District of Columbia Pharmacists CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Dist. Columbia Pharmacists / Pharmacy Technicians

In support of improving patient care, NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The District of Columbia Department of Health Board of Pharmacy accepts courses from any provider who is ACPE accredited.

Continuing Education Requirement

NetCE will report your credit to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), provided that you add your NABP e-Profile ID and date of birth to your account. If you select to opt out of entering this information, you agree to not hold NetCE responsible for reporting your credit.

Pharmacists are required 40 hours every two years, 30 of which may be completed by home study.*

Requirements include:

• 2 hours in HIV every two years.
• 2 hours in medication and dispensing errors every two years.
• 2 hours in cultural competency focused on patients or clients who identify as LGBTQ every two years.

Pharmacists with authority to immunize and vaccinate must complete 2 hours relevant to the administration of immunizations and vaccinations every two years.

Pharmacy Technicians are required 20 hours every two years, all of which may be completed by home study.*

Requirements include:

• 2 hours in pharmacy law every two years.
• 2 hours in medication safety every two years.
• 2 hours in cultural competency focused on patients or clients who identify as LGBTQ every two years.

All licensees must complete 10% of the total hours required for renewal on topics designated by the Director of the DOH as a public health priority. Pharmacists must complete 4 hours and pharmacy technicians must complete 2 hours.
Current topics include:

• Responsible opioid prescribing and effective pain management;
• Nutrition and obesity prevention;
• Identifying and reporting abuse (child and adult), neglect (child and adult), human trafficking, and domestic violence;
• Sexual health (including sexual history, discussing sexual experiences, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, HPV vaccines, connections to cancer, latent tuberculosis, safe sex, and birth control);
• Ethics and appropriate patient interactions (including boundaries, patient privacy, and telehealth communication);
• Smoking, vaping, and tobacco (including dangers, smoking cessation, and non-smoke tobacco products);
• Preparing patients for an emergency and handling vulnerable populations in an emergency;
• Identifying impairment (physical or mental) in patients and providers (including complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act);
• Vaccinations (including legal requirements and appropriate exemptions); and
• Implicit bias, cultural competence, and Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in health care.

* NetCE courses are considered home study.

For More Information

Please contact the District of Columbia Department of Health Board of Pharmacy at (202) 442-5955, or visit their website at https://doh.dc.gov/node/185772.