New York Licensing Guides for Immigrant Pharmacists

Eligibility For New York Pharmacist Licensing

Please note that if your foreign pharmacy degree was granted after January 1, 2003 and is a 4-year program (not 5), then your licensing path is different than what is described in this section. You should contact the New York Education Department – Office of the Professions directly for orientation.

The process to become a licensed pharmacist in New York State based on foreign education involves the below series of steps that must be taken in the following order.  The steps are highlighted here and discussed in further detail following the outline:

1. Obtain FPGEC Certification.  This first step is itself a multi-step process which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Equivalency (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) in order to obtain the FPGEC certification.  The most up to date information regarding the FPGEC Certification can be obtained from the NABP website.
2. Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) along with fee for licensure and first registration to the NYSED-OP.
3. Submit Documentation for New York Credential Review (Form 2).
4. Pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX).
5. Submit an Application for a Limited (Intern) Permit (Form 5).
6. Complete one year (2,080 hours) of internship.
7. Complete and submit a Certification of Internship in Pharmacy (Form 4).
8. Pass Both the Multi-State Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) and the Written and Practical Compounding Exam.

Details on fees and links to specific application forms can be found on the NYSED-OP website.  These steps to becoming a licensed pharmacist in New York will each be discussed in turn below.

I. OBTAIN FPGEC CERTIFICATION 

The purpose of the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certification is to document the educational equivalency of your foreign pharmacy education. To be considered for FPGEC Certification, you must have graduated from a recognized school of pharmacy in a non-US country or a US school that is not ACPE accredited.  If you graduated prior to January 1, 2003, you must have completed at least a 4-year pharmacy curriculum at the time of graduation.  If you graduated on or after January 1, 2003, you must have completed at least a 5-year pharmacy curriculum at the time of graduation. All candidates must hold an unrestricted, permanent license, registration, or both as required for the practice of pharmacy in the country where the pharmacy degree was earned.  Candidates who cannot provide evidence of such are not eligible for the FPGEC Certification. The Certification process is outlined below.  For the most current fees and requirements, refer to the most current FPGEC Application Bulletin on the NABP website.

1. Complete your FPGEC Application, pay application fee, and submit documentation

• Submit Application to Educational Credential Evaluators, the organization that will verify your degree credentials.
• Submit your foreign pharmacist license and/or registration ID and supporting  documentation. The FPGEC begins the application evaluation process after NABP receives all the required documentation.  The evaluation process will take at least 8 weeks.

2.Prepare and take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT).  The TOEFL iBT and other exams are discussed in more detail in the Tests section below.

3. Wait for NABP evaluation of your application with supporting documents, which may take up to 8 weeks.  Once the NABP approves your application and notifies you of your eligibility to take the FPGEE, you may then schedule and take the FPGEE.

4. Take the FPGEE.  You have two years to take and pass the FPGEE from your acceptance date.  The FPGEE and other exams are discussed in more detail in the Tests section below.

After completion of the above steps and receiving passing scores on the TOEFL iBT and FPGEE exams, your FPGEC Certificate will be mailed to you.  You can then begin the process of applying to be a registered pharmacist in New York.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON THE  FPGEC CERTIFICATION:

• Your FPGEC Certification file will close if you do not correspond with the FPGEC office for two years unless you go through an extension process with the FPGEC.
• If you sit for the FPGEE and fail, you will have to resend your application and pay the application fee again to retake the exam.
• If you are a pharmacy graduate from 2003 or later and think your pharmacy degree may not be equivalent to a first professional degree (a 5-year PharmD), you are participating in this process at your own risk. Many candidates have spent a lot of time and money – even passed the certification program exam! – before learning they are disqualified based on the credential evaluation. The FPGEC is judging how your education compares to US requirements. Get advice sooner rather than later – from the FPGEC or a PharmD program – to understand if your degree is likely to qualify.
• Now is the time to make sure your name is the same on all of the major documents you will need for your licensing process. There can be real complications in your paperwork and licensing times if you do not have exactly the same name on your identification, applications, and foreign documents.
• Please note: The FPGEC has seen a rise in fraudulent documents. These fraudulent documents come from entities pretending to be official government offices with the right to approve documents. These entities say that they can speed the authentication of educational and licensure and/or registration documents for use abroad. Candidates should tell friends and relatives gathering documents for them to make sure that documents are from the issuing bodies only. If the FPGEC receives fraudulent documents, the application will be delayed and your FPGEC Certification may be jeopardized.

II.SUBMIT THE NEW YORK LICENSURE APPLICATION – FORM 1 

You will have to apply for an initial registration for licensure with the NYSED-OP.  Your licensing application will require completion of Form 1 (Application for Licensure and First Registration).  The link to Form 1 can be accessed on the NYSED-OP website.  This online application takes you through submission of fees and upload of additional documentation, including a copy of your FPGEC Certificate.

III. SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION FOR NEW YORK CREDENTIAL REVIEW – FORM 2

In addition to submitting your credentials to the FPGEC, the State of New York also requires receipt of your credential documentation directly from your home institution.   NYSED-OP will review your documents by standards that can be different than those you have met through the FPGEC certification process.

• Fill out Section I of Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education)_ and send it to your home institution.  The link to Form 2 can be accessed on the NYSED-OP website.  You should complete Section I of Form 2 before sending it to your home institution.
• Your home institution should complete Section II of Form 2 and return it with official transcripts directly to the NYSED-OP. If your documents require translation, you can send these separately.

If  the NYSED-OP finds deficiencies in your degree, you will need to learn if you can meet the deficiencies by taking non-degree coursework or whether you must enroll in a NABP-accredited US PharmD program.

Once your application is complete, you will be approved to take the NAPLEX exam.

IV. PASS THE NAPLEX

The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) can be taken once the NYSED-OP has received your initial licensure application and approved your credentials. Once the NYSED-OP determines that you are eligible, it will mail you the Authorization To Test (ATT).

The NAPLEX and other exams are discussed in more detail in the Tests section.

V. SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR A LIMITED (INTERN) PERMIT  – FORM 5 

A 2,080-hour clinical training program is required of all foreign pharmacy graduates in the State of New York. You must obtain an intern permit before engaging in the supervised practice of pharmacy in New York State.

• Note that graduates of NABP-accredited schools are allowed to begin their internship program prior to taking the NAPLEX.  However, in New York, graduates of non-NABP-accredited institutions (i.e., most foreign programs) must pass the NAPLEX before beginning their internship. You must be registered as a Pharmacy Intern before you can begin to count your hours.  For example, it is not enough to have a job as a Pharmacy Technician.
• Complete Form 5 Application for a Limited Intern Permit and submit it together with the application fee to the NYSED-OP. Be sure to have it notarized by a notary public.

VI. COMPLETE 2,080 HOURS OF INTERNSHIP

You will need to find your own internship in a hospital or retail pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist licensed in New York, and the time that you spend in the internship must satisfy the definition of an approved clinical training program. You can use more than one internship to satisfy the program requirements.  Additional requirements can be found under Experience Requirements on the NYSED-OP website.

VII. SUBMIT CERTIFICATION OF INTERNSHIP – FORM 4 

Your internship hours must be  documented and reported using Form 4 – Certification of Completion of an Internship in Pharmacy – which can be found on the NYSED-OP website.  Use one form for each internship you complete.

You may be granted credit for internships completed in other states, if the internship meets New York State and the other state’s requirements as verified on Form 4.

You do not have to be Pharmacy Technician to complete your internship as a Pharmacy Intern. However, getting a Pharmacy Technician authorization first can have some advantages – these are discussed in the Other Careers and Credentials section.

VIII. PASS BOTH THE MPJE AND THE COMPOUNDING WRITTEN AND PRACTICAL EXAM

Once your internship experience has been submitted and approved, you will be eligible to take the two remaining exams prior to licensure.  They are the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) and the Compounding Written and Practical Exam.

The Compounding Written and Practical Exam is exclusive to New York State and is a requirement unless you are a licensure candidate who has completed a formal, approved pharmacy practice residency program – in which case an alternative certification can substitute for this exam requirement.

Information about registering for these tests, plus a quick look at their content, is discussed in the next section under Tests.

Once you have successfully passed both exams, the New York Board of Pharmacy will make a licensing decision.