Hello,
Since moving to Texas from Canada I've completed the foreign equivalency process (FPGEC) earlier this year and wrote the NAPLEX last week. I now have the Texas MPJE coming up next month, and I wanted to ask about study resources. I know zero federal pharmacy law since I did not graduate here, is the infamous '
Ultimate Texas MPJE Review" actually all that is needed even if I have no familiarity with federal law? (is it covered enough in the review for the exam?). Thanks.
That's a good start. Brinkley was the ED of the TSBP for years and Gary Cacciatore Pharm D, JD was law faculty at UHCOP for a number of years.
I would seriously add the Reiss and Hall federal law book. People will complain that it's a couple of years old, but honestly the MPJE moves slowly, PLUS Texas legislature only meets every 2 years and there have been no substantive changes to TX law in awhile.
I could go look up my tips and tricks. Texas is known as a tough one. I hire a good number of new and recent graduates, and I've had some new hires I had to suspend due to inability to pass TX MPJE.
This is the advice I have posted here:
I am licensed to practice in 16 states (due to work requirement.) I took pen-and-paper tests in TX and FL years ago, with the other 14 states in the last 22 months. Most states are still skewed to retail, so real life work in that arena is helpful. I have experience across retail, nursing home, hospital/sterile products but I have a study set of questions (I don't take time off work to study) that hasn't faled me thus far. I have taken (and passed) 3 MPJE exams in 21 days, and I have studied for, taken (and passed) an exam on 2 days' notice (4 days if you count from the day I applied for reciprocity)
1. Most MPJE is heavy on federal law, and you need to know where state law differs. Know the Federal Pharmacy Law review by Reiss & Hall backward, forward, and sideways. Yes, the federal law has changed regarding CII partial fills, but state laws generally haven't caught up, and if you had that ONE question that made you get a 74 instead of a 76, you could always ask for a hand grade.
2. Know the composition of the state board, the licensure term, internship hours required, and CE requirements.
3. Technicians: Know if tech needs to be registered, what the qualifications are, what the ratio is, and what duties techs can and cannot perform.
4. CS inventory requirements - does the state follow federal DEA rules, or more stringent (several states require annual inventories)
5. OTC sales of Ephedrine, PSE, Codeine/Opium. Allowed vs RX only? Federal limits or more stringent?
6. CS dispensing limits. Emergency rules.
7. Counseling rules/offer to counsel.
8. Are there any requirements of size of pharmacy ie: square footage? Counter space?
9. Transfers rules between pharmacies.
10. Rules for out of state and mid level practitioners.
11. Unprofessional conduct: what is considered unprof. conduct and what can the BOP do as far as discipline is concerned.
12. What I like to call the "dead doctor" question. (some states allow prescriptions that are valid as written, when written, and where written to stand, while others make it against regulation to knowingly fill a script if the prescriber is dead)
13. Generally know your controlled substance classifications. Commonly prescribed CII substances, benzos are CIV, etc. Also know more common CI substances.
14. How long do you have to report change of address/employer/PIC
15. Know the difference/definition between adulteration and misbranding
16. Generally know the content of USP 795, 797 (I live in USP 797 on a daily basis. I find that most states either ask several questions on sterile products, or NO questions on sterile products,) 800. Know that chapters above 999 are informative guidance.
My advice for you would be to go through the Iowa laws and rules and highlight differences between theirs and your current practice state.
