Getting Your License

North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)

The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) is required in all US jurisdictions. Developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), NAPLEX is a computer-adaptive test that assesses the candidate's ability to apply knowledge gained in pharmacy school to practice situations.

The NAPLEX is a 6-hour exam composed of 225 questions that are delivered in a computerized, fixed form. Exam results are reported as pass or fail, and candidates are allowed 5 attempts to pass the exam. A majority of the questions on the NAPLEX are asked in a case-based format (i.e., patient profiles with accompanying test questions). To properly analyze and answer the questions presented, you must refer to the information provided in the patient profile. Interspersed among these profile-based questions are "stand-alone questions," whose answers are drawn solely from the information provided in the question.

The NAPLEX is administered daily at authorized PrometricTM Testing Centers throughout the United States. Information bulletins and application forms for the NAPLEX are available from the state boards of pharmacy. Click here for additional information.

Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE)

Most states require a drug law examination as a condition of licensure. The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) is currently administered in 45 US jurisdictions and is based on a nationally uniform content blueprint, with questions that are tailored to assess the pharmacy jurisprudence requirements of individual states.

In cooperation with participating state boards of pharmacy, the MPJE is uniformly developed, administered, and scored under policies and procedures developed by NABP's Advisory Committee on Examinations and approved by NABP's Executive Committee. The content of the MPJE is approved by boards of pharmacy, practitioners, and educators from around the country through their service as MPJE Review Committee members, item writers, and board of pharmacy representatives.

All candidates are tested on their mastery of pharmacy law as outlined in the MPJE Competency Statements. Each participating state board of pharmacy approves those questions that are specific to the federal and state laws of the jurisdictions in which candidates are seeking licensure. Candidates must take a separate exam for each state or jurisdiction in which they are seeking licensure.

For more information about the test visit National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

General Pharmacist Licensure Requirements: Educational Eligibility Requirements

To be licensed, a pharmacist must have graduated from a school of pharmacy approved by the state board of pharmacy or accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Graduates of foreign pharmacy schools may meet the educational eligibility requirements for licensure by:

• Graduating from a US school or college of pharmacy;
• Earning Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certification; and/or
• Following other procedures approved by the state in which licensure is sought.