Michigan Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Michigan pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing).
A pharmacist license expires every two years on the anniversary of the date the initial license was issued, so the renewal date is personal to the licensee rather than a statewide date. Renewal is filed online through MiPLUS with the fee. A license not renewed by the expiration date can still be renewed within 60 days by paying a late fee, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after that the license is null and void and practice must stop.
Summary
Michigan pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). A pharmacist license expires every two years on the anniversary of the date the initial license was issued, so the renewal date is personal to the licensee rather than a statewide date. Renewal is filed online through MiPLUS with the fee. A license not renewed by the expiration date can still be renewed within 60 days by paying a late fee, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after that the license is null and void and practice must stop. Michigan also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacy ethics and pharmacy law: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Pain and symptom management: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Training identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement. Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training: required every renewal cycle (pharmacists who are also applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license). No more than 20 contact hours may be self-study or online, hours do not carry over between cycles, and the first renewal is exempt.
Michigan 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 | Tied to the original issue date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 20 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Postgraduate pharmacy practice or administration courses at an ACPE or CCAPP accredited pharmacy school (12 hours per quarter credit, 18 per semester credit, no cap); Serving as preceptor to at least one pharmacy intern for a minimum of 120 in person hours (5 hours, maximum 5 per renewal period); Renewing a pharmacist license in another state with substantially equivalent continuing education, for a licensee who lives and practices in that state (30 hours, maximum 30); Initial publication of an article or chapter in a pharmacy textbook or peer reviewed journal (10 hours, maximum 10 per renewal period); Passing a Board of Pharmacy Specialties board certification examination (10 hours, maximum 20 per renewal period); Presenting an approved continuing education program outside the licensee's regular job description (2 hours per 50 minutes, maximum 2 per renewal period); Attending a full board of pharmacy, disciplinary subcommittee or rules committee work group meeting (1 hour each, maximum 5 per renewal period, counts as pharmacy law) |
R 338.3042(1)(e) requires not less than 30 hours of board approved continuing education during the license cycle before the renewal application, and hours earned during the 60 day grace period count up to the date the application is filed. Michigan counts hours, not CEUs. Within the 30: at least 1 hour in pharmacy ethics and pharmacy law, at least 10 hours in live synchronous courses (in person or virtual, including ACPE courses designated live), at least 1 hour in pain and symptom management, and not more than 12 hours in any 24 hour period. Home study and other asynchronous instruction, including online programs and journal articles, is capped at 20 hours per renewal period, and activities approved by a non-pharmacy healthcare board or accreditation entity are capped at 5 hours (R 338.3044). Because the hours must fall within the license cycle before the renewal application, hours from an earlier cycle do not carry forward, and implicit bias hours specifically may not be carried to the next cycle (R 338.7004(3)). R 338.3042(1)(d) applies the continuing education requirement only to an applicant who has been licensed for the two year period immediately preceding the end of the license cycle, so a licensee who has not held the license that long is exempt for that renewal. A waiver may be requested under MCL 333.16205 at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires. A licensee may not claim credit twice for an identical program in the same renewal period, except that the human trafficking, controlled substances awareness and implicit bias trainings may count toward both the training requirement and the continuing education total. Pharmacy technicians (R 338.3651 to R 338.3665) and pharmacist interns are separate credentials and are not included here.
Required CE topics for Michigan pharmacists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy ethics and pharmacy lawAt least 1 of the 30 hours, and it may be completed in one or more courses. Attending a full board of pharmacy meeting counts as 1 hour of pharmacy law. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | R 338.3042(1)(e)(i) |
| Pain and symptom managementAt least 1 of the 30 hours. The rule says this may include behavior management, psychology of pain, pharmacology, behavior modification, stress management, clinical applications and drug interventions as they relate to professional practice. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | R 338.3042(1)(e)(iii); MCL 333.16204(2) |
| Implicit bias trainingA minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license cycle, so 2 hours for the two year pharmacist cycle. The training may also be used to satisfy the continuing education requirement. It may not be carried forward to the next cycle, and documentation is kept for 6 years, longer than the 4 years required for ordinary continuing education. Initial licensure separately requires 2 hours of implicit bias training within the preceding 5 years. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | R 338.7004(2) |
| Training identifying victims of human traffickingA one time training required at renewal. The rule sets required content (types and venues of human trafficking, identifying victims and warning signs in healthcare settings, and reporting resources) and accepted providers and formats, including reading a qualifying peer reviewed article, but states no hour count. It may also count toward the continuing education total. | Not stated | One time | All licensees | R 338.3042(1)(b); R 338.511; MCL 333.16148 |
| Opioids and other controlled substances awareness trainingRequired before applying for or renewing a controlled substance license, not for the pharmacist license by itself. Content must cover use of the Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS) and state and federal laws on prescribing and dispensing controlled substances, and may be assembled from more than one program. No hour count is stated. It may also count toward the continuing education total. | Not stated | Every renewal | Pharmacists who are also applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license | R 338.3042(1)(c); R 338.3135 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses must be approved by the board under R 338.3043, and R 338.3044 treats a program as approved if it is approved or offered for credit by a pharmacy program accredited by ACPE or the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs, by a sponsor approved by ACPE (including non-ACPE providers in joint providership with an ACPE accredited provider), by another state board of pharmacy, or by a non-pharmacy healthcare board or accreditation entity (the last capped at 5 hours per renewal period). Board approval of a course lasts three years. Submitting the renewal application is itself the licensee's certification of compliance; documentation is retained for 4 years from the date of applying for renewal and produced if the board requires it. The department processes applications for board approved continuing education through CE Broker, and the board publishes annual lists of approved CE programs. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Michigan RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Michigan pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). R 338.3042(1)(e) requires not less than 30 hours of board approved continuing education during the license cycle before the renewal application, and hours earned during the 60 day grace period count up to the date the application is filed. Michigan counts hours, not CEUs. Within the 30: at least 1 hour in pharmacy ethics and pharmacy law, at least 10 hours in live synchronous courses (in person or virtual, including ACPE courses designated live), at least 1 hour in pain and symptom management, and not more than 12 hours in any 24 hour period. Home study and other asynchronous instruction, including online programs and journal articles, is capped at 20 hours per renewal period, and activities approved by a non-pharmacy healthcare board or accreditation entity are capped at 5 hours (R 338.3044). Because the hours must fall within the license cycle before the renewal application, hours from an earlier cycle do not carry forward, and implicit bias hours specifically may not be carried to the next cycle (R 338.7004(3)). R 338.3042(1)(d) applies the continuing education requirement only to an applicant who has been licensed for the two year period immediately preceding the end of the license cycle, so a licensee who has not held the license that long is exempt for that renewal. A waiver may be requested under MCL 333.16205 at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires. A licensee may not claim credit twice for an identical program in the same renewal period, except that the human trafficking, controlled substances awareness and implicit bias trainings may count toward both the training requirement and the continuing education total. Pharmacy technicians (R 338.3651 to R 338.3665) and pharmacist interns are separate credentials and are not included here.
- How often does a Michigan RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Michigan renew every two years. A pharmacist license expires every two years on the anniversary of the date the initial license was issued, so the renewal date is personal to the licensee rather than a statewide date. Renewal is filed online through MiPLUS with the fee. A license not renewed by the expiration date can still be renewed within 60 days by paying a late fee, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after that the license is null and void and practice must stop.
- What specific CE topics are required for Michigan pharmacists?
- Pharmacy ethics and pharmacy law: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Pain and symptom management: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Training identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement. Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training: required every renewal cycle (pharmacists who are also applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license). Citations: pharmacy ethics and pharmacy law (R 338.3042(1)(e)(i)), pain and symptom management (R 338.3042(1)(e)(iii); MCL 333.16204(2)), implicit bias training (R 338.7004(2)), training identifying victims of human trafficking (R 338.3042(1)(b); R 338.511; MCL 333.16148), and opioids and other controlled substances awareness training (R 338.3042(1)(c); R 338.3135).
- Do Michigan 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 4 years. Courses must be approved by the board under R 338.3043, and R 338.3044 treats a program as approved if it is approved or offered for credit by a pharmacy program accredited by ACPE or the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs, by a sponsor approved by ACPE (including non-ACPE providers in joint providership with an ACPE accredited provider), by another state board of pharmacy, or by a non-pharmacy healthcare board or accreditation entity (the last capped at 5 hours per renewal period). Board approval of a course lasts three years. Submitting the renewal application is itself the licensee's certification of compliance; documentation is retained for 4 years from the date of applying for renewal and produced if the board requires it. The department processes applications for board approved continuing education through CE Broker, and the board publishes annual lists of approved CE programs.
- Is the first Michigan RPh/PharmD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Michigan 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.
- Michigan Administrative Code R 338.3041 to R 338.3045, Pharmacy, Pharmacist Continuing Education (effective March 12, 2026)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- Michigan Administrative Code R 338.7001 to R 338.7005, Public Health Code General Rules (biennial renewal table, implicit bias training standards)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- MCL 333.16201, Renewal of license or registration (60 day late renewal window)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 11, 2026
- Pharmacy, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory AffairsState board page, accessed September 11, 2026
- R 338.511, Training standards for identifying victims of human trafficking (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
- R 338.3135, Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training standards (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 11, 2026
The 30 hour total, the 1 hour pharmacy ethics and law requirement, the 10 hour live minimum, the 1 hour pain and symptom management requirement, the 12 hour daily cap, the 20 hour home study cap, the alternative activities and their caps, the 4 year retention and the first cycle applicability rule were read in the Michigan Administrative Code on the state's own rules host, ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us, using the ReturnHTML=True form of the URL so the rule renders as HTML rather than downloading. The biennial cycle and the issue date basis were read in R 338.7001a, which lists pharmacy among the licences that expire biennially on the issue date; the same file carries the implicit bias standards in R 338.7004. MCL 333.16201 on the Legislature's site supplies the 60 day late renewal window. The board's own pharmacy page carries no figures and publishes its Pharmacist Licensing Guide and FAQs only as a PDF, which was not opened, so the renewal mechanics here come from the rules and the statute. The human trafficking and controlled substances awareness rules, R 338.511 and R 338.3135, are cross referenced by name in R 338.3042 but their text was read on the Cornell LII mirror because they sit in other rule files; neither states an hour count. No board page or rule read states a sterile compounding, immunization or jurisprudence examination requirement for pharmacist renewal.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.