Pennsylvania Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Pennsylvania pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs).
A licensed pharmacist renews the license every two years, in even numbered years. Pharmacist licenses and authorizations to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations all expire on the same date, September 30 of even numbered years. The board sends renewal information about 45 to 60 days before the expiration date. The board's renewal page states that late renewal is not permitted and that a reactivation application is required once the license has expired.
Summary
Pennsylvania pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs). A licensed pharmacist renews the license every two years, in even numbered years. Pharmacist licenses and authorizations to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations all expire on the same date, September 30 of even numbered years. The board sends renewal information about 45 to 60 days before the expiration date. The board's renewal page states that late renewal is not permitted and that a reactivation application is required once the license has expired. Pennsylvania also mandates specific subjects. Patient Safety, ACPE topic designator: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Administration of injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (licensees with authority to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations). Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Pennsylvania 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, 09/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
49 Pa. Code 27.32(a) states the requirement as a minimum of 30 contact hours (3 CEU) during the preceding biennial renewal period. The board's primary unit is the contact hour and the CEU figure is given in parentheses, so contact hours are recorded and contact_hour_equivalent is null. Both live and correspondence courses count as long as the provider is approved, and the rule sets no live minimum and no cap on home study. An excess of completed contact hours in one renewal period is not carried into the next. A newly graduated licensee is exempt from the hours for the license renewal immediately following licensure, except for the child abuse recognition and reporting training, which is never waived by that exemption. A reciprocally licensed pharmacist is not exempt but has the hours prorated quarterly from the date of licensure at 3.75 contact hours (0.375 CEU) per three month quarter, starting at the beginning of the quarter after licensure. A pharmacist found noncompliant must make up the delinquent hours within six months of the notice of deficiency. These are pharmacist figures; registered pharmacy technicians renew in odd numbered years under 49 Pa. Code 27.31(b.1) and their requirement was not used here.
Required CE topics for Pennsylvania pharmacists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Safety, ACPE topic designatorTwo of the required 30 contact hours must come from courses carrying the ACPE topic designator Patient Safety. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 27.32(a) |
| Child abuse recognition and reportingAt least two hours of approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting as a condition of biennial renewal. The course must be approved by the Bureau in consultation with the Department of Human Services, and the Bureau must receive an electronic report from the provider before the board will renew. These hours are accepted as part of the 30 hours required by 27.32. An exemption may be requested in writing and applies only to the renewal period for which it is requested. Applicants for an initial license complete three hours of this training instead. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 27.808(b); 49 Pa. Code 27.32(a) |
| Administration of injectable medications, biologicals and immunizationsAt least two of the required 30 hours must concern the administration of injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations, including disease epidemiology, vaccine characteristics, injection technique, emergency response to adverse events and related topics. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | licensees with authority to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations | 49 Pa. Code 27.32(a); 49 Pa. Code 27.401 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Except for the Bureau approved child abuse courses and for providers separately approved by the board, only continuing education programs offered by ACPE accredited providers of continuing pharmaceutical education targeted toward pharmacists are acceptable. A provider that is not ACPE accredited may apply to the board at least 60 days before the program starts and must show accreditation substantially similar to ACPE standards; retroactive requests are not considered. The pharmacist proves compliance by completing and submitting a board form with the renewal application rather than filing certificates, keeps the certificates for two years after renewal, and produces them on demand. The board runs a random audit of five percent of renewals and may expand it if noncompliance reaches twenty percent of the sample. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Pennsylvania RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Pennsylvania pharmacists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs). 49 Pa. Code 27.32(a) states the requirement as a minimum of 30 contact hours (3 CEU) during the preceding biennial renewal period. The board's primary unit is the contact hour and the CEU figure is given in parentheses, so contact hours are recorded and contact_hour_equivalent is null. Both live and correspondence courses count as long as the provider is approved, and the rule sets no live minimum and no cap on home study. An excess of completed contact hours in one renewal period is not carried into the next. A newly graduated licensee is exempt from the hours for the license renewal immediately following licensure, except for the child abuse recognition and reporting training, which is never waived by that exemption. A reciprocally licensed pharmacist is not exempt but has the hours prorated quarterly from the date of licensure at 3.75 contact hours (0.375 CEU) per three month quarter, starting at the beginning of the quarter after licensure. A pharmacist found noncompliant must make up the delinquent hours within six months of the notice of deficiency. These are pharmacist figures; registered pharmacy technicians renew in odd numbered years under 49 Pa. Code 27.31(b.1) and their requirement was not used here.
- How often does a Pennsylvania RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Pennsylvania renew every two years. A licensed pharmacist renews the license every two years, in even numbered years. Pharmacist licenses and authorizations to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations all expire on the same date, September 30 of even numbered years. The board sends renewal information about 45 to 60 days before the expiration date. The board's renewal page states that late renewal is not permitted and that a reactivation application is required once the license has expired.
- What specific CE topics are required for Pennsylvania pharmacists?
- Patient Safety, ACPE topic designator: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Administration of injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (licensees with authority to administer injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations). Citations: Patient Safety, ACPE topic designator (49 Pa. Code 27.32(a)), child abuse recognition and reporting (49 Pa. Code 27.808(b); 49 Pa. Code 27.32(a)), and administration of injectable medications, biologicals and immunizations (49 Pa. Code 27.32(a); 49 Pa. Code 27.401).
- Do Pennsylvania 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. Except for the Bureau approved child abuse courses and for providers separately approved by the board, only continuing education programs offered by ACPE accredited providers of continuing pharmaceutical education targeted toward pharmacists are acceptable. A provider that is not ACPE accredited may apply to the board at least 60 days before the program starts and must show accreditation substantially similar to ACPE standards; retroactive requests are not considered. The pharmacist proves compliance by completing and submitting a board form with the renewal application rather than filing certificates, keeps the certificates for two years after renewal, and produces them on demand. The board runs a random audit of five percent of renewals and may expand it if noncompliance reaches twenty percent of the sample.
- Is the first Pennsylvania RPh/PharmD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Pennsylvania does not require continuing education for a RPh/PharmD's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 49 Pa. Code 27.32, Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 27.31, Biennial renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 27.808, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- Renewal Information, Pennsylvania State Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Pharmacist Licensure Snapshot, Pennsylvania Department of StateState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
The 30 contact hour total, the Patient Safety and immunization subject minimums, the newly graduated exemption, the reciprocity proration, the ban on carryover, the two year certificate retention and the five percent random audit are read verbatim from 49 Pa. Code 27.32 on the Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin site. The two hour child abuse recognition and reporting requirement and the rule that those hours count inside the 30 are 49 Pa. Code 27.808(b), added November 28, 2025 and effective November 29, 2025. The two year even numbered year cycle is 49 Pa. Code 27.31(b), amended June 27, 2025 and effective June 28, 2025, and the September 30 even year expiration date is the board's own renewal information page. The board's pharmacist licensure snapshot adds two one time pre licensure requirements that are not renewal requirements and so are not recorded as mandatory topics: three hours of child abuse recognition and reporting before initial licensure, and four hours of board approved education covering pain management and addiction identification and opioid prescribing and dispensing, which the page says needs to be completed only once. Pennsylvania mandates no jurisprudence exam, human trafficking or implicit bias subject for pharmacist renewal.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.