NAPLEX and MPJE Tips: Can foreign pharmacy graduates practice as pharmacists in the United States? What you need to know as a Pharmacy manager.

You are a pharmacy manager. Can you hire someone who has a pharmacy degree from another country to practice as a pharmacist?  

The short answer is yes; however, they must satisfy additional licensing requirements. All states require foreign-trained pharmacists to hold FPGEC certification. In addition to that, applicants must pass the NAPLEX and MPJE. Applicants must also complete internship hours in the US/state where they are seeking licensure. Internship hours for most states are 1500, with some states requiring slightly more/less than that. 

Note that pharmacy laws vary widely by state. This short article covers generic/general information and helps establish a baseline of minimum required knowledge in the topic. Always check the state board laws for complete and comprehensive details.

States that require more than 1500 internship hours:  

• Arkansas: 2000 hours

• Florida: 2080 hours

• Idaho / Kansas / Nevada / Ohio: 1740 hours

• Michigan /Minnesota / Mississippi: 1600 hours

• Tennessee: 1700 hours

States that require less than 1500 internship hours:  

• Illinois: 1200 hours

• New Jersey / Oregon: 1440 hours

• Wyoming: 1200 hours

Internship hours must be accumulated and earned following BOP requirements. Examples: Under the direct supervision of a preceptor pharmacist, some states restrict the maximum number of internship hours earned per week. 

Below is a sample MPJE question you might encounter on the exam: 

Joe received his PharmD degree from France 5 years ago and has been practicing ever since. He recently moved to this jurisdiction and is working as an intern at an independent pharmacy. The pharmacist/PIC had to step out for a few hours for an emergency. Who can operate the pharmacy during this time for a few hours to satisfy immediate patient needs? 

1. Joe, if there is a certified technician with him

2. Joe, independently up to 5 hours only

3. Joe, up to 2 hours, independently

4. None of the provided answers

In this situation, the answer is 4; although Joe has extensive experience in France, he is still not licensed as a pharmacist in this jurisdiction. Interns are not allowed to perform pharmacist operations without direct pharmacist supervision. 

Taking practice MPJE®/NAPLEX® exams is key to passing the board exams on the first try. Practice exams:

1.   Expose you to time constraints and help you build mental stamina

2.   Expose you to different questions (K-type, select all, etc.)

3.   Expose you to random topics with various difficulties

4.   Expose you to new answer choices

5.   Help demystify the exams and ease test anxiety

PassRXnow offers MPJE practice content for 15+ states and 600+ NAPLEX questions covering clinical, patient profile, calculations, and top 200 generics/brand name drugs. All NAPLEX and MPJE practice exams have answers, explanations, and references. 1000’s of questions, all updated frequently. 

You can avoid the impact of failing the NAPLEX / MPJE by doing more practice exams. Check out our offerings. For transparency, you can see the last update date for each course at the top of the course page in the links below. Content is updated regularly.

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