Monitor, record their Louisiana pharmacist license number in that file so the board can access it, and produce a CPE Monitor transcript on request (LAC 46:LIII.507C(2)). At online renewal the licensee answers a CPE compliance question and the system pauses for an automated check against CPE Monitor; if compliance cannot be verified the renewal is terminated. Paper applications are checked by board staff against the CPE Monitor transcript and returned unprocessed if the minimum is not shown. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Louisiana RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Louisiana pharmacists must complete 1.5 CEUs, which is 15 contact hours, every year to renew their license with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. LAC 46:LIII.507C(1) requires a minimum of 1.5 ACPE or board approved CPE units, or 15 hours, each year as a prerequisite for renewal, of which no less than 0.3 CPE units, or three hours, must come from live presentations designated as live by ACPE or the board. LAC 46:LIII.507B(4) defines one CPE unit as 10 credit hours, so 1.5 units is 15 hours and the 0.3 unit live minimum is 3 hours. A pharmacist who does not want to take three live hours may instead take an extra 0.5 units, or five hours, by any other acceptable method, for a total of 2.0 units or 20 hours; there is no cap on home study under that alternative. The board may mandate specific subjects or increase the live minimum for a given year, and must notify all licensed pharmacists before the year in which that CPE is required (507C(3) and (4)); no such subject mandate was posted on the board's CPE page. The board's CPE page states that pharmacists classified Voluntary Inactive, Gold Voluntary Inactive, or Military are waived from CPE, and that as a courtesy the board waives CPE for a pharmacist licensed by examination who is renewing for the first time, provided the license was obtained by examination during the calendar year in which the renewal is completed; the waiver does not apply to reinstatements. The rule states no carryover provision. Pharmacy interns (LAC 46:LIII.711) and certified pharmacy technicians (LAC 46:LIII.913) are separate credentials with their own rules and are not included here.
- How often does a Louisiana RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Louisiana renew every year. Pharmacist licenses are renewed every year. The renewal period runs from November 1 through December 31, and the completed application and fee must reach the board by December 31. A license not renewed by December 31 expires and is null and void, and the holder must apply for reinstatement through the board's reinstatement committee. Paper applications not received or postmarked by December 31 are returned unprocessed.
- What specific CE topics are required for Louisiana pharmacists?
- Continuing pharmacy education related to medication administration: 1 CEU every renewal cycle (pharmacists who administer medications, including immunizations, or who supervise other pharmacy personnel administering medications). Citations: continuing pharmacy education related to medication administration (LAC 46:LIII.521B(4)).
- Do Louisiana pharmacists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Continuing pharmacy education must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or approved by the board. Pharmacists must maintain their personal CPE record in NABP's CPE Monitor, record their Louisiana pharmacist license number in that file so the board can access it, and produce a CPE Monitor transcript on request (LAC 46:LIII.507C(2)). At online renewal the licensee answers a CPE compliance question and the system pauses for an automated check against CPE Monitor; if compliance cannot be verified the renewal is terminated. Paper applications are checked by board staff against the CPE Monitor transcript and returned unprocessed if the minimum is not shown.
- Is the first Louisiana RPh/PharmD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Louisiana 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.
- Pharmacist Continuing Pharmacy Education, Louisiana Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- Pharmacist Renewal and Reinstatement, Louisiana Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- Medication Administration by Pharmacy Personnel, Louisiana Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- LAC 46:LIII.507, Continuing Education Program (Cornell LII mirror of the Louisiana Administrative Code)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- LAC 46:LIII.505, Licensure, renewal and expired license (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- LAC 46:LIII.521, Administration of Medications (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
The 15 hour and 1.5 CPE unit requirement, the three hour live minimum, the 20 hour alternative, the CPE Monitor obligation, the first renewal courtesy waiver and the inactive and military waivers were read on the board's own Pharmacist Continuing Pharmacy Education page. The annual cycle, the November 1 to December 31 renewal window and the December 31 expiration were read on the board's own Pharmacist Renewal and Reinstatement page. The renewal window and the expiration date are separate facts that the board states together: applications are available before November 1 and must be submitted by December 31, and a license not renewed by December 31 expires and is null and void, so December 31 is the deadline, not November 1. The regulation text was read on Cornell LII because the board publishes the Louisiana Administrative Code only as a Word document at www.doa.la.gov/media/bfajf0q2/46v53.docx, which was not downloaded; every figure taken from Cornell also appears on a board page except the definition of a CPE unit as 10 credit hours, the board's power to mandate subjects, and the text of the medication administration rule. The board page and the code agree on every value read. The board stated no carryover rule, no record retention period beyond the CPE Monitor record, and no jurisprudence, opioid, human trafficking or implicit bias CE mandate for pharmacists.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.