64B16-26.103. Continuing Education Credits; Renewal

(1) Prior to biennal renewal of pharmacist licensure, a licensee shall complete no less than 30 hours of approved courses of continued professional pharmaceutical education within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the license. The following conditions shall apply.

(a) Upon a licensee’s first renewal of licensure, the licensee must document the completion of one (1) hour of board approved continuing education which includes the topics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; the modes of transmission, including transmission from a healthcare worker to a patient and the patient to the healthcare worker; infection control procedures, including universal precautions; epidemiology of the disease; related infections including tuberculosis (TB); clinical management; prevention; and current Florida law on AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. In order to meet this requirement, licensees must demonstrate that the course includes information on the State of Florida law on HIV/AIDS and its impact on testing, reporting, the offering of HIV testing to pregnant women, and partner notification issues pursuant to Sections 381.004 and 384.25, F.S. Any HIV/AIDS continuing education course taken during the second or subsequent renewal of licensure may be applied to satisfy the general continuing education hours requirement.

(b) The initial renewal of a pharmacist license will not require completion of courses of continued professional pharmaceutical education hours if the license was issued less than 12 months prior to the expiration date of the license. If the initial renewal occurs 12 months or more after the initial licensure, then 15 hours of continued professional pharmaceutical education hours shall be completed prior to the renewal of the license but no earlier than the date of initial licensure.

(c) Prior to renewal a licensee must complete, within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the license, a two-hour continuing education course approved in advance by the Board on medication errors that covers the study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety. Hours obtained pursuant to this section may be applied by the licensee to the requirements of subsection (1).

(d) Five hours of continuing education in the subject area of risk management may be obtained by attending one full day or eight (8) hours of a board meeting at which disciplinary hearings are conducted by the Board of Pharmacy in compliance with the following:

1. The licensee must sign in with the Executive Director or designee of the Board before the meeting day begins;

2. The licensee must remain in continuous attendance;

3. The licensee cannot receive continuing education credit for attendance at a board meeting if required to appear before the board; and,

4. The maximum continuing education hours allowable per biennium under this paragraph shall be ten (10).

(e) A member of the Board of Pharmacy may obtain five (5) hours of continuing education in the subject area of risk management for attendance at one Board meeting at which disciplinary hearings are conducted. The maximum continuing education hours allowable per biennium under this paragraph shall be ten (10).

(f) Up to five hours per biennium of continuing education credit may be fulfilled by the performance of volunteer services to the indigent as provided in Section 456.013(9), F.S., or to underserved populations, or in areas of critical need within the state where the licensee practices. In order to receive credit, the licensee must make application to and receive approval in advance from the Board. Application shall be made on form DH-MQA 1170 (Rev. 02/09), Individual Request for Continuing Education for Volunteers, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The form can be obtained from the Board of Pharmacy, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C04, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3254. One hour credit shall be given for each two hours volunteered in the 24 months prior to the expiration date of the license. In the application for approval, the licensee shall disclose the type, nature and extent of services to be rendered, the facility where the services will be rendered, the number of patients expected to be serviced, and a statement indicating that the patients to be served are indigent. If the licensee intends to provide services in underserved or critical need areas, the application shall provide a brief explanation as to those facts. A licensee who is completing community service as a condition of discipline imposed by the board cannot use such service to complete continuing education requirements.

(g) Continuing education credit shall be granted for completion of post professional degree programs provided by accredited colleges or schools of pharmacy. Credit shall be awarded at the rate of 5 hours of continuing education credit per semester hour completed within the 24 months prior to the expiration date of the license.

(h) Continuing education may consist of post-graduate studies, institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, correspondence courses, or other educational opportunities which advance the practice of the profession of pharmacy if approved by the Board. A course shall be approved prior to completion and will be evaluated by the Tripartite Committee using the standards found in Rule 64B16-26.601, F.A.C. Individuals must submit requests for course approval at least 45 days in advance of the program or course by completing the approved application form DOH/MQA/PH 112, (Rev. 6/12), entitled Individual Requests for Continuing Education Credit, which is incorporated by reference, and which can be obtained from http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-01636, and the Board of Pharmacy, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C04, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3254, or from the website located at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/pharmacy. Individuals seeking course approval must attach to the application a detailed program outline, overview or syllabus which describes the educational content, objectives and faculty qualifications.

(i) Any volunteer expert witness who is providing expert witness opinions for cases being reviewed by the Department of Health pursuant to Chapter 465, F.S., shall receive five (5) hours of credit in the area of risk management for each case reviewed in the 24 months prior to the expiration date of the license, up to a maximum of ten (10) hours per biennium.

(j) The presenter of a live seminar, a live video teleconference or through an interactive computer-based application shall receive 1 credit for each course credit hour presented, however presenter will not receive additional credit for multiple same course presentations.

(k) All programs approved by the ACPE for continuing education for pharmacists are deemed approved by the Board for general continuing education hours for pharmacists. Any course necessary to meet the continuing education requirement for HIV/AIDS, medication errors, or consultant pharmacist license renewal shall be Board approved.

(l) General continuing education earned by a non-resident pharmacist in another state that is not ACPE approved, but is approved by the board of pharmacy in the state of residence can be applied to meet the requirements of license renewal in subsection (1), above.

(m) At least ten (10) of the required 30 hours must be obtained either at a live seminar, a live video teleconference, or through an interactive computer-based application.

(2) Prior to renewal a consultant pharmacist shall complete no less than 24 hours of Board approved continuing education in the course work specified in Rule 64B16-26.302, F.A.C., within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the consultant license. The hours earned to satisfy this requirement cannot be used to apply toward the 30 hours required in subsection (1), above. However, if consultant recertification hours are earned and not used to meet the requirements of this paragraph, they may be applied by the licensee to the 30 hours required in subsection (1).

(a) If the initial renewal of a consultant pharmacist license occurs less than 12 months after the initial licensure, then completion of consultant courses of continuing education hours will not be required.

(b) If the initial renewal of a consultant pharmacist license occurs 12 months or more after the initial licensure, then 12 hours of consultant continuing education hours must be completed prior to the renewal date of the license but no earlier than the date of initial licensure.

(3) Prior to renewal a nuclear pharmacist shall complete no less than 24 hours of Board approved continuing education in the course work specified in Rule 64B16-26.304, F.A.C., within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the nuclear pharmacist license. The hours earned to satisfy this requirement cannot be used to apply toward the 30 hours required in subsection (1), above. However, if nuclear pharmacist license renewal hours are earned and not used to meet the requirements of this paragraph, they may be applied by the licensee to the 30 hours required in subsection (1).

(a) If the initial renewal of a nuclear pharmacist license occurs less than 12 months after the initial licensure, then completion of courses of nuclear pharmacy continuing education hours will not be required.

(b) If the initial renewal of a nuclear pharmacist license occurs 12 months or more after the initial licensure, then 12 hours of nuclear pharmacy continuing education hours must be completed prior to the renewal date of the license but no earlier than the date of initial licensure.

(c) All programs approved by the ACPE for continuing education for nuclear pharmacists are deemed approved by the Board for general continuing education hours for nuclear pharmacists.

(4) Prior to renewal a registered phamacy technician shall complete no less than twenty (20) hours of Board approved continuing education in the course work specified in Rule 64B16-26.355, F.A.C., within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the phamacy technician registration. For a registered pharmacy technician that maintains an immunization certification, an additional two (2) hours of continuing education is required in the area of vaccine administration.

(a) Upon a pharmacy technician’s first renewal, registrtant must document the completion of one (1) hour of board approved continuing education which includes the topics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; the modes of transmission, including transmission from a healthcare worker to a patient and the patient to the healthcare worker; infection control procedures, including universal precautions; epidemiology of the disease; related infections including tuberculosis (TB); clinical management; prevention; and current Florida law on AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. In order to meet this requirement, licensees must demonstrate that the course includes information on the State of Florida law on HIV/AIDS and its impact on testing, reporting, the offering of HIV testing to pregnant women, and partner notification issues pursuant to Sections 381.004 and 384.25, F.S. Any HIV/AIDS continuing education course taken during the second or subsequent renewal of registration may be applied to satisfy the general continuing education hours requirement.

(b) If the initial renewal of a pharmacy technician registration occurs less than 12 months after the initial licensure, then completion of courses of a pharmacy technician registration education hours will not be required.

(c) If the initial renewal of a pharmacy techician registration occurs 12 months or more after the initial licensure, then 12 hours of registered phamacy technician continuing education hours must be completed prior to the renewal date of the license but no earlier than the date of initial licensure.

(d) All programs approved by the ACPE for continuing education for pharmacy technicians are deemed approved by the Board for general continuing education hours for registered pharmacy technicians. Any course necessary to meet the continuing education requirement for HIV/AIDS license renewal shall be Board approved.

(e) Prior to renewal a licensee must complete, within the 24 month period prior to the expiration date of the license, a two-hour continuing education course approved in advance by the Board on medication errors that covers the study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety. Hours obtained pursuant to this section may be applied by the licensee to the requirements of subsection (1).

(f) Five hours of continuing education in the subject area of risk management may be obtained by attending one full day or eight (8) hours of a board meeting at which disciplinary hearings are conducted by the Board of Pharmacy in compliance with the following:

1. The registratrant must sign in with the Executive Director or designee of the Board before the meeting day begins;

2. The registrant must remain in continuous attendance;

3. The registrant cannot receive continuing education credit for attendance at a board meeting if required to appear before the board; and,

4. The maximum continuing education hours allowable per biennium under this paragraph shall be ten (10).

(g) At least four (4) of the required 20 hours must be obtained either at a live seminar, a live video teleconference, or through an interactive computer-based application.

Rulemaking Authority 456.033, 465.009 FS. Law Implemented 456.013(7), (9), 456.033, 465.009, 465.014(7) FS. History–New 3-19-79, Formerly 21S-6.07, Amended 1-7-87, Formerly 21S-6.007, Amended 7-31-91, 10-14-91, Formerly 21S-26.103, 61F10-26.103, Amended 7-1-97, Formerly 59X-26.103, Amended 7-11-00, 10-15-01, 1-2-02, 1-12-03, 4-12-05, 5-26-09, 5-27-10, 9-20-12, 10-19-22.