PHARMACIST LICENSURE BY RECIPROCITY
Eligibility
The Board may issue a license to practice pharmacy without examination to a person licensed as a pharmacist in another jurisdiction. GS 90-85.20.
An applicant for reciprocity licensure must have been originally licensed by examination in the state from which reciprocity is sought. GS 90-85.20; 21 NCAC 46.1602(a). In other words, an applicant can only reciprocate a license obtained by examination, not a license obtained by reciprocity.
The applicant must submit to a criminal background check that finds no disqualifying criminal conviction. G.S. 90-85.15(c); G.S. 90-85.38(a); 21 NCAC 46.1602(c).
The applicant must achieve a passing score and the North Carolina Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE), both administered by National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). GS 90-85.20. Applicants are afforded a total of five (5) attempts to achieve a passing score on each examination. Failure to achieve a passing score on each examination within five (5) attempts shall result in the applicant being ineligible for licensure. 21 NCAC 46.1505(d).
The applicant must not have committed an act or omission that is grounds to deny a license to practice pharmacy. G.S. 90-85.38(a).
A reciprocity applicant who has not practiced pharmacy within two years prior to application shall be required to obtain additional continuing education, practical pharmacy experience, successfully complete the NAPLEX, or a combination as the Board deems necessary to ensure the applicant’s safety and competency to practice. 21 NCAC 46.1602(c).
Instructions / Information
*July 18, 2024: BOARD STAFF NOTES CONCERN WITH A NUMBER OF RECIPROCITY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY PHARMACISTS SEEKING TO PRACTICE AT NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH SYSTEMS. Follow this link for more information.
Step 1:
Purchase the North Carolina MPJE on NABP's website. NABP reviews its Clearinghouse to determine your eligibility to test If the candidate meets NABP’s testing eligibility criteria, then NABP will issue the Authorization to Test (ATT).
See NABP's website for the most updated information on NABP’s examination fees.
Step 2:
Schedule and pass the NC MPJE. NABP typically releases scores within 5-7 business days of sitting for the exam. Please do not contact Board staff to inquire whether an exam score has been reported. You may access your scores via NABP's website, as it will be posted there first.
Step 3:
Log into your NABP e-Profile and complete the License Transfer Application. Theirs is a two-step application process. You will submit the preliminary application online, and it takes several business days to process. Once processed, NABP will provide you with an electronic version of your application. Save it in PDF format, as you are required to upload it to your NC Reciprocity Application later in the Reciprocity process.
Step 4:
Go to the Board's Licensure Gateway and create your user profile. Make sure you save your Username and Password. Once your profile has been created, you will have access to the Pharmacist Reciprocity/License Transfer Application. There is a $600 NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-TRANSFERRABLE application fee. The application is valid for one year from the date of submission.
A complete application will include an upload of your NABP License Transfer Application (see step 3 above for details).
Step 5:
Allow ten (10) business days for Board staff to review your application. Note that each time you are contacted for clarification or additional information, you will need to allow an additional 10 business days for review. Prompt, complete responses to requests for clarification or additional information are key to maintaining satisfactory progress on application review.
Step 6:
Once Board staff has confirmed that all licensure requirements have been met, your license will issue. You will be notified via the email address you have recorded in your profile once your license has been issued. Make sure you follow all instructions provided to you in that email.
LICENSURE BY RECIPROCITY FAQs
Application
Yes. Please email licensing specialist Stacie Mason, smason@ncbop.org. Active military members and military spouses may be eligible for licensing fee waiver and/or temporary licensure.
No. North Carolina only allows reciprocation of a license obtained by examination. GS 90-85.20; 21 NCAC 46.1602(a). You must reactivate your license obtained by examination and use it as the basis for a reciprocity examination. You will need to contact the board of pharmacy in that state to determine the process for reactivation.
Licensure applications expire one year from the date of submission.
Two years from the date of the exam. 21 NCAC 46.1505(c).
Neither Board members nor Board staff can assist with licensure exam preparation, and neither Board members nor Board staff can endorse or recommend any particular exam preparation publications or courses.
Resources available on the Board’s website include: a compilation of the statutes and rules governing the practice of pharmacy in North Carolina; a compilation of past issues of the Board of Pharmacy newsletter; and a frequently asked questions resource.
All requests for testing accommodations are evaluated by NABP when registering for the NAPLEX and/or MPJE. Please visit NABP's website for more detailed information.
NABP and PearsonVue (operator of NAPLEX and MPJE testing centers) handle issuance of the ATT. Please visit NABP's website for more detailed information. NOTE: Although NABP determines initial authorization to test, the Board of Pharmacy determines eligibility for licensure. An ATT is not a guarantee, express or implied, that the applicant will be granted a license to practice pharmacy.
The licensure examination application asks: Have you ever been charged with, summoned for, arrested for, taken into custody for, indicted for, or tried for a violation of any law or ordinance or the commission of any felony or misdemeanor? If you answer “Yes”, the on-line application will present you with a text box to submit a written statement. The statement should describe the nature of the event(s) and you must also upload the charging and disposition court documents.
Traffic violations unrelated to alcohol or drug (licit or illicit) use need not be reported.
If a criminal charge has been expunged, it need not be reported. NOTE: An expunction is an order from a court directing that the charge or conviction has been removed from your record and need not be reported. A charge that is dismissed (either prior to trial or as a result of a deferred prosecution agreement or similar) has not been expunged and must be reported. If you are unsure whether you have obtained an expunction order for a charge or conviction, please consult with the court or your own attorney prior to completing the license application. Failure to report a charge or conviction that was not expunged by court order is an omission that can lead to denial of a license application. G.S. 90-85.38(a).
The Board’s default requirements for an applicant who has not practiced pharmacy for a period preceding an application for licensure without examination are:
An applicant who has not practiced pharmacy for more than two (2) years, but less than five (5) years, must obtain 500 hours of internship under the supervision of a North Carolina-licensed pharmacist, obtain 15 hours of continuing education for each year out of practice, five (5) of which must be contact (live), as well as take and pass the North Carolina version of the MPJE.
An applicant who has not practiced pharmacy for more than five (5) years must obtain 1500 hours of internship under the supervision of a North Carolina-licensed pharmacist, take and pass the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), and take and pass the North Carolina version of the MPJE.
An applicant who wishes the Board to waive or alter any of these requirements may submit a written request to the Board’s executive director at the time of application. Any such request should include any supporting information that the applicant deems relevant. The Board shall consider all such requests on a case-by-case basis.
Licensure Certificates
Once you have been licensed, you may log on to your profile and print your annual licensure certificate.
Board staff will mail you the wall certificate after licensure. Please make sure that the mailing address in your profile is current and allow at least six weeks for delivery.
License Renewal
License renewal instructions and FAQs are found here.
No (assuming that the relinquishment was not the result of disciplinary or other action that would be the basis for revoking or suspending your North Carolina license). While North Carolina only reciprocates a license obtained by examination, once you have obtained a North Carolina license you are not required to maintain that original license.
NOTE: Do not relinquish an original license obtained by examination lightly. Like North Carolina, some other states will only reciprocate a license obtained by examination. Should you eventually need or desire a license in one of those states, you would need to reactivate your original license obtained by examination. In some states, that’s an easy process. In others, it is not. Caveat emptor.
For questions about pharmacist licensure by reciprocity, please contact Stacie Mason at 919.246.1050 or by email at smason@ncbop.org.