Texas Pharmacy Continuing Education Requirements Overview

Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians licensed under the Texas State Board of Pharmacy must complete state-mandated continuing education (CE) requirements each biennial renewal cycle to maintain an active license.

This article outlines total hour requirements, specific course topics, and reporting guidelines to help you maintain compliance in CE Broker.

Pharmacist Continuing Education Requirements

Pharmacists must complete 30 total hours of CE during each biennial renewal cycle.

Standard Renewal Requirements

• General Pharmacy CE: 29 hours

• Texas Pharmacy Laws and Rules: 1 hour

• Human Trafficking Prevention Course

First-Time Renewal Requirements

• Prescribing and Monitoring Controlled Substances: 2 hours (must be completed within the first 12 months of initial licensure).

• Human Trafficking Prevention Course

Note: Courses in Prescribing and Monitoring Controlled Substances must be taken within the first 12 months of initial licensure. Courses taken outside this 12-month timeframe will not apply toward your required CE hours.

Pharmacy Technician Continuing Education Requirements

Pharmacy Technicians must complete 20 total hours of CE during each biennial renewal cycle.

Standard Renewal Requirements

• General Pharmacy CE: 19 hours

• Texas Pharmacy Laws and Rules: 1 hour

• Human Trafficking Prevention Course

First-Time Renewal Requirements

• Human Trafficking Prevention Course

Subject-Specific Rules and Excess Hours

Human Trafficking Prevention

Human Trafficking courses are categorized based on their approval body:

• HHSC/ACPE-Approved: Fulfills the Human Trafficking requirement and counts toward total CE hours.

• HHSC-Approved Only: Fulfills the Human Trafficking requirement only (does not count toward total CE hours).

• ACPE-Approved Only: Counts toward General Pharmacy CE hours only (does not fulfill the Human Trafficking requirement). Report these courses under the ACPE-Approved Programs option.

You can find an approved list of courses to fulfill the Human Trafficking requirement by visiting the Texas Medical Board website, which you can find in the following link: 

Human Trafficking Prevention Course List

Excess Hours and Carryover

• Subject Roll-Over: Excess hours completed in Texas Pharmacy Laws & Rules (ACPE-approved) or Prescribing and Monitoring Controlled Substances will automatically roll over to apply toward General Pharmacy CE.

• Next Cycle Banking: Excess hours cannot be carried over or banked for the next renewal cycle.

Reporting Your Continuing Education

• Courses completed through CE Broker Now or Take It Here are reported automatically and will appear in your account without any action needed.

• Courses completed elsewhere must be self-reported. It can take up to 30 days for a course reported by your educational provider to appear on your account; if it's been longer, contact Support.

  
  To self-report a course:

  1. Log in to your CE Broker account and select "Report CE."
  2. Confirm the correct license is selected.
  3. Choose the CE category that matches your course (General Pharmacy CE, Texas Pharmacy Laws and Rules, Human Trafficking Prevention, or Prescribing and Monitoring Controlled Substances). Use the "Learn More" dropdown next to each option if you're unsure which applies.
  4. Click "Report" next to the category and enter the completion date, hours, provider, and course name.
  5. Upload your certificate of completion.
  6. Attest to the accuracy of the information and click "Submit CE."

  To report multiple courses at once, use the NABP CPE Monitor Transcript Reporting option instead of reporting each certificate individually — this lets you submit a transcript covering several completed courses in one step.

Exemptions from CE Requirements for Pharmacists:

• Taking and Passing the NAPLEX: If you took and passed the NAPLEX (the standardized pharmacy examination) during the preceding license period as a Texas-licensed pharmacist, you can use this exemption to fulfill your 30-hour minimum requirement.

  This option does not apply to the NAPLEX used to obtain your initial licensure as a pharmacist — only to a NAPLEX taken during a later license period.

  Using NAPLEX to fulfill the 30-hour minimum does not exempt you from the Human Trafficking Prevention requirement or from any special certification CE requirement (such as preceptor CE) for that period.

  
  To report this exemption:

  1. Log in to your CE Broker account and select "Report CE."
  2. Confirm the correct license is selected.
  3. Go to the "Additional Options" tab.
  4. Select the licensing period the exemption applies to.
  5. Use the "Learn More" link next to each exemption option to confirm you qualify before selecting it.
  6. Click "Begin" next to the correct exemption, answer the required questions, and submit any supporting documentation requested (e.g., your passing NAPLEX result).