Massachusetts Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Massachusetts pharmacists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy (Department of Public Health).
Pharmacist registrations expire on December 31 of every even-numbered year and must be renewed before January 1 of the following year to keep practicing. The board mails the renewal notice and form on November 1 of each even-numbered year, and a name not renewed by December 31 is struck from the register. Practising after expiration is unlicensed practice. A registrant more than 60 days late may face extra continuing education set by the board, and anyone more than two years late must retake and pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination.
Summary
Massachusetts pharmacists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy (Department of Public Health). Pharmacist registrations expire on December 31 of every even-numbered year and must be renewed before January 1 of the following year to keep practicing. The board mails the renewal notice and form on November 1 of each even-numbered year, and a name not renewed by December 31 is struck from the register. Practising after expiration is unlicensed practice. A registrant more than 60 days late may face extra continuing education set by the board, and anyone more than two years late must retake and pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination. Massachusetts also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacy law: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Sterile compounding: 10 contact hours every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39G or 39I). Complex non-sterile compounding: 6 contact hours every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in complex non-sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39H). Immunizations: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are engaged in the administration of vaccines). No more than 30 contact hours may be self-study or online and hours do not carry over between cycles.
Massachusetts 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 | 40 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 30 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Teaching a board-approved continuing education program, credited once annually to a board-approved pharmacist instructor; Courses in a postgraduate pharmacy curriculum or program, or a board-approved postgraduate medical program, from a board-authorized or ACPE accredited sponsor, in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy practice or pharmacy law |
M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A requires a minimum of 20 contact hours in each calendar year of the two year renewal cycle, which is 40 contact hours per renewal, and 247 CMR 4.03(3) requires the renewal application to carry a statement signed under the penalties of perjury that 40 contact hours were completed. Massachusetts counts contact hours, not CEUs. 247 CMR 4.03(4)(b) allows no more than 15 contact hours per calendar year from home study and other mediated instruction, so 30 over the cycle; the max_self_study_or_online figure here is that per cycle total. The board's own continuing education policy (2021-04) is said to state a five hour live minimum per calendar year, but that policy is published only as a PDF and DOCX and was not read, so live_or_interactive_minimum is left null; the regulation itself expresses the point as a home study cap rather than a live minimum. No more than eight contact hours may be earned in a calendar day (247 CMR 4.03(7)), and contact hours may not be carried from one calendar year to the next (247 CMR 4.03(5)). A registrant is not required to complete continuing education in the calendar year in which the registrant graduated from an approved college or school of pharmacy (247 CMR 4.03(8)); that is a graduation year exemption rather than a general first renewal exemption, so exempt_first_renewal is left null. The continuing education requirement does not apply to the biennial cycle immediately preceding December 31 of an even-numbered year for a registrant in active armed forces service after October 1 of that year (247 CMR 4.02(8)). The board may waive or adjust the requirement for extenuating circumstances on a sworn detailed statement. Pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians are separate registrations under 247 CMR 8.00 and are not included here.
Required CE topics for Massachusetts pharmacists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy lawAt least two contact hours per calendar year, so four over the two year renewal cycle. It counts toward the 20 hours for that year rather than being added to them. The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination is an entry and reinstatement examination, not a renewal requirement. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 247 CMR 4.03(4)(a) |
| Sterile compoundingAt least five of the 20 contact hours in each calendar year, so ten over the cycle. The statute says these hours are devoted out of the 20, not added to them. No canonical topic key covers sterile compounding, so the key sterile_compounding is used. | 10 contact hours | Every renewal | Pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39G or 39I | M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A; 247 CMR 4.03(4)(c) |
| Complex non-sterile compoundingAt least three of the 20 contact hours in each calendar year, so six over the cycle, taken out of the annual total. No canonical topic key covers compounding, so the key nonsterile_compounding is used. | 6 contact hours | Every renewal | Pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in complex non-sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39H | M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A; 247 CMR 4.03(4)(d) |
| ImmunizationsAt least one contact hour on the topic of immunizations during the two year renewal cycle, not per calendar year. No canonical topic key covers vaccination continuing education, so the key immunization is used. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | Pharmacists who oversee or are engaged in the administration of vaccines | 247 CMR 4.03(4)(e) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | A provider in good standing with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or offering AMA CME Category 1 credit is an authorized provider (247 CMR 4.04(5)), and M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A requires the board to accept all conferences and programs from ACPE approved providers. Other providers may apply to the board for authorization at least 30 days before a program. Renewal is by a statement signed under the penalties of perjury; certificates are not filed with the application. Pharmacists keep documentation or statements of credit for at least two years from the date of completion, showing the provider, participant, program title and number, completion date and contact hours, and produce them on request (247 CMR 4.06). The board audits randomly selected renewed licenses, posts the names and dates of audited licensees on its website, and may fine a licensee up to $1,000 for non-compliance or for failing to respond within seven days. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Massachusetts RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Massachusetts pharmacists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy (Department of Public Health). M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A requires a minimum of 20 contact hours in each calendar year of the two year renewal cycle, which is 40 contact hours per renewal, and 247 CMR 4.03(3) requires the renewal application to carry a statement signed under the penalties of perjury that 40 contact hours were completed. Massachusetts counts contact hours, not CEUs. 247 CMR 4.03(4)(b) allows no more than 15 contact hours per calendar year from home study and other mediated instruction, so 30 over the cycle; the max_self_study_or_online figure here is that per cycle total. The board's own continuing education policy (2021-04) is said to state a five hour live minimum per calendar year, but that policy is published only as a PDF and DOCX and was not read, so live_or_interactive_minimum is left null; the regulation itself expresses the point as a home study cap rather than a live minimum. No more than eight contact hours may be earned in a calendar day (247 CMR 4.03(7)), and contact hours may not be carried from one calendar year to the next (247 CMR 4.03(5)). A registrant is not required to complete continuing education in the calendar year in which the registrant graduated from an approved college or school of pharmacy (247 CMR 4.03(8)); that is a graduation year exemption rather than a general first renewal exemption, so exempt_first_renewal is left null. The continuing education requirement does not apply to the biennial cycle immediately preceding December 31 of an even-numbered year for a registrant in active armed forces service after October 1 of that year (247 CMR 4.02(8)). The board may waive or adjust the requirement for extenuating circumstances on a sworn detailed statement. Pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians are separate registrations under 247 CMR 8.00 and are not included here.
- How often does a Massachusetts RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Massachusetts renew every two years. Pharmacist registrations expire on December 31 of every even-numbered year and must be renewed before January 1 of the following year to keep practicing. The board mails the renewal notice and form on November 1 of each even-numbered year, and a name not renewed by December 31 is struck from the register. Practising after expiration is unlicensed practice. A registrant more than 60 days late may face extra continuing education set by the board, and anyone more than two years late must retake and pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination.
- What specific CE topics are required for Massachusetts pharmacists?
- Pharmacy law: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Sterile compounding: 10 contact hours every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39G or 39I). Complex non-sterile compounding: 6 contact hours every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are directly engaged in complex non-sterile compounding, or who practice in a pharmacy licensed under M.G.L. c. 112, Section 39H). Immunizations: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (pharmacists who oversee or are engaged in the administration of vaccines). Citations: pharmacy law (247 CMR 4.03(4)(a)), sterile compounding (M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A; 247 CMR 4.03(4)(c)), complex non-sterile compounding (M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A; 247 CMR 4.03(4)(d)), and immunizations (247 CMR 4.03(4)(e)).
- Do Massachusetts 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 2 years. A provider in good standing with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or offering AMA CME Category 1 credit is an authorized provider (247 CMR 4.04(5)), and M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A requires the board to accept all conferences and programs from ACPE approved providers. Other providers may apply to the board for authorization at least 30 days before a program. Renewal is by a statement signed under the penalties of perjury; certificates are not filed with the application. Pharmacists keep documentation or statements of credit for at least two years from the date of completion, showing the provider, participant, program title and number, completion date and contact hours, and produce them on request (247 CMR 4.06). The board audits randomly selected renewed licenses, posts the names and dates of audited licensees on its website, and may fine a licensee up to $1,000 for non-compliance or for failing to respond within seven days.
Sources
Last verified September 11, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A, expiration of registrations, renewals, continuing education requirements, audits (Massachusetts General Laws)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- Pharmacist Licensing, Massachusetts Board of Registration in PharmacyState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- 247 CMR 4.00, Personal registration renewal; continuing education requirement (board regulation landing page)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- Domestic and Sexual Violence Training (Chapter 260), list of boards coveredState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- 247 CMR 4.03, Continuing Education Requirement (Cornell LII mirror of the Massachusetts regulation)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- 247 CMR 4.02, Personal Registration Expiration and Renewal (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- 247 CMR 4.04, Board Approval of Continuing Pharmacy Education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- 247 CMR 4.06, Record-keeping by Registered Pharmacists (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
Both core values come from an official host: M.G.L. c. 112, Section 24A on malegislature.gov states that registrations expire on December 31 of each even-numbered year, that renewal is biennial, and that a registrant must complete a minimum of 20 contact hours in each calendar year of the two year cycle, along with the sterile and complex non-sterile compounding carve outs, the ACPE acceptance rule, and the random audit and $1,000 fine. The Board of Registration in Pharmacy publishes 247 CMR 4.00 and its continuing education policy 2021-04 only as PDF and DOCX downloads, which were not opened, so the regulation's finer points (two hours of pharmacy law per calendar year, the 15 hour per calendar year home study cap, the one hour immunization requirement per cycle, no carryover, the eight hour daily cap, the graduation year exemption, two year record retention, and provider authorization) were read on the Cornell LII mirror of 247 CMR 4.00 and are cited as third party sources. Nothing on the mass.gov pages contradicts them. The Chapter 260 domestic and sexual violence training that applies to several Massachusetts health professions does not list the Board of Registration in Pharmacy on the state's own Chapter 260 page, so it is not recorded here, unlike the Massachusetts nursing records. The board's own reactivation page asks for documentation of continuing education for the most recent two full calendar years, which is consistent with the two year retention rule.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy (Department of Public Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.