Pharmacy: Requirements and Continuing Education

Non NM resident information for practicing in NM:

Continuing Education Requirements

You may receive one hour per year of C.E. in the area of pharmacy law by attending one full day of a regularly scheduled Board meeting or serving on a Board approved committee.

Two hours of pharmacy law is required of every Active Licensed Pharmacist each biennial renewal period. If you are a pharmacist that resides and/or practices within New Mexico, you must attend a live law update put on by the NMBOP.  If you are unable to attend a live law update, you may request to take a written law exam. The cost for this written law exam is $100.  To view available dates and times, please go to "Exam and Education Schedule" link.  Please reserve your space at the law update by contacting NMBOP Office at pharmacy.board@state.nm.us.  Include the law update date and time that you are requesting to attend, your name and license number.

To ensure you receive a certificate & required credit for your live Pharmacy Law CE, please register by contacting the NMBOP at pharmacy.board@state.nm.us.   Include the law update date and time that you are requesting to attend, your name and license number.

Current Continuing Education Requirements are found in Regulation 16.19.4.10 NMAC.  Click to view.
A summary follows:
30 total hours required:
2 hours must be the required law
         If live or work in NM, must be live as provided by NMBOP
         If out of state, must be ACPE approved
2 patient safety hours
2 hours in the safe use of opioids
       These 2 hours in safe use of opioids may also be used for patient safety if indicated by the ACPE number.
       (The New Mexico Medical Society offers a course at:  www.nmms.org/nm-medical-board-requirements)
10 of the 30 hours must be live hours



Additional hours as required for Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority if necessary

Pharmacists practicing in New Mexico must attend one of the law update programs presented by the Board to fulfill the continuing education requirement for law.  Law programs presented at NMPHA or NMSHP meetings/conventions require registration/fee through those organizations and are ACPE accredited.

Pharmacists with active New Mexico pharmacist licenses who reside outside of New Mexico, and practice solely outside of New Mexico must submit A.C.P.E. approved continuing education credit in pharmacy law for their license renewal. Attending a Board provided law program is not required for out of state pharmacists.

There will be a law review held in Albuquerque at least monthly. The Law Updates in Albuquerque will be held, unless otherwise noted, at:

New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Office
5500 San Antonio Dr NE Suite C
Albuquerque, NM 87109

Except as noted each of the Albuquerque Area law updates will be held on a Friday.  Association sponsored Law Updates times and locations will vary.  Please contact the respective association.  In 2020, the times for the law updates will be from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  To find a listing, please click on the "Exam and Education Schedule" link.

Law updates are also held at different areas around the State. For times and locations, please click on the "Exam and Education Schedule" link.

Register to Reserve a Space

Reserve a space by contacting the Board of Pharmacy office at  pharmacy.board@state.nm.us.  Include your name, license number, and the date and time of the law review you would like to attend.  The Board’s conference room comfortably seats only 50 people. Individuals not signed up will be asked to yield to those who have signed up.

To ensure you receive a certificate & required credit for your live Pharmacy Law CE, please register as above.