22 Tex. Admin. Code § 295.8 - Continuing Education Requirements
(a)
Authority and purpose.
(1) Authority. In
accordance with §559.053 of the Texas Pharmacy Act, (Chapters 551 -
569, Occupations
Code), all pharmacists must complete and report 30 contact hours (3.0 CEUs) of
approved continuing education obtained during the previous license period in
order to renew their license to practice pharmacy.
(2) Purpose. The board recognizes that the
fundamental purpose of continuing education is to maintain and enhance the
professional competency of pharmacists licensed to practice in Texas, for the
protection of the health and welfare of the citizens of Texas.
(b) Definitions. The following
words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings,
unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) ACPE--Accreditation Council for Pharmacy
Education.
(2) Act--The Texas
Pharmacy Act, Chapters 551 -
569, Occupations
Code.
(3) Approved programs--Live
programs, home study, and other mediated instruction delivered by an approved
provider or a program specified by the board and listed as an approved program
in subsection (e) of this section.
(4) Approved provider--An individual,
institution, organization, association, corporation, or agency that is approved
by the board.
(5) Board--The Texas
State Board of Pharmacy.
(6)
Certificate of completion--A certificate or other official document presented
to a participant upon the successful completion of an approved continuing
education program.
(7) Contact
hour--A unit of measure of educational credit which is equivalent to
approximately 60 minutes of participation in an organized learning
experience.
(8) Continuing
education unit (CEU)--A unit of measure of education credit which is equivalent
to 10 contact hours (i.e., one CEU = 10 contact hours).
(9) CPE Monitor--A collaborative service from
the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and ACPE that provides an
electronic system for pharmacists to track their completed CPE
credits.
(10) Credit hour--A unit
of measurement for continuing education equal to 15 contact hours.
(11) Enduring Materials (Home
Study)--Activities that are printed, recorded, or computer assisted
instructional materials that do not provide for direct interaction between
faculty and participants.
(12)
Initial license period--The time period between the date of issuance of a
pharmacist's license and the next expiration date following the initial 30 day
expiration date. This time period ranges from eighteen to thirty months
depending upon the birth month of the licensee.
(13) License period--The time period between
consecutive expiration dates of a license.
(14) Live programs--Activities that provide
for direct interaction between faculty and participants and may include
lectures, symposia, live teleconferences, workshops, etc.
(15) Standardized pharmacy examination--The
North American Pharmacy Licensing Examination (NAPLEX).
(c) Methods for obtaining continuing
education. A pharmacist may satisfy the continuing education requirements by
either:
(1) successfully completing the
number of continuing education hours necessary to renew a license as specified
in subsection (a)(1) of this section;
(2) successfully completing during the
preceding license period, one credit hour for each year of their license
period, which is a part of the professional degree program in a college of
pharmacy the professional degree program of which has been accredited by ACPE;
or
(3) taking and passing the
standardized pharmacy examination (NAPLEX) during the preceding license period
as a Texas licensed pharmacist, which shall be equivalent to the number of
continuing education hours necessary to renew a license as specified in
subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(d) Reporting Requirements.
(1) Renewal of a pharmacist license. To renew
a license to practice pharmacy, a pharmacist must report on the renewal
application completion of at least thirty contact hours (3.0 CEUs) of
continuing education. The following is applicable to the reporting of
continuing education contact hours:
(A) at
least one contact hour (0.1 CEU) specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection
shall be related to Texas pharmacy laws or rules;
(B) not later than the first anniversary of
becoming licensed to practice pharmacy, a pharmacist must have completed at
least two contact hours (0.2 CEU) specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection
related to approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled
substances as specified in §
481.07635 of
the Texas Health and Safety Code;
(C) any continuing education requirements
which are imposed upon a pharmacist as a part of a board order or agreed board
order shall be in addition to the requirements of this section; and
(D) a pharmacist must have completed the
human trafficking prevention course required in §
116.002 of the Texas
Occupations Code.
(2)
Failure to report completion of required continuing education. The following is
applicable if a pharmacist fails to report completion of the required
continuing education:
(A) the license of a
pharmacist who fails to report completion of the required number of continuing
education contact hours shall not be renewed and the pharmacist shall not be
issued a renewal certificate for the license period until such time as the
pharmacist successfully completes the required continuing education and reports
the completion to the board; and
(B) a pharmacist who practices pharmacy
without a current renewal certificate is subject to all penalties of practicing
pharmacy without a license, including the delinquent fees specified in the Act,
§559.003.
(3)
Extension of time for reporting. A pharmacist who has had a physical
disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances which prohibits the
pharmacist from obtaining continuing education credit during the preceding
license period may be granted an extension of time to complete the continuing
education requirement. The following is applicable for this extension:
(A) the pharmacist shall submit a petition to
the board with his/her license renewal application which contains:
(i) the name, address, and license number of
the pharmacist;
(ii) a statement of
the reason for the request for extension;
(iii) if the reason for the request for
extension is health related, a statement from the attending physician(s)
treating the pharmacist which includes the nature of the physical disability or
illness and the dates the pharmacist was incapacitated; and
(iv) if the reason for the request for the
extension is for other extenuating circumstances, a detailed explanation of the
extenuating circumstances, and if because of military deployment, documentation
of the dates of the deployment;
(B) after review and approval of the
petition, a pharmacist may be granted an extension of time to comply with the
continuing education requirement which shall not exceed one license renewal
period;
(C) an extension of time to
complete continuing education credit does not relieve a pharmacist from the
continuing education requirement during the current license period;
and
(D) if a petition for extension
to the reporting period for continuing education is denied, the pharmacist
shall:
(i) have 60 days to complete and
report completion of the required continuing education requirements;
and
(ii) be subject to the
requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection relating to failure to report
completion of the required continuing education if the required continuing
education is not completed and reported within the required 60-day time
period.
(4)
Exemptions from reporting requirements.
(A)
All pharmacists licensed in Texas shall be exempt from the continuing education
requirements in paragraph (1) of this subsection during their initial license
period, with the exception of the requirements in paragraph (1)(B), (C), and
(F) of this subsection which must be completed during the time periods
specified in the subparagraphs.
(B)
Pharmacists who are not actively practicing pharmacy shall be granted an
exemption to the reporting requirements for continuing education, provided the
pharmacists submit a completed renewal application for each license period
which states that they are not practicing pharmacy. Upon submission of the
completed renewal application, the pharmacist shall be issued a renewal
certificate which states that pharmacist is inactive. Pharmacists who wish to
return to the practice of pharmacy after being exempted from the continuing
education requirements as specified in this subparagraph must:
(i) notify the board of their intent to
actively practice pharmacy;
(ii)
pay the fee as specified in §
295.9 of this title (relating to
Inactive License); and
(iii)
provide copies of completion certificates from approved continuing education
programs as specified in subsection (e) of this section for 30 contact hours
(3.0 CEUs). Approved continuing education earned within two years prior to the
licensee applying for the return to active status may be applied toward the
continuing education requirement for reactivation of the license but may not be
counted toward subsequent renewal of the license.
(e) Approved Programs.
(1) Any program presented by an ACPE approved
provider subject to the following conditions:
(A) pharmacists may receive credit for the
completion of the same ACPE course only once during a license period;
(B) pharmacists who present approved ACPE
continuing education programs may receive credit for the time expended during
the actual presentation of the program. Pharmacists may receive credit for the
same presentation only once during a license period; and
(C) proof of completion of an ACPE course
shall contain the following information:
(i)
name of the participant;
(ii) title
and completion date of the program;
(iii) name of the approved provider
sponsoring or cosponsoring the program;
(iv) number of contact hours and/or CEUs
awarded;
(v) the assigned ACPE
universal program number and a "P" designation indicating that the CE is
targeted to pharmacists; and
(vi)
either:
(I) a dated certifying signature of
the approved provider and the official ACPE logo; or
(II) the CPE Monitor logo.
(2) Courses
which are part of a professional degree program or an advanced pharmacy degree
program offered by a college of pharmacy which has a professional degree
program accredited by ACPE.
(A) Pharmacists
may receive credit for the completion of the same course only once during a
license period. A course is equivalent to one credit hour for each year of the
renewal period.
(B) Pharmacists who
teach these courses may receive credit towards their continuing education, but
such credit may be received only once for teaching the same course during a
license period.
(3) Basic
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses which lead to CPR certification by
the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association or its equivalent
shall be recognized as approved programs. Pharmacists may receive credit for
one contact hour (0.1 CEU) towards their continuing education requirement for
completion of a CPR course only once during a license period. Proof of
completion of a CPR course shall be the certificate issued by the American Red
Cross or the American Heart Association or its equivalent.
(4) Advanced cardiovascular life support
courses (ACLS) or pediatric advanced life support (PALS) courses which lead to
initial ACLS or PALS certification by the American Heart Association or its
equivalent shall be recognized as approved programs. Pharmacists may receive
credit for twelve contact hours (1.2 CEUs) towards their continuing education
requirement for completion of an ACLS or PALS course only once during a license
period. Proof of completion of an ACLS or PALS course shall be the certificate
issued by the American Heart Association or its equivalent.
(5) Advanced cardiovascular life support
courses (ACLS) or pediatric advanced life support (PALS) courses which lead to
ACLS or PALS recertification by the American Heart Association or its
equivalent shall be recognized as approved programs. Pharmacists may receive
credit for four contact hours (0.4 CEUs) towards their continuing education
requirement for completion of an ACLS or PALS recertification course only once
during a license period. Proof of completion of an ACLS or PALS recertification
course shall be the certificate issued by the American Heart Association or its
equivalent.
(6) Attendance at Texas
State Board of Pharmacy Board Meetings shall be recognized for continuing
education credit as follows:
(A) pharmacists
shall receive credit for three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their
continuing education requirement for attending a full, public board business
meeting in its entirety;
(B) a
maximum of six contact hours (0.6 CEUs) are allowed for attendance at a board
meeting during a license period; and
(C) proof of attendance for a complete board
meeting shall be a certificate issued by the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy.
(7)
Participation in a Texas State Board of Pharmacy appointed Task Force shall be
recognized for continuing education credit as follows:
(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for
three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their continuing education requirement
for participating in a Texas State Board of Pharmacy appointed Task Force;
and
(B) proof of participation for
a Task Force shall be a certificate issued by the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy.
(8) Attendance
at programs presented by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or courses offered
by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as follows:
(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for the
number of hours for the program or course as stated by the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy; and
(B) proof of
attendance at a program presented by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or
completion of a course offered by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy shall be a
certificate issued by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
(9) Pharmacists shall receive credit toward
their continuing education requirements for programs or courses approved by
other state boards of pharmacy as follows:
(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for the
number of hours for the program or course as specified by the other state board
of pharmacy; and
(B) proof of
attendance at a program or course approved by another state board of pharmacy
shall be a certificate or other documentation that indicates:
(i) name of the participant;
(ii) title and completion date of the
program;
(iii) name of the approved
provider sponsoring or cosponsoring the program;
(iv) number of contact hours and/or CEUs
awarded;
(v) a dated certifying
signature of the provider; and
(vi)
documentation that the program is approved by the other state board of
pharmacy.
(10)
Completion of an Institute for Safe Medication Practices' (ISMP) Medication
Safety Self Assessment for hospital pharmacies or for community/ambulatory
pharmacies shall be recognized for continuing education credit as follows:
(A) pharmacists shall receive credit for
three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) towards their continuing education requirement
for completion of an ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment; and
(B) proof of completion of an ISMP Medication
Safety Self Assessment shall be:
(i) a
continuing education certificate provided by an ACPE approved provider for
completion of an assessment; or
(ii) a document from ISMP showing completion
of an assessment.
(11) Pharmacists shall receive credit for
three contact hours (0.3 CEUs) toward their continuing education requirements
for taking and successfully passing an initial Board of Pharmaceutical
Specialties certification examination administered by the Board of
Pharmaceutical Specialties. Proof of successfully passing the examination shall
be a certificate issued by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties.
(12) Programs approved by the American
Medical Association (AMA) as Category 1 Continuing Medical Education (CME) and
accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
subject to the following conditions:
(A)
pharmacists may receive credit for the completion of the same CME course only
once during a license period;
(B)
pharmacists who present approved CME programs may receive credit for the time
expended during the actual presentation of the program. Pharmacists may receive
credit for the same presentation only once during a license period;
and
(C) proof of completion of a
CME course shall contain the following information:
(i) name of the participant;
(ii) title and completion date of the
program;
(iii) name of the approved
provider sponsoring or cosponsoring the program;
(iv) number of contact hours and/or CEUs
awarded; and
(v) a dated certifying
signature of the approved provider.
(f) Retention of continuing education records
and audit of records by the board.
(1)
Retention of records. Pharmacists are required to maintain certificates of
completion of approved continuing education for three years from the date of
reporting the contact hours on a license renewal application. Such records may
be maintained in hard copy or electronic format.
(2) Audit of records by the board. The board
shall audit the records of pharmacists for verification of reported continuing
education credit. The following is applicable for such audits:
(A) upon written request, a pharmacist shall
provide to the board documentation of proof for all continuing education
contact hours reported during a specified license period(s). Failure to provide
all requested records during the specified time period constitutes prima facie
evidence of failure to keep and maintain records and shall subject the
pharmacist to disciplinary action by the board;
(B) credit for continuing education contact
hours shall only be allowed for approved programs for which the pharmacist
submits documentation of proof reflecting that the hours were completed during
the specified license period(s). Any other reported hours shall be disallowed.
A pharmacist who has received credit for continuing education contact hours
disallowed during an audit shall be subject to disciplinary action;
and
(C) a pharmacist who submits
false or fraudulent records to the board shall be subject to disciplinary
action by the board.
Notes
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