Pharmacists

Overview

The most suitable visa for foreign pharmacists who wish to practice pharmacy in the U.S. is typically the H-1B visa. The H-1B visa can be obtained for internship programs as well as for licensed pharmacists positions. Foreign school graduates or pharmacists with foreign degrees must meet all the general state board  pharmacy rules. Please note that beginning January 1, 2003, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) will require foreign-educated pharmacists to have earned their professional degree from a five-year curriculum program in order to apply for the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certification.  This is applicable only for those candidates who earn a pharmacy degree after the 2003 deadline. The new curriculum requirements do not apply to foreign-educated pharmacists who have earned a four-year degree prior to January 1, 2003.  These individuals will remain eligible for FPGEC certification under the current program requirements of a four-year curriculum. The foreign pharmacy graduates also have additional requirements that they have to meet before they are eligible to receive a license from a U.S. state.

Foreign educated pharmacists like other health care workers, immigrating to the U.S. has to take the examinations and meet the licensing requirements. The foreign pharmacy graduates have to prove that they have the equivalent education of U.S. pharmacy graduates. In most cases, obtaining a FPGEC certificate will be sufficient, and no additional requirements are imposed on a foreign graduate to obtain a license (other than obtaining a H-1 visa from the USCIS). The employer filing the H-1 visa needs to show that the employee is qualified for the job and the  foreign degree is equivalent to a BS degree in pharmacy or PharmD degree which can be done by obtaining the  FPGEC Certification. Since the pharmacists need to obtain a license in the state in which they practice, the employer will have to show that the pharmacist is licensed in that state.

Every state has authority to license pharmacists in accordance to its laws and rules enacted in that state and almost all U.S. states require licensure of pharmacists. A pharmacist practicing in a state must have a valid, unencumbered license in that state.

Special Requirements for Foreign Pharmacists

(1) FPGEC Certification (2) FPGEE and (3) TOEFL & TSE

The Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certification is administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The FPGEC certificate is not a license to practice pharmacy. The FPGEC certification attests that the graduates of foreign schools of pharmacy possess education equivalent to graduates of U.S. schools of pharmacy as well as the license and/or registration. As part of the certification there is the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) which is a comprehensive measure of knowledge certain subjects like Chemistry required of all pharmacists in the U.S. It is a computer-based examination with testing centers throughout the U.S. and no centers outside the U.S. The candidates are also required to have Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 550 or higher on the paper based TOEFL or 213 or higher on the computer based TOEFL and Test of Spoken English (TSE)with a score of 50 or higher. The TOEFL and TSE must be successfully completed within two years of passing the FPGEE.

Please note that Alabama does not recognize the FPGEC certification at all.  For additional information on FPGEC certification click http://www.nabp.net/

Requirements

Most of the states have major requirements necessary to obtain a pharmacist license:

a. Graduate Degree in Pharmacy

To obtain a license a degree in pharmacy or graduation from a pharmacy school that is accredited by that state board is required.  Most state boards require the pharmacist to be a graduate from pharmacy schools/programs that are accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE). None of the foreign schools are accredited by the ACPE. Indiana and Minnesota however accept accreditation from the Canadian Council on Pharmacy Accreditation (CCPA).

b. North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)

Passage of the NAPLEX is required. The NAPLEX score may be transferred from one state to another, usually by the NABP for license transfer/exam results transfer/ reciprocity. The reciprocity requirements are different for different states.  Most of the states usually do not require a person to take the NAPLEX again as they accept past NAPLEX results. The FPGEC certificate must be obtained before taking NAPLEX.

c. MPJE

The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).  Most states do not recognize MPJE scores from another jurisdiction, and require to take the MPJE again in their state, since this exam includes the testing of both the federal and state laws.

d. Internship

Certain states require a number of internship hours to be completed by the applicant before taking the NAPLEX exam or before licensing.  All internship programs must be approved by the board of pharmacy of that specific state. Some internship hours may be earned while in school. Different schools have practical practice hours as a part of the requirement for a pharmaceutical degree. Some states recognize internship hours or pharmacy practice earned in another jurisdiction. In general, the applicant will have to submit an affidavit about fulfilling hours of pharmacy practice to the board’’s evaluation. Mostly the states require that the internship hours be completed before sitting for the licensing exams. Foreign pharmacists will have the internship after the FPGEC certification but before the licensing exams (even though a few states allow sitting for the licensing exam before the internship). The internship programs for foreign pharmacists may qualify them to receive an H-1B visa.

Reciprocity

Certain U.S. states accept some form of reciprocity or license transfer or NAPLEX score transfers from other states.  Most states require that the other state have similar licensing requirements and use a license transfer system or NAPLEX score transfer system through NABP but also require that the transferring pharmacist pass that state’s version of MPJE or another state approved jurisprudence examination to show knowledge in that particular state’s laws. Usually, the pharmacist will not have to take the NAPLEX again.