MPJE Licensure and Personnel 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A foreign pharmacy graduate seeking licensure in the US must typically complete which of the following before sitting for the NAPLEX?
- Pass a state law exam only
- Obtain FPGEC certification from NABP (Correct answer)
- Complete a two-year residency program
- Receive a temporary work visa from the DEA
Correct answer: Obtain FPGEC certification from NABP
Foreign pharmacy graduates must obtain Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certification from NABP, which includes passing the FPGEE and TOEFL, before they are eligible to sit for NAPLEX.
Question 2: A pharmacist intern who has accumulated the required internship hours but has not yet passed the MPJE is permitted to:
- Practice independently in a non-dispensing role
- Sit for the NAPLEX examination (Correct answer)
- Apply for a full pharmacist license
- Supervise other pharmacy interns
Correct answer: Sit for the NAPLEX examination
An intern who has completed the required internship hours may sit for the NAPLEX; however, passing both NAPLEX and MPJE is required before a full license is granted.
Question 3: Which entity administers the NAPLEX examination used for pharmacist licensure in the United States?
- The FDA
- The DEA
- NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) (Correct answer)
- ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education)
Correct answer: NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy)
NABP develops and administers the NAPLEX on behalf of member boards of pharmacy throughout the US.
Question 4: Under federal law, a pharmacy technician trainee working in a hospital pharmacy must perform drug dispensing activities:
- Independently, after completing a certified training program
- Under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist (Correct answer)
- Only during day shifts when a pharmacist is on-site
- Only after passing the PTCE or ExCPT exam
Correct answer: Under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist
Pharmacy technician trainees must perform all dispensing activities under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist regardless of setting.
Question 5: A pharmacist whose license has lapsed for three years wishes to reinstate it. Most state boards would typically require:
- Retaking only the MPJE
- Submitting proof of CE hours completed during the lapse period
- Meeting current reinstatement requirements, which may include CE and/or re-examination (Correct answer)
- Paying a late renewal fee with no additional requirements
Correct answer: Meeting current reinstatement requirements, which may include CE and/or re-examination
Most states require lapsed licensees to meet current reinstatement standards, which commonly include CE completion and may require re-examination depending on the length of lapse.
Question 6: A preceptor pharmacist overseeing a pharmacy intern must generally hold:
- A specialty board certification in addition to a pharmacist license
- An active pharmacist license in the state where training occurs (Correct answer)
- At least a PharmD degree
- DEA Schedule II prescriptive authority
Correct answer: An active pharmacist license in the state where training occurs
Preceptors must hold an active, unrestricted pharmacist license in the state where the internship is being conducted; additional certifications are generally not required by state law.
Question 7: Which of the following actions by a pharmacy technician would most likely require the pharmacist to intervene and correct?
- Entering prescription data into the dispensing system
- Verifying the final product before dispensing to the patient (Correct answer)
- Counting tablets and affixing the label to the vial
- Receiving a new written prescription from a patient
Correct answer: Verifying the final product before dispensing to the patient
Final verification of a dispensed prescription is a pharmacist-only function; technicians may perform preparatory steps but cannot perform the final check unless a state has enacted tech-check-tech laws.
A foreign pharmacy graduate seeking licensure in the US must typically complete which of the following before sitting for the NAPLEX?