Chapter 02. Examination for Licensure and Professional Experience Programs
Regulation .01 Scope.LinkCopy Citation
This chapter applies to:
A.
Applicants for licensure as a pharmacist; and
B.
Internship programs for student pharmacists for which credit may be allowed toward licensure.
Regulation .02 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B.
Terms Defined.
(1)
“Board” means the State Board of Pharmacy.
(2)
“Foreign school or college of pharmacy” means a school or college of pharmacy that is not located in any state of the United States.
(3)
“Licensure examinations” means the Board-administered or Board-approved examinations required of applicants for licensure which include the following:
(a)
Exam I: North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX);
(i)
Part I: NAPLEX, and
(ii)
Part II: Pharmacy Law Test;
(b)
Exam II: Pharmacy Law Test through either:
(i)
The Uniform Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (UMPJE) and the Maryland Pharmacy Law webinar and post-webinar test; or
(ii)
The Maryland Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE); and
(c)
Exam III:
(i)
Prescreening Test of Oral English Competency; or
(ii)
Test of Oral English Competency.
Regulation .03 Licensure Examinations.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Examination Eligibility.
(1)
An applicant may be approved by the Board to take Exam I upon satisfactory proof that the applicant has graduated, or is expected to graduate at the completion of the immediate semester, from a school or college of pharmacy that has been:
(a)
Approved by the Board; or
(b)
Accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE).
(2)
Beginning May 1, 2027, an applicant may be approved by the Board to take Exam II upon satisfactory proof that the applicant has graduated from, or has successfully completed the didactic portion of the core curriculum of a school or college of pharmacy that has been:
(a)
Approved by the Board; or
(b)
Accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE).
B.
An applicant may not receive a license until the applicant has:
(1)
Obtained passing scores on Exam I, Exam II, and Exam III, as applicable; and
(2)
Provided satisfactory proof to the Board of the applicant’s graduation from a college or school of pharmacy approved by the Board or accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE).
C.
Passing Scores—Exam I and Exam II.
(1)
The passing score for Exam I is 75.
(2)
II Passing Scores.
(a)
For the Maryland Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) the passing score is 75.
(b)
For the Uniform Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (UMPJE) the passing score is 75.
(c)
Maryland Pharmacy Law Webinar and Post-Webinar Exam.
(i)
The passing score is 85.
(ii)
The Maryland Pharmacy Law webinar and post-webinar exam shall provide unlimited attempts to pass the exam in one sitting provided that the applicant reviews the webinar after each failed attempt at the exam.
(iii)
There may not be a fee associated with the Maryland Pharmacy Law webinar and post-webinar exam.
(3)
If a candidate receives a passing score on Exam I or Exam II, the candidate is not required to retake that exam unless the passing score was received more than 2 years before the date the candidate successfully completed all of the other examination requirements set forth in this regulation.
D.
Passing Score—Exam III.
(1)
Prescreening Test of Oral English Competency.
(a)
On completion of a prescreening test application form provided by the Board, an applicant may elect to take a standardized prescreening test of oral English competency given by the Board's agents at times to be determined by the Board.
(b)
An agent of the Board possessing post-secondary credentials in an academic discipline acceptable to the Board shall score the prescreening test of oral English competency through the use of a standardized rating system.
(c)
An agent of the Board shall design the rating system of the prescreening test so that a passing score demonstrates that an applicant speaks fluent English as proficiently as typical United States native speakers whose English is easily understood by the average pharmacy patient or customer.
(d)
By choosing to take the prescreening test of oral English competency, an applicant is certifying to the Board that the applicant speaks English as proficiently as typical United States native speakers whose English is easily understood by the average pharmacy patient or customer.
(e)
By choosing to take the prescreening test to verify this certification, the applicant consents to pay the costs of test administration and shall pay the fee indicated on the Board's prescreening application form directly to the Board's agent.
(f)
An applicant who passes the prescreening test passes Exam II, the Test of Oral English Competency required under Regulation .02B(2)(b) of this chapter.
(g)
An applicant who fails the prescreening test for oral English competency may take the Test of Oral English Competency required under Regulation .02B(2)(b) of this chapter without prejudice to the applicant's licensure application if the applicant pays all related fees.
(h)
An applicant who has graduated from a recognized English-speaking professional school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is deemed to be proficient in the oral communication of the English language in satisfaction of requirements of the prescreening test.
(2)
Test of Oral English Competency.
(a)
In order to obtain a license to practice pharmacy, an applicant shall pass a standardized test of oral English competency approved by the Board or the board of pharmacy of another state with a score acceptable to the Board, based upon the Board's standards and the examination taken.
(b)
The Board shall provide the applicant with a list of Board-approved testing services and the passing score for each approved test of oral English competency.
(c)
Waiver. The Board shall waive the requirement as set forth under §D(2)(a) of this regulation if the applicant graduated from a recognized English-speaking professional school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
(3)
Claims of Speech Impairment.
(a)
An applicant who claims to have a speech impairment shall submit documentation of the impairment on forms supplied by the Board and completed by a Board-approved:
(i)
Licensed physician; and
(ii)
Speech-language pathologist licensed to practice speech pathology in the United States.
(b)
The applicant shall submit the documentation with:
(i)
The applicant's initial application; or
(ii)
Before the applicant's second attempt at passing the test of oral English competency.
(c)
After the second examination, the applicant may not submit documentation of impairment unless:
(i)
An intervening medical or surgical event caused the impairment;
(ii)
The applicant claims the impairment before a third examination; and
(iii)
The applicant provides documentation that is approved by the Board.
(d)
The Board may accept documentation of a speech impairment as a passing score on Exam II if the applicant also:
(i)
Provides documentation from a Board-approved licensed pharmacist or a Board-approved instructor in a school of pharmacy that the applicant can communicate in a professionally competent manner with patients and health care providers; and
(ii)
Describes, in a hearing before the Board, the manner in which the applicant would communicate with a licensed prescriber regarding a prescription and would counsel a typical patient on proper drug usage.
(4)
The certifying or verifying authority shall send all certificates and verifications directly to the Board for the applicants.
(5)
The Board-approved testing services may not accept certificates and verifications sent to or by the applicant.
(6)
If any of the documents required under this regulation are in a language other than English, the certifying or verifying authority shall submit a certified translation.
(7)
The applicant shall bear the costs of:
(a)
Translation by a certified translator;
(b)
Taking the test of oral English competency; and
(c)
Obtaining documents required under this regulation.
E.
Graduates of a Foreign School or College of Pharmacy.
(1)
In addition to the other examination requirements set forth in this regulation, an applicant who has graduated from a foreign school or college of pharmacy shall:
(a)
Be approved to take the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE); and
(b)
Obtain the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Education Committee (FPGEC) Certificate.
(2)
The passing score for the FPGEE is 75.
(3)
Upon successful completion of the FPGEE and submission of the FPGE Certificate, an applicant may be approved by the Board to take Exam I and Exam II.
Regulation .04 Internship Program or Training Required.LinkCopy Citation
An applicant shall complete one of the following as a prerequisite to Board licensure:
A.
1,000 hours of a school-supervised professional experience program conducted by a school of pharmacy accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education; or
B.
1,560 hours of full-time training, as a registered pharmacy intern under the direct supervision of licensed pharmacists pursuant to Regulation .05 of this chapter as an applicant who:
(1)
Has graduated from a foreign school of pharmacy; or
(2)
Does not meet the requirements of §A of this regulation.
C.
An applicant may receive credit for any of the 1,560 hours earned up to 10 months before the effective date of this regulation.
Regulation .05 Partial or Non-Pharmacy-School-Supervised Program of Internship.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Applicants may complete the requirement for internship training by having at least 1,560 hours of full-time training as a registered pharmacy intern, under the direct supervision of licensed pharmacists.
B.
The licensed pharmacists providing direct supervision shall be approved by the Board.
C.
The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has completed the training under this regulation, validated by the supervising pharmacist or pharmacists.
D.
If an approved school or college of pharmacy offers a partial fulfillment of internship requirements as a part of its curriculum, time spent in a program by an applicant may be accepted by the Board on an equivalent basis to replace a portion of the required 1,560-hour internship pharmacy internship training under this regulation.
Chapter annotations
Authority: Health Occupations Article, §§12-205 and 12-302, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: August 6, 1975 (2:17 Md. R. 1188)
History: Regulation .02 adopted effective February 19, 1990 (17:3 Md. R. 298)
History: Regulation .02B amended effective November 1, 1994 (21:14 Md. R. 1229); November 3, 1997 (24:22 Md. R. 1551)
History: Regulations .02—.05 recodified as Regulations .03—.06 effective February 19, 1990 (17:3 Md. R. 298)
History: Regulation .03 amended effective April 9, 1984 (11:7 Md. R. 625); February 19, 1990 (17:3 Md. R. 298); November 1, 1994 (21:14 Md. R. 1229); November 3, 1997 (24:22 Md. R. 1551)
History: Regulation .04 amended effective April 9, 1984 (11:7 Md. R. 625)
History: Regulation .05A, B amended effective February 19, 1990 (17:3 Md. R. 298)
History: Chapter revised effective February 17, 2003 (30:3 Md. R. 180)
History: Regulation .02B amended effective March 2, 2026 (53:4 Md. R. 185)
History: Regulation .03 amended effective June 20, 2005 (32:12 Md. R. 1047; March 2, 2026 (53:4 Md. R. 185)
History: Regulation .03D amended effective July 3, 2017 (44:13 Md. R. 621)
History: Regulation .04 amended effective July 1, 2015 (42:7 Md. R. 569)
History: Regulation .05A, D amended effective July 1, 2015 (42:7 Md. R. 569)