PURPOSE: This rule defines continuing education requirements for relicensure of pharmacists in Missouri.

1. (1) Commencing with the licensing period beginning November 1, 1985 and for each licensing period after that, no active pharmacist license will be renewed by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy unless the applicant has fulfilled the continuing education requirements as set forth in section 338.060, RSMo of the Pharmacy Practice Act.

2. (2) A continuing education program for pharmacists means postgraduate studies that have prior approval of the Missouri Board of Pharmacy to fulfill the requirements of continuing education for renewal in Missouri. This may include institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, extension study, correspondence courses, teaching, professional meetings, self-study courses and any other methods which may be approved by the board, but in any case, the studies must be pharmacy-related.

   1. (A) Programs shall provide for evaluation methods or examinations to assure satisfactory completion by participants.
   2. (B) The person(s) who is to instruct or who is responsible for the delivery or content of the program shall be qualified, as determined by the board, in the subject matter by education, experience or preparation in the preparation and methods of delivery.

   3. (C) Continuing pharmacy education programs shall be approved by one (1) of the following methods:

      1. 1. All continuing pharmacy education

programs offered by providers approved by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education will be accepted as meeting the requirements of continuing education for renewal as a pharmacist in Missouri;

1. 2. The Missouri Board of Pharmacy may

approve continuing education programs offered by providers who are not approved by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. Criteria for approval of those programs shall be based on the criteria promulgated by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education in its publication “Accreditation Standards and Guidelines” section on Approval of Providers of Pharmaceutical Education, Pages III-1 through III-C. Application to the board for this approval must be made at least thirty (30) days in advance of the program date to guarantee notification of certification status prior to the date of the program. Applications received less than thirty (30) days prior to the date of the program cannot be guaranteed to be certified prior to the date of the program. Application to the board for this approval shall be made on and in accordance with forms established by the board. The forms shall require detailed information relating to administration and organization, budget and resources, teaching staff, educational content and development, methods of delivery, facilities and evaluation. No applications for approval of continuing education programs will be accepted less than ten (10) business days from the date such program is offered for continuing education purposes. Applications returned due to errors or for purposes of requesting more information shall not be considered to be received by the office until the requested corrections or information are made and received by the board office. The executive director shall review applications for continuing education programs and may approve or deny such requests. Applicants shall be notified on a timely basis once the decision to approve or deny a program has been made. If an application was received by the board office sixty (60) days or more prior to the date it is scheduled to be offered and the program is denied, the applicant may request an appeal to further review the application by the continuing education committee. The request for appeal must be in writing. In no case shall an applicant be able to appeal a denial of an application if such application was initially received by the board office less than sixty (60) days prior to the date it is scheduled to be offered;

1. 3. Any pharmacist whose primary

responsibility is not the education of health professionals who leads, instructs or lectures to groups of nurses, physicians, pharmacists or others on pharmacy-related topics in organized continuing education or in-service programs shall be granted continuing education credit for the time expended during actual presentation upon adequate documentation to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. Application for approval shall be made in accordance with procedures in section (2) of this rule. Credit for the same presentation or program will be allowed only once during a renewal period;

1. 4. Any pharmacist whose responsibility

is the education of health professionals shall be granted continuing education credit only for time expended in leading, instructing or lecturing to groups of physicians, pharmacists, nurses or others on board-approved pharmacy-related topics in an organized continuing education or in-service program outside his/her formal responsibilities in a learning institution. Approval will be requested using procedures in section (2) and submitted to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. Credit for the same presentation or program will be allowed only once during a renewal period;

1. 5. Credit will be given for undergradu-

ate or graduate studies in any regionally accredited pharmacy, medical or dental educational institution of higher learning. Satisfactory proof of course completion, as required by the board, must be submitted with the renewal notice. The following hourly equivalents will be used by the board in assessing credits: 3 hours college credit = 15 contact hours 2 hours college credit = 10 contact hours 1 hour college credit = 5 contact hours

1. 6. One and one-half (1.5) continuing

education unit (CEU) will be the equivalent of fifteen (15) clock hours of participation in programs approved by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy; and

1. 7. Continuing education hours earned in

another state will be accepted by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy provided the hours are acquired within the same renewal period and are certified by the other state board of pharmacy.

1. (D) No information or advertisements shall contain information that a continuing education program has been approved by the board of pharmacy unless the program is accredited by American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) or notification has been received that the program has been approved by the board of pharmacy.

1. (3) Each licensed pharmacist, instead of submitting proof of the completion of the required continuing education courses, may apply for an inactive license at the time s/he makes application for the renewal of his/her license and pay the required renewal fee. An inactive license then shall be issued and may be renewed during the renewal period. While the inactive license is in effect, the pharmacist shall not practice pharmacy.
2. (4) The renewal fee will be the same for active and inactive licenses.
3. (5) Before any inactive license can be reactivated to active status, the licensee shall submit proper evidence that s/he has obtained at least fifteen (15) contact hours for each year that his/her license was inactive. It shall be permissible for the licensee to obtain the required contact hours during any time period, while the license is on inactive status, as long as they are obtained prior to activation to active status.
4. (6) Any licensee who has a lapsed license and seeks to have it renewed pursuant to section 338.060.2, RSMo shall present proper evidence that s/he has obtained the required number of contact hours during the period that his/her license was lapsed.
5. (7) A pharmacist first licensed by the board within nine (9) months immediately preceding the biennial renewal date shall be exempt from the continuing pharmacy education requirements for that licensure period.
6. (8) The president of the board annually will select two (2) board members who will serve 20 CSR 2220-2

along with the executive director as the continuing education committee. The committee will review and decide on applications that have been denied approval and an appeal for further review has been submitted. In addition, the committee will report on its activities and continuing education at board meetings and make recommendations to the board concerning continuing education requirements.

1. (9) The proof of completion of continuing education requirements shall be submitted with the renewal notice and the appropriate fees by submitting an affidavit that clearly attests to the fact that all continuing education requirements for the purpose of renewal of a pharmacist license have been met and that proof of completion of continuing education credits are maintained by the pharmacist in the form of one (1) or more of the following:

   1. (A) Completed certification from the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education;
   2. (B) Completed certification from the Missouri Board of Pharmacy; or
   3. (C) A letter from another state board of pharmacy stating the program, dates of attendance and number of contact hours that have been approved for renewal by that state board.
2. (10) Continuing education credits must be earned from the time a renewal cycle begins, until the cycle ends as prescribed by the board. For purposes of this section, the renewal cycle begins on September 1 and ends on a biennial cycle on August 31. Each such form of proof of completion of the required continuing education credits shall be retained by the licensee for the preceding two
3. (2) reporting periods prior to renewal.
4. (11) The renewal application must be completed correctly and in its entirety in order for it to be processed and the license renewed. Any portion of the application that is incomplete or inaccurate shall result in the rejection of the renewal application and require its return to the applicant for corrections.
5. (12) The Missouri Board of Pharmacy may elect to audit, with the appropriate accrediting body, any licensee to assess the authenticity and validity of contact hours submitted for relicensure. Failure to provide proof of completion of the necessary required continuing education credits when requested to do so by the board, shall be considered a violation. In accordance with section 338.060, RSMo any licensee that has not completed and retained the required evidence of all FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

required continuing education shall pay any delinquent fees as prescribed by the board and may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to 338.055, RSMo. The board may also initiate auditing of other past renewal periods and/or require proof of completion of future continuing education credits be submitted with any application for a renewal of a license.

AUTHORITY: sections 338.060 and 338.140, RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 220-2.100. Original rule filed Nov. 9, 1984, effective April 11, 1985. Amended: Filed Nov. 21, 1997, effective June 30, 1998. Amended: Filed March 15, 2000, effective Sept. 30, 2000. Amended: Filed June 28, 2002, effective Jan. 30, 2003. Amended: Filed April 1, 2004, effective Sept. 30, 2004. Amended: Filed June 15, 2005, effective Jan. 30, 2006. Moved to 20 CSR 2220-2.100, effective Aug. 28, 2006.

*Original authority: 338.060, RSMo 1939, amended 1943, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1981, 1984, 1997, 1999 and 338.140, RSMo 1939, amended 1981, 1989, 1997.