What state do you want to practice in?

[LapisLazuli]

I was wondering about this. In case I end up going to pharm school in a state I would never actually want to live the rest of my life in...

If I finish school in one state, but want to live and practice in another, would it be a hassle? When I'm finishing school can I just take the board for whatever state I'll want to live in, or do I have to take the board for the state my school is in and then go through some licensure transfer process?

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[emogrrrrl]

i'm pretty sure that most states reciprocate with one another as far as taking the boards in the state you're in and then moving to another state to practice...i believe there are only 5 exceptions..cali, new york...i think florida, and i'm not sure about the rest.
anyone feel free to correct me.

 

[moobymaster]

Whichever state that has the business that is going to be offering me a Porche sign-on bonus.

 

[EarlyEditionDude]

Originally posted by moobymaster
Whichever state that has the business that is going to be offering me a Porche sign-on bonus.

Same here!!! However, I prefer a Mercedes!!!

 

[lord999]

There are three different classes of licenses:
You always have to take the local jurisdiction's MPJE to get a license.

1. By examination:
Take NAPLEX and a state's MPJE and you get this license.

2. By Score Transfer
You take NAPLEX in one state, but you pay a fee to have that single exam count in other states. For each state, you take their MPJE. For all intents and purposes, it works like a license by examination.

The only exception is FL. FL has this particularly stupid rule that you must be physically present in the state for NAPLEX. They will not accept a score transfer into the state, but will allow score transfers to leave the state. By the way, because certain states believe that statue to be unfair, they will not accept a score transfer out of FL. These states currently are: AL, AR, DE, Wash DC, ID, KS, LA, MN, MI, MS, MO, NM, NC, TN, TX, WV, WY. If you want to get a license in FL and one of those states, you have to take NAPLEX twice.

At this time, CA will accept score transfers in and out of the state.

3. By Reciprocity
You don't take NAPLEX, but you have a license by examination in another state. You take another state's MPJE and they will grant you a license of reciprocity, meaning that so long as you keep your license by examination in good standing, they will allow you to practice by reciprocity. If your license by examination is gone, then the right to practice by reciprocity is gone. Licenses by score transfer count as licenses by examination for this purpose.

CA won't grant licenses by reciprocity, they only do it by score transfer or examination.

Each state may have its own quirks to the process. I'm in the process of finding out exactly what MN's written exam requirement is since I'll be there for grad school. There isn't a written exam in AZ (my state).

You don't have to get a license in the state you got your pharmacy degree in, although you have an advantage on the MPJE there. There is a large contingent of PA pharmacists in AZ that never licensed in PA because they knew they wouldn't practice there.