Continuing Education Requirement

As set forth by M.G.L. c. 112, § 24A, each registered pharmacist seeking personal registration renewal shall complete continuing education as a condition precedent to such renewal. (2) No registrant shall be eligible for renewal of a personal registration without completion of the requisite number of contact hours of continuing education for such renewal. (3) A registrant seeking renewal of a personal registration shall submit to the Board with a renewal application a statement, signed under the penalties of perjury, that the applicant has satisfactorily completed a minimum of 40 contact hours of continuing education required for such renewal. (4) Effective for the renewal period beginning January 1, 2015, a registrant seeking renewal of a personal registration must complete a minimum of 20 contact hours of continuing education each calendar year of the two-year renewal cycle. (a) All registrants must complete at least two contact hours per calendar year in the area of pharmacy law; (b) No more than 15 contact hours per calendar year acquired through home study and other mediated instruction may be applied toward the minimum of 20 contact hours per calendar year; (c) A registrant who oversees or is directly engaged in the practice of sterile compounding or who practices in a pharmacy licensed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 39G or 39I, must complete at least five contact hours per calendar year of continuing education in the area of sterile compounding; (d) A registrant who oversees or is directly engaged in the practice of complex non-sterile compounding or who practices in a pharmacy licensed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 39H must complete at least three contact hours per calendar year of continuing education in the area of complex non-sterile compounding; and (e) A registrant who oversees or is engaged in the administration of vaccines must complete at least one contact hour of continuing education on the topic of immunizations during the two-year renewal cycle. (5) Contact hours of continuing education may not be carried over from one calendar year to another. Notwithstanding any other provisions of 247 CMR 4.03, in the event of extenuating circumstances an applicant for renewal of personal registration who has failed to complete the requisite number of contact hours of continuing education or is unable because of a physical disability to conform to the limitation on the number of contact hours acquired through home study and other mediated instruction, shall submit to the Board a detailed statement, signed under the penalties of perjury, setting forth with detail and specificity such extenuating circumstances. In such case, the Board shall determine whether or not a renewal shall be granted. The Board shall notify the applicant of the Board's determination and its reasons therefore. A registrant may not earn more than eight contact hours of continuing education in a calendar day. (8) A registrant shall not be required to complete continuing education in the calendar year in which the registrant has graduated from an approved college/school of pharmacy.