Before being approved to take the NAPLEX examination for licensure in Arkansas, each applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. (1) Satisfactory proof of graduation and receipt of the first professional undergraduate degree from a college of pharmacy approved by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy or Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certification from NABP with two thousand (2,000) hours of practical experience or training under board-approved conditions;

2. (2)

   1. (A) Applicants may request a blank application from the board, which must be completed and returned to the board office together with the fee as defined in 17 CAR § 160-107.
   2. (B) The application must be received no later than the date designated by the board for receipt of applications;

3. (3) Each application must be accompanied by a:

   1. (A) Recent three inches by two inches (3” x 2") picture; and
   2. (B) Physical description stating age, height, weight, and color of hair, eyes, and complexion of the applicant;

4. (4)

   1. (A) Each applicant must undergo a state and federal criminal background check pursuant to Subpart 31, to be conducted by the:

      1. (i) Division of Arkansas State Police; and
      2. (ii) Federal Bureau of Investigation.
   2. (B) The board will furnish the forms and instructions to applicants for the criminal background check.
   3. (C) The applicant is responsible for the payment of fees for criminal background checks pursuant to written instructions provided by the board;

5. (5)

   1. (A) The examination will be held at a site and at a time or during a time period designated by NABP or its contracted testing vendor.

   2. (B) Upon the receipt by the board of certification of the requirements as defined in subdivision (1) of this rule and an application for licensure by examination, such applicant may practice pharmacy as a graduate intern, pursuant to 17 CAR § 160-303, in the State of Arkansas temporarily until the occurrence of the first of the following events:

      1. (i)

         1. (a) (a) Failure to take the exam at the designated time for the individual applicant.
         2. (b) (b) Provided, however, the board may grant a similar temporary privilege to practice pharmacy as a graduate intern subject to the same terms and conditions herein in the event the applicant is reasonably unable, due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control, to take the examination at the first designated time for the individual applicant;
      2. (ii) Failure to receive a passing grade on the examination at the first designated time for the individual applicant; or

      3. (iii)

         1. (a) (a) The expiration of six (6) calendar months following the applicant’s graduation date from a college of pharmacy approved by the board, or reaching the intern license expiration date on December 31 of the second calendar year following issuance for foreign pharmacy graduates.
         2. (b) (b) Foreign pharmacy graduates may request an extension for the expiration of their intern permits while making progress towards the two thousand (2,000) practice hours required for examination.
      4. (c) (c) Foreign pharmacy graduates must attain five hundred (500) initial practice hours in order to practice as graduate interns.

   3. (C) The granting of status as a graduate intern:

      1. (i) Shall in no way entitle the recipient thereof to any rights of tenure of permanent license; and
      2. (ii) Is conferred gratuitously at the discretion of the board;
6. (6) The test or tests shall be graded and reported;
7. (7) No person except members of the board or their authorized representatives will be permitted to enter the testing site during the course of examination; and
8. (8) The applicant must make a score of seventy percent (70%) or more on the jurisprudence exam prior to making application for licensure as a pharmacist in the State of Arkansas.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: “(10/09/80, Revised 1/14/81, 6/22/84, 6/13/85, 6/20/91, 2/11/97, 11/15/2003, 03/01/2004, 11/13/2006, 11/1/2007, 8/31/2011, and 8/1/2020)" "NAPLEX" means the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. "NABP" means the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.