Pharmacist Continuing Education
California Pharmacist Continuing Education Requirements
Review California pharmacist continuing education requirements, including total hours, mandatory law and ethics training, cultural competency and practice-specific requirements for license renewal.
California Pharmacist Continuing Education Requirements at a Glance
30 hours
Required CE
3 Hours
Mandatory TOpic CE
2 Years
Renewal Cycle
Birth Month
Expiration (last day)
The 30-hour requirement includes one hour of the Board-provided law webinar, one hour of the Board-provided ethics webinar and at least one hour of qualifying cultural competency continuing education.
Mandatory California Continuing Education Topics
CA Law & ETHICS REQUIREMENT
California Pharmacy Law and Ethics Education
2 Hours Required
Complete the one-hour law webinar and one-hour ethics webinar provided by the California State Board of Pharmacy. Both Board webinars are required; courses from other providers cannot replace them.
Culture Competency Requirement
Cultural Competency Education
1 Hour Required
Complete at least one hour of qualifying cultural competency and humility continuing education from an accreditation agency approved by the California Board. The course must cover all content areas specified by California law.
General CE Requirement
Total Continuing Education Hours
30 Hours Required
After completing the mandatory law, ethics and cultural competency courses—and any practice-specific requirements that apply—complete the remainder of the 30-hour requirement with approved continuing education relevant to pharmacy practice.
Practice-Specific California Continuing Education Topics
IMMUNIZING PHARMACISTS
Immunizations and Vaccinations Education
1 Hours Required
Pharmacists who administer immunizations or vaccinations must complete at least one hour of approved continuing education specific to immunizations and vaccinations during each renewal period.
Smoking Cessation Services
Smoking Cessation Education
1 Hour Required
Pharmacists providing applicable smoking-cessation therapy services must complete at least one hour of approved continuing education specific to smoking cessation therapy.
On the linked continuing education table, select Smoking Cessation from the Topics dropdown. Confirm that the activity meets California’s approval and content requirements before relying on it.
Travel Medicine Services
Travel Medicine Education
2 Hours Required
Pharmacists providing travel-medicine services must complete at least two hours of approved continuing education specific to travel medicine during each renewal period.
Emergency Contraception Services
Emergency Contraception Education
1 Hour Required
Pharmacists providing applicable emergency contraception drug therapy must complete at least one hour of approved continuing education specific to that area of practice.
Schedule II Prescribers
Risks of Addiction Education
1 Hour Every 4 Years
Pharmacists who prescribe Schedule II controlled substances must complete a Board-approved course covering the risks of addiction associated with the use of Schedule II drugs.
Advanced Practice Pharmacist
Advanced Clinical Practice Education
10 Additional Hours Required
Advanced Practice Pharmacists must complete 10 additional hours related to an area relevant to their clinical practice every two years, for a total of 40 continuing education hours.
Practice-specific activities must satisfy the applicable California content and approval requirements. Confirm course eligibility before registering. The Advanced Practice Pharmacist requirement is additional to the standard 30 hours; the other requirements above count within the 30-hour total.
Additional California Renewal Rules
- Continuing education must be completed during the two years preceding the pharmacist’s renewal application.
- Newly licensed pharmacists are exempt from continuing education for their first renewal. The continuing education requirement begins with their second renewal period.
- Pharmacists must retain continuing education completion certificates for four years and provide documentation if selected for a Board audit.
- The mandatory California Board law and ethics webinars are not ACPE-accredited, will not be reported to the NABP and will not appear in the pharmacist’s CPE Monitor.
- Pharmacists renewing with an inactive license are not required to document continuing education; however, reactivation requires 30 hours completed within the preceding two years, including the mandatory subjects.
- A pharmacist enrolled full-time in a qualifying health-professions school may request a continuing education exemption from the Board.
- Pharmacists experiencing an emergency or hardship may request an exemption by submitting a written request and supporting documentation to the Board.
- California does not authorize an automatic extension to complete missing continuing education after the renewal deadline.
Official California Sources
- California Board of Pharmacy — Continuing Education Information
- California Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Continuing Education FAQs
- California Board of Pharmacy — Mandatory Law and Ethics Webinars
- California Business and Professions Code §4231 — Pharmacist Continuing Education
- California Board of Pharmacy — 2026 Pharmacy Lawbook
Requirements last verified: October 18, 2026
FreeRxCEs.com provides this information as a general educational resource and does not provide legal or licensing advice. Continuing education requirements may change. Confirm current requirements with the California State Board of Pharmacy before renewing your license.