Pharmacy Test and Treat Certification

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Pharmacy Test and Treat Certification

Applying for a License

Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Initial Licensing Requirements, Process, Fees, Helpful Forms and Links, and Statutes and Administrative Rules for Pharmacist Test & Treat Certification.

Florida passed House Bill 975 following the 2024 legislative session, which requires this profession to complete electronic fingerprinting. Your application cannot be approved until this requirement, along with all other licensure criteria, has been met. For more information on background screening, visit MQA's Background Screening website.

Requirements
General Licensing Requirements

treats minor, nonchronic health conditions must meet the following requirements:

  1. Hold an active and unencumbered license to practice pharmacy in this state.
  2. Have completed an initial 20-hour course approved by the board, in consultation with the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
  3. Maintain at least $250,000 of professional liability insurance coverage. However, a pharmacist who maintains professional liability insurance coverage pursuant to s. 465.1865 satisfies this requirement.
  4. Have established a system to maintain records of all patients receiving services within the framework of a written protocol for a period of 5 years from each patient’s most recent provision of service.

Written Protocol Information

Section 465.1895(5), Florida Statutes, requires a written protocol must include terms and conditions imposed by the supervising physician relating to testing and screening for and treatment of minor, chronic health conditions that are appropriate to the pharmacist’s training.

The written protocol must include, at a minimum, the following information:

  1. Specific categories of patients who the pharmacist is authorized to test or screen for and treat minor, nonchronic health conditions.
  2. The physician’s instructions for obtaining relevant patient medical history for the purpose of identifying disqualifying health conditions, adverse reactions, and contraindications to the approved course of treatment.
  3. The physician’s instructions for the treatment of minor, nonchronic health conditions based on the patient’s age, symptoms, and test results, including negative results.
  4. A process and schedule for the physician to review the pharmacist’s actions under the protocol.
  5. A process and schedule for the pharmacist to notify the physician of the patient’s condition, tests administered, test results, and course of treatment.

A pharmacist acting under a written protocol may not:

  1. Enter into a written protocol while acting as an employee without the written approval of the owner of the pharmacy.

The rules relating to the Test and Treat certification can be found here.

Within 5 business days of entering into a written protocol with a supervising physiciana pharmacist must submit a copy of the protocol to the board.

A pharmacist who enters into a written protocol and provides services under a test and treat certification must report a diagnosis or suspected existence of a disease of public health significance to the Department of Health pursuant to Section 381.0031, Florida Statutes. To review the reporting requirements please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/index.html


A pharmacist providing services under this section must provide a patient with written information to advise the patient to seek follow up care from his or her primary care physician. 

The Pharmacy in which a pharmacist’s tests and screens for and treats minor, nonchronic conditions must prominently display signage indicating that any patient receiving testing, screening, or treatment services is advised to seek follow up care from his or her primary care physician.

Process

The following steps apply to individuals who possess a Florida Pharmacist license that is active and in good standing and wish to obtain the Test and Treat Certification:

  1. Apply for a Pharmacist Test and Treat Certification. Ensure that all fields are completed as instructed. An incomplete application shall expire after one (1) year. To apply, click here.
  2. Complete 20-hour approved Test and Treat Certification course. Please submit the certificate of completion for the course with your application. More information regarding approved course may be found on CE Broker.
  3. Submit a copy of a Written Protocol. Prior to providing or implementing patient care services under a written protocol, a Pharmacist shall submit the protocol to the Board Office through the online licensure account by clicking here or via US Mail. Please note that this agreement is not required at the time of certification; however, a pharmacist who enters into a written protocol must submit a copy within 5 business days.
  4. Obtain $250,000 of professional liability insurance. Please submit a copy of the professional liability insurance policy with your application.

Please allow 7-10 business days for initial review of new applications. All applications and document submissions are reviewed in the order they are received. After your application is reviewed, any deficiencies will be communicated to you in writing by our Board staff. To expedite processing, please submit all required supporting documentation with your application and the requisite fees. If you are having documentation submitted by another entity on your behalf, please verify the Board office’s mailing address to ensure delivery.

  • Department of Health
    Board of Pharmacy
    4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin C-04
    Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258
Fees

There is no application fee.

Statutes and Rules

Click on Chapter or Section Number to View

Florida Statutes

Chapter 465: Pharmacy
Chapter 456: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Chapter 120: Administrative Procedure Act
Chapter 499: Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act
Chapter 893: Drug Abuse Prevention and Control

Florida Administrative Code

Rules: Chapter 64B16: Board of Pharmacy

Processing Times

Florida law provides that an initial application must be reviewed within 30 days. Below is the average number of days at which we are currently processing.

Apply Online / Return to Login

To apply online visit MQA Services Portal to create an account or return to your account by clicking the button below.

Statutes & Rules

Click on Chapter or Section Number to View

Florida Statutes

Chapter 465: Pharmacy
Chapter 456: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Chapter 120: Administrative Procedure Act
Chapter 499: Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act
Chapter 893: Drug Abuse Prevention and Control

Florida Administrative Code

Rules: Chapter 64B16: Board of Pharmacy

Renewing Your License

Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Renewal Requirements, Process, Fees and Continuing Education (CE) for a Pharmacist Test and Treat Certification

Florida passed House Bill 975 following the 2024 legislative session, which requires this profession to complete electronic fingerprinting. Your application cannot be approved until this requirement, along with all other licensure criteria, has been met. For more information on background screening, visit MQA's Background Screening website.

Requirements
General Requirements

Current licenses will expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on September 30, 2023.

The Test and Treat Certification is automatically renewed with your Pharmacist License Renewal.  If you have completed the requisite 3-hour continuing education (CE) course related to minor, nonchronic health conditions approved by the board in addition to your required pharmacist hours, you will be able to renew your pharmacist license with the test and treat certification.

If you no longer wish to hold the test and treat certification, please notify the Board office in-writing and the distinction will be removed from your license.

All pharmacists with a 50-year qualification who have held an active Florida pharmacist license are fee exempt. Pharmacists with this distinction are still required to meet the current continuing education (CE) requirements prior to each licensure renewal.

All renewal provisions must be met to successfully renew your license. To ensure you receive your renewal notification from the department, your current mailing address must be on file. Failure to renew an active or inactive license by the expiration date will result in the license being placed in delinquent status. Failure by a delinquent licensee to become active or inactive before the expiration of the current licensure cycle renders the license null and void without any further action by the board or the department.

A licensee who remains on inactive status for more than two consecutive biennial licensure cycles and who wishes to reactivate the license may be required to demonstrate the competency to resume active practice by sitting for a special purpose examination or by completing other reactivation requirements.

The department will renew your pharmacist license with the immunization administration certification upon receipt of:

  1. Completed CE requirements – reported to CE Broker
  2. Completed renewal application for your pharmacist license. Please note that there is no separate renewal application for the immunization administration certification.
  3. Required fees to renew your pharmacist license. Please note that there are no separate fees to renew your immunization administration certification.
Military Exemption

To receive an exemption from the renewal requirements, please provide a copy of your orders which provides the beginning and end date of your current enlistment or a copy of your spouse’s orders. If you are a Commissioned Officer, you may provide a letter from your commanding officer that reflects the length of your contract with a beginning and end date to fulfill this requirement.

Process
Process

Renewal Instructions:

  1. Go to www.flhealthsource.gov and click the “Renew A License” button.
  2. Enter your Personal Identifying Information (PII), then click the Login button.
  3. Confirm or update your MQA Services Account email address, then click the “Continue” button.
  4. You are now in the Dashboard. During renewals, a “Renew My License” option will populate no later than 90 days prior to your license expiration date. (Note: If you do not see the “Renew My License” option, please check back at a later time.)

*** If the “PII Failed” screen displays, click the “Other Login Option” button and enter your existing User ID and password to access your account.***

Additional Information:

  • You may renew online if you have a credit or debit card to complete the transaction. Please note that you can now renew online, print a copy of your application summary and mail it with your cashier’s check or money order to:
    Division of Medical Quality Assurance
    P.O. Box 6320
    Tallahassee, FL 32314-6320
  • If you are renewing your license after the expiration date and your status still indicates Clear/Active or Clear/Inactive, you will be assessed a delinquency fee. The delinquency fee will be in addition to your renewal fees.
  • If your license is Delinquent/Active or Delinquent/Inactive you may still renew prior to the renewal deadline. The following actions must be taken prior to renewing your license:
    • Prior to renewing your license, you must report your continuing education (CE) hours to the Department of Health’s tracking system.
    • To renew a delinquent license, you will need to report your CE hours for your current cycle, as well as your previous cycle.
    • If you did not complete CE courses in your last renewal cycle, you may complete them now and report them to the CE tracking system.
    • To report course completion, log onto your MQA Online Account.  From your dashboard, go to “Additional Activities” and select Report CE/CME.

Please note, when renewing your license, a delinquent fee will be assessed in addition to all applicable renewal fees.

  • If your license was Delinquent/Active or Delinquent/Inactive before the renewal deadline, it will be moved to Null and Void status after the renewal deadline. You should contact your board office for further instruction.
  • The process of renewing a license may take 7-10 business days. Initiating contact to confirm the receipt of fees or the status of your license prior to this time will not expedite the renewal process.
  • A licensee who remains on inactive status for more than two consecutive biennial licensure cycles and who wishes to reactivate the license may be required to demonstrate the competency to resume active practice by sitting for a special purpose examination or by completing other reactivation requirements.
  • If you are reactivating your license, please refer to the laws and rules governing your practice for additional requirements.
  • Note: Do not submit certificates of completion of continuing education hours to the Florida Board of Nursing. Please report continuing education credits to the Department of Health through our CE tracking system at www.cebroker.com.

Name Change

If you are renewing online and need to change your name, please follow these instructions prior to renewing your liIf you are renewing online and need to change your name, please follow these instructions prior to renewing your license:

Name changes require legal documentation showing the name change. Please log into your MQA Online Services Portal account to submit your request and enter your full name as it appears on your legal documentation. If you are submitting your request online, please attach/upload supporting documents, which must be one of the following:

  • A copy of a state issued marriage license that includes the original signature and seal from the clerk of the court
  • A divorce decree showing the name change
  • A court order showing the name change (Adoption, legal name change, federal identity change)
  • A copy of a certificate of naturalization or H1B Employment Visa (Note: Foreign applicants and/or licensees may not have state issued documents)

Any one of these will be accepted unless the department has a question about the authenticity of the document.

NOTE: Please allow 5-7 business days for your request to be processed. If you are requesting a name change outside of renewal and wish to receive a new license reflecting the name change, you must request a duplicate license.

Fees

There are no renewal fees.

Continuing Education

Pharmacists who hold the test and treat certification must complete a 3-hour course approved by the board. This requirement is in addition to the Continuing Education requirements for Pharmacist license renewal found in the Pharmacist Continuing Education requirements. Approved courses are listed in CEBroker.

Statutes and Rules

Click on Chapter or Section Number to View

Florida Statute

Chapter 456: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Chapter 465: Pharmacy
Section 465.009: Continuing professional pharmaceutical education.
Section 465.1895: Testing or screening for and treatment of minor, nonchronic health conditions.

Florida Administrative Codes

Rule 64B16-26.1003: Active License Renewal Fees
Rule 64B16-26.1004: Inactive License Election; Renewal; Fees
Rule 64B16-26.1005: Retired License Election; Renewal; Fees
Rule 64B16-26.102: Delinquent License Reversion; Reinstatement; Fees
Rule 64B16-26.103: Continuing Education Credits; Renewal

Renew Online

To renew online visit the MQA Services Portal by clicking the button below.