Please note information in bold, of specific
interest to foreign pharmacy graduates.

ABSTRACTS FROM NH RSA 318 & THE
NH CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE RULES 301 - 302

RSA 318:18

Pharmacists

I. An applicant for examination and licensure as a pharmacist shall have graduated with the basic, professional pharmacy baccalaureate degree or pharmacy doctor degree from a school of pharmacy, college of pharmacy, or pharmacy department of a university accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education and approved by the New Hampshire pharmacy board or, if a graduate of a foreign school or college of pharmacy the applicant shall be fully certified by the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) which shall include passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with scores approved by the board of pharmacy as set forth in the rules. In addition to the above, all applicants for examination and licensure as a pharmacist shall:

(a) not be less than 18 years of age;

(b) be of good professional character and temperate habits;

(c) file proof satisfactory to the board, substantiated by proper affidavits, of a minimum of one year (1,500 hours) internship activity in a community or institutional pharmacy in the United States or an equivalent program which has been approved by the board of pharmacy; and shall pass the national examination given by the pharmacy board to establish his or her fitness to practice the profession of pharmacy. The internship required in this section shall be service and experience in a community or institutional pharmacy under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and shall be predominantly related to the selling of drugs and medical supplies; interpreting, compounding, preparing and dispensing of prescriptions; preparing of pharmaceutical products; keeping records and making reports required under federal and state statutes; and otherwise practicing pharmacy under the immediate supervision and direction of a licensed pharmacist.

II. The board may deny licensure as a pharmacist for grounds which include, but which shall not be limited to, prior conviction of a felony; or of a misdemeanor resulting from a violation of a federal, state or local drug or pharmacy-related law, rule, or regulation.

RSA 318:18-a

Prior Registration

Any person registered as a pharmacist in this state on January 1, 1977, shall have all the rights granted to pharmacists under this chapter, as long as such person complies with the licensing requirements of this chapter.

RSA 318:19

Examinations

Applicants for licensure as pharmacists shall, to prove their respective requisite knowledge, be examined to a properly varying degree in pharmacy-related subject areas which may include chemistry, math, pharmacology, pharmacy theory, the practice of pharmacy and pharmacy law, and any other areas as the board may prescribe.

RSA 318:20

Impersonating Applicant

No one shall impersonate an applicant before the board of pharmacy applying for licensure under the provisions of this chapter.

RSA 318:21

Applicants from Other States

The board may license any applicant who is licensed in any other state, provided the other state's licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to or greater than those of this state, and further provided that the applicant successfully completes an examination, developed by the board, for the testing of his knowledge of New Hampshire and federal law relative to the practice of pharmacy.

RSA 318:22

Limitation

Such reciprocity certificate shall not be granted until the person so applying shall certify his intention of acting under it in this state.

PART Ph 301 LICENSING OF PHARMACISTS BY EXAMINATION

Ph 301.01 Application

(a) Application form Ph A-1 for licensure to practice the profession of pharmacy in New Hampshire may be obtained from and shall be filed at the office of the board, identified in Ph 103.03.
(b) Applicants for licensure shall submit an application for licensure that contains the following:

(1) Name, address, telephone number and social security number of the applicant;
(2) Date and place of birth of the applicant;
(3) Record of convictions of violations of federal, state or local liquor or drug-related laws;
(4) Pharmacy license disciplinary actions taken by any other state or licensing jurisdiction;
(5) Any felony convictions;
(6) Pharmacy college attended, graduation date and degree awarded;
(7) Practical experience before licensure as a pharmacist;
(8) A copy of the candidate's birth certificate;
(9) A recent, full face photograph of the candidate;
(10) An official final transcript sent directly from the college to the board office; and
(11) The prescribed fee which shall be $265.

(c) An official final transcript shall be mailed directly from the college to the board before either NAPLEX scores or New Hampshire licensure status is released, or if a foreign graduate, the foreign graduate shall have completed a transcript verification program as provided by FPGE certification.
(d) If an official final transcript is not available prior to the examination date, the candidate shall obtain a letter, sealed with the official college seal, which shall:

(1) State that the candidate has graduated;
(2) Be signed and dated on or after the date of graduation by a college official authorized to make such a certification; and
(3) Be presented to the board of pharmacy prior to admission to the examination.

(e) The photograph required by Ph 301.01 (b)(9) shall be attached to the application form in the presence of a notary public or justice of the peace.

Ph 301.02 Additional Requirements

In addition to any requirements imposed by statute, all candidates for a license to practice pharmacy in New Hampshire shall demonstrate that they possess the following qualifications:

(a) The candidate shall be not less than 18 years of age;
(b) The candidate shall be of good professional character as evidenced by three signed references, and the absence of conviction of any felony, or of a misdemeanor resulting from a violation of any drug and/or pharmacy-related law or rule;
(c) The candidate shall have graduated with a professional pharmacy
baccalaureate degree or a doctor of pharmacy degree granted by a school of pharmacy, or a college of pharmacy, or a department of a pharmacy of a university;
(d) To meet the requirements of (c) above, the school, college or department of pharmacy, shall be accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.
(e) If a foreign graduate, in lieu of (c) and (d) above, the candidate shall have graduated from a foreign college of pharmacy and have obtained full certification from the FPGEC including:

(1) Passing the FPGEE with a score of at least 75; and
(2) Demonstrating proficiency in english by passing the TOEFL with a score of at least 550.

(f) Prior to the [NAPLEX] examination date, the candidate shall have completed an internship in pharmacy which:

(1) Consists of at least 1500 hours, starting no earlier than 4 months prior to the third year of study in a college of pharmacy; and
(2) Consists of work predominantly related to the practice of pharmacy including, but not limited to:

a. The selling of drugs and medical supplies;
b. Interpreting, compounding, preparing and dispensing
prescription orders;
c. Preparing pharmaceutical products; and
d. Keeping records and preparing reports required by federal
and state statutes.

(g) The candidate shall complete and pass the examination described in Ph 301.03.

Ph 301.03 Examination Contents

The examination required by Ph 301.02 shall be the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Licensure Examination NAPLEX consisting of competency testing areas of:

(1) Pharmacy theory;
(2) Applied or practical pharmacy;
(3) Pharmacology;
(4) Mathematics and chemistry; and
(5) The current federal and state laws, regulations, and rules governing the practice of pharmacy in New Hampshire.

Ph 301.04 Scheduling of Examinations

(a) Except as provided in(b) below, the pharmacy examination shall be administered by the board. Upon request, the board shall notify the candidate of the date of the next scheduled examination. Failure of the candidate to sit for the examination at the required time shall result in denial of the application.
(b) Instead of requiring a candidate to take the complete pharmacy examination in the state of New Hampshire, the board shall accept, as equivalent to an examination administered by the board, the score attained by a candidate on a NAPLEX examination administered by the pharmacy licensing authority of some other state, but only if:

(1) The examination was administered in that other state in accordance with a degree of security which was equivalent to or greater than the security employed in the administration of examinations by this board;
(2) This board receives directly from the National Association of Boards of
Pharmacy the score the candidate obtained on the NAPLEX examination;
(3) The candidate successfully completes a practice of pharmacy jurisprudence examination administered by the board and any other requirement for licensure, within a 90-day period from the date the New Hampshire application is mailed by the board office to the candidate; and
(4) The candidate delivers to the board, with, or before, the transferred scores, the prescribed fee of $265.

Ph 301.05 Required Examination Score

To successfully complete the examination required by Ph 301.02, the candidate shall, in the initial examination or any subsequent re-examination permitted by Ph 301.06, obtain a score of not less than 75. The passing score for the board's practice of  pharmacy law examination shall be 75 and shall not be reflected in the NAPLEX examination score.

Ph 301.06 Notice and Election of Re-examination

(a) Any candidate who fails to obtain the minimum required score may elect to retake the examination.
(b) All candidates shall notify the board in writing whether he/she elects to be re-examined. The request for re-examination shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee as established by Ph 301.01 (b)(11).
(c) Any re-examination permitted by this section shall be administered by the board. Upon request by the candidate, the board shall notify the candidate of the next available dates of re-examination.

Ph 301.07 Issuance or Denial of Original License

(a) If a candidate timely files an application, complete in all respects, successfully completes all examinations required by Ph 301 and demonstrates the complete fulfillment of the requirements of these rules and RSA 318, the board shall issue a license to practice pharmacy.
(b) In the event a candidate for an original license to practice pharmacy in New Hampshire fails to meet the requirements of these rules, or RSA 318, or both, the board shall deliver to the applicant a written denial of the application, specifying in detail the requirement which the candidate failed to meet, and how the candidate is deficient.

PART Ph 302 LICENSING OF PHARMACISTS BY RECIPROCITY

Ph 302.01 Reciprocity

(a) Instead of sitting for the entire licensing examination required by Ph 301.02, a candidate may transfer the actual scores he or she attained on the NAPLEX administered by a state other than New Hampshire, providing that:

(1) The candidate was issued a license to practice the profession of
pharmacy in that state by reason of that examination;
(2) The candidate is still duly licensed and is in good standing in that
state; and
(3) All other New Hampshire pharmacist licensing requirements have
been met.

Ph 302.02 Application

(a) The preliminary application for reciprocal licensure, NABP Form P provided by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy may be obtained from the office of the board or from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 700 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois, 60068, (847)698-6227. This application shall be filed with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
(b) The candidate shall file a completed application NABP Form P provided by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy with the board.

Ph 302.03 Contents of Reciprocity Application

(a) The reciprocal application for a license to practice pharmacy in this state shall consist of:

(1) The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
application Form P;
(2) A copy of the candidate's birth certificate;
(3) A recent, full-face photograph of the candidate attached to the
application;
(4) An official copy of the candidate's pharmacy college transcript mailed directly from the college to the board, or if a foreign graduate, certification from the FPGEC; and
(5) The prescribed fee of $265.

Ph 302.04 Requirements

In addition to any requirements imposed by statute, all candidates for licensure by reciprocity to practice pharmacy in New Hampshire shall demonstrate that they possess the following qualifications:

(a) The candidate shall be not less than 18 years of age;
(b) The candidate shall be of good professional character as evidenced by three signed references and the absence of conviction of any felony or of a misdemeanor resulting from a violation of any drug and/or pharmacy related law or rule;
(c) The candidate shall possess a professional pharmacy baccalaureate degree or a doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) granted by a school of pharmacy, or a college of pharmacy, or a department of pharmacy of a university;
(d) To meet the requirements of (c) above, the school, college or department of pharmacy, shall be accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education;
(e) A candidate who is a foreign pharmacy graduate, in lieu of (c) and (d) above, shall provide written documentation that such candidate has:

(1) Obtained full certification from the FPGEC; and
(2) Passed NAPLEX.

(f) The candidate shall be licensed by examination and in good standing in the state from which he or she is seeking licensure transfer;
(g) The state from which the candidate holds a license shall grant reciprocity
privileges to pharmacists licensed by examination in New Hampshire;
(h) The examination administered by the original state of licensure required the same degree of fitness as was required in New Hampshire at that time. If the candidate graduated on or after July 1, 1978, he or she shall have successfully completed the national examination as described in Ph 301.03;
(i) Candidates shall have obtained scores equivalent to the New Hampshire
standards at the time the candidate was initially examined in the state in which he or she holds a current license; and
(j) The candidate for a reciprocal license shall complete and pass a jurisprudence examination on the current federal and state laws and rules governing the practice of pharmacy in the state of New Hampshire.

Ph 302.05 Reciprocity Application Procedure

Once the application has been received in the board office the candidate shall be provided with copies of the "Pharmacy Law Handbook" and rules.

Ph 302.06 Reciprocity Application Time Limitation

Candidates who fail to complete and pass the jurisprudence examination, as required by Ph 302.04 (j), within 90 days after the candidate's application is received at the board office shall have their application denied, but fees shall be retained by the board. If a candidate wishes to re- apply for New Hampshire licensure, a new application containing updated information shall be filed with the board.

Ph 302.07 Jurisprudence Examination Required Scores and Fees

(a) To successfully complete the examination required by Ph 302.04 (j), the candidate shall, in the initial examination or any subsequent re-examination, obtain a score of not less than 75.
(b) Pay the prescribed fee of $85.

Ph 302.08 Jurisprudence Re-examination Notice and Election

(a) Any candidate who has failed to attain the minimum score in the jurisprudence section as required by Ph 302.07, shall notify the board whether he or she elects to be re-examined.
(b) Any re-examination permitted by this section shall be administered on a date and at a time convenient to the candidate and the board, but no later than 60 days after the date of notification that the candidate failed to attain the minimum score as required by Ph 302.07.
(c) Any candidate for re-examination of the jurisprudence examination shall remit the prescribed fee of $85. prior to being re-examined.

Ph 302.09 Reciprocity License Issuance or Denial

(a) If a candidate timely files an application, complete in all respects and meeting the requirements of Ph 302, and demonstrate the complete fulfillment of the requirements of these rules and RSA 318, the board shall issue a license to practice pharmacy.
(b) In the event a candidate for a reciprocity license to practice pharmacy in New Hampshire fails to meet the requirements of these rules or RSA 318, or both, the board shall deliver to the candidate a written denial of the application, specifying in detail each requirement which the candidate failed to meet, and how the candidate is deficient.

Ph 302.10 Certification of Scores/Licensure

Upon written request of the licensee, the board shall certify scores attained by the licensee in all pharmacy examinations administered by the board or that the licensee is duly licensed to practice the profession of pharmacy in New Hampshire. The written request shall contain the complete name and license number, if any, of the licensee.

For additional information regarding the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee Certification Program, write to:

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee
700 Busse Highway
Park Ridge, IL 60068
USA