getting license in more than one state

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L

Lillianna

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get license in both Maryland and Delaware. Currently I am waiting for my ATT # from Maryland, but it's taking forever. Does anyone know the process for getting license in more than one states? I know I would love to take the law for each state, is there a tab on the NABP website that allows me to register for the law exam for each state separately. Also, some people were advising make to apply to take the Naplex in Delaware because it would be much faster than Maryland, how would I go about on doing that? Do I have to fill out the Delaware's paperwork and send their board of pharmacy another check as well. Any info would be much appreciated.

thank you,
Lily

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Why would the Naplex in Delaware be faster than in Maryland? When you sign up to take the Naplex, you can literally choose from any testing location in the country. I took mine in Tennessee for my Kentucky licensure. I also took my Kentucky law exam in Tennessee.

I reciprocated my license to a neighboring state recently. It was pretty self explanatory. I'm uncertain of how to get two licenses simultaneously. The NABP is pretty good at answering these questions over the phone. I've called them several times. Might be easiest to ask someone who works for NABP and not one of the yahoos on this board -- like me.
 
Hi PharmacistReb,

you are correct about that. I tried calling NABP but they have a staff meeting the whole day today and won't take any calls.I just want to get the advice of others before i wait till Monday to call them again.
 
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You can have your Naplex scores sent to both states and apply for licensure by exam in both states. You will need to take both MPJE to complete the licensure process. Or you can get licensed in one state and reciprocate your license to the other state. Still have to take both MPJE. Never let the original license you reciprocate other states from lapse.
 
If I change my primarily jurisdiction from Maryland to Delaware, do I have to fill out the paperwork for Delaware as well, which mean that I would need to send the Delaware Board of Pharmacy another check? thanks
 
There is no primary location, you get licensed by exam, score transfer, or reciprocate. The board website should have instructions for all 3.
 
There is no primary location, you get licensed by exam, score transfer, or reciprocate. The board website should have instructions for all 3.

You can have your Naplex scores sent to both states and apply for licensure by exam in both states. You will need to take both MPJE to complete the licensure process.

Could you please clarify what you mean by there is "no primary location"? And how can you apply licensure by exam for two states? I thought you can only do that for one state, which is the state of your Primary Jurisdiction.
 
Could you please clarify what you mean by there is "no primary location"? And how can you apply licensure by exam for two states? I thought you can only do that for one state, which is the state of your Primary Jurisdiction.
Example: I took both my NAPLEX & MPJE in a state 500 miles aware from where I am licensed. Test location does not matter...although state of mind matters (satire in regards to law exam)
 
Example: I took both my NAPLEX & MPJE in a state 500 miles aware from where I am licensed. Test location does not matter...although state of mind matters (satire in regards to law exam)

State of mind... that's a good pun. I'm doing the same thing, the current state I'm taking the tests in is not the one I'm getting licensed in, but that's not what I meant (or at least what I think I meant?), I meant that I had thought we are only allowed one state licensure by exam, since we have only one state to call our "primary jurisdiction", which is the first state that issued our NAPLEX ATT. But I now see those are two separate concepts. I just don't understand what the point is in even having a "primary" state if we can have licensure by exam for multiple states.
 
You can reciprocate licenses from any state where you are licensed by exam. There is no limit to how many states you can get licensed by exam, but most people only do 1 state. Some states would not reciprocate Florida licenses (because FL did not reciprocate theirs) so FL pharmacists would often do 2 states by exam so they could reciprocate. I think that changed now.
 
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You can reciprocate licenses from any state where you are licensed by exam. There is no limit to how many states you can get licensed by exam, but most people only do 1 state. Some states would not reciprocate Florida licenses (because FL did not reciprocate theirs) so FL pharmacists would often do 2 states by exam so they could reciprocate. I think that changed now.

See that is what I have always been told - you have to be licensed by exam in a state to reciprocate to another state. But I called my state BOP because I wanted to make that state my primary as opposed to where I used to live and will never return to, even upon threat of dismemberment. The guy I talked to was like, "I don't see anything that says you have to use your license by exam state to transfer to another state." Then he looked up everywhere and I was googling everywhere and neither of us could find anything like that. I have heard this from many people but now I am questioning because I can't find it written anywhere for any state. Does anyone have a link???
 
Some states you can reciprocate on a reciprocated state but then you must keep the most original state. If you lose the state with the exam then you aren't really reciprocating your license by definition. However you can have as many licenses by exam as you want. I am licensed by exam in both California and Florida. For naplex you have to pick a primary state and then the other for your score to be transferred to. But once you get both licenses it doesn't matter which was listed as primary because I am licensed by examination in both states. Score transfer of naplex is not the same as reciprocating a license
 
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Correct. So there is no "primary" state. And there is no license "transfer" although NABP does call it a transfer form. But your reciprocated licenses are dependent on the license by exam you reciprocated from and you need to maintain that one. NABP has pretty much standardized the process although different states have their quirks.
 
See that is what I have always been told - you have to be licensed by exam in a state to reciprocate to another state. But I called my state BOP because I wanted to make that state my primary as opposed to where I used to live and will never return to, even upon threat of dismemberment. The guy I talked to was like, "I don't see anything that says you have to use your license by exam state to transfer to another state." Then he looked up everywhere and I was googling everywhere and neither of us could find anything like that. I have heard this from many people but now I am questioning because I can't find it written anywhere for any state. Does anyone have a link???
You should be able to reciprocate out any license by exam in good standing.
But, some states do require that you reciprocate in using your initial first licensure by exam.
This is footnote R on the 2012 NABP Survey of Pharmacy Law document page 23 (pdf page 34)...
https://pharmacy.uc.edu/admin/documents/2012 Survey of Pharmacy Law.pdf
Your school should have given you the 2015 edition on a CD during board review.
reciprocity is not unequivocal. Reciprocity is reciprocal. Basically if you are transferring from a restrictive state to a less-restrictive state right out of school you will be stuck. If you were trying to reciprocate to NY they would require that you have 2080 hours as an RPh. If you have an NY license and try to reciprocate to say North Carolina before working as an RPh, NC would deny you because you do not have the 2080 hours that NY makes NC RPhs have to get to get reciprocity in NY. For FL you have to have 2 years of experience in the last 5 years, again a problem if you are fresh out of school.
Some require a minimum hours worked to reciprocate in.
Some require that your license was in good standing for one year.
If you're reciprocating out from a 'restrictive state' like the example above, the state you are reciprocating in to will impose the same threshold.
If you are fresh out of school this may be an issue.
Some states exclude CA or FL.
Either way Siskind Susser has a great chart on reciprocity requirements by state...
http://www.visalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/pharmacistchart.pdf
Most require you to maintain the license you reciprocated in to them, but some will let you lapse.
 
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Correct. So there is no "primary" state. And there is no license "transfer" although NABP does call it a transfer form. But your reciprocated licenses are dependent on the license by exam you reciprocated from and you need to maintain that one. NABP has pretty much standardized the process although different states have their quirks.
Actually the terminology gets confusing. NABP has the score transfer for the NAPLEX as we discussed but they also have a licensure transfer process as well which some states utilize when you are reciprocating, to show that your other license is in good standing. Taking a look at this document provided by NABP, every state is different and apparently some states will let you lapse your original license if you are transferring while some don't. I'm sure things change from time to time, but it's a good summary:

http://www.nabp.net/programs/assets/State_Restrictions.pdf
 
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