To become a pharmacist, a person has to go through many years of schooling, pass dozens of tests and complete thousands of hours of an internship. Becoming a pharmacist is a huge accomplishment; to have that all taken away from you can be devastating. There are many reasons why your pharmacist license might have been taken away. Perhaps you got into trouble for illegally distributing controlled substances. Or maybe you made an error in a prescription that you filled for a patient. Whatever the reason, having your ability to practice taken away can be disheartening. However, there are steps you can take to have your license reinstated.

Reinstating Your Pharmacist License

In most cases, it is possible to have your pharmacist license reinstated if it has lapsed into the inactive status. The process of reinstatement will look different depending on the length of time that has passed since the license was inactive status. Depending on the time that has passed, your requirements for reinstatement will be slightly different.

If Your License Has Been Inactive for Less Than Five Years

According to the Pharmacy Practice Act, a pharmacist whose license has been inactive for less than five years can restore their license if they do one of the following:

If you have received notice of an upcoming pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) audit, there are several things you can do to prepare. The consequences of a PBM audit are real and can be long-lasting. Going into an audit prepared is advisable.

Many clients find that adequate preparation can alleviate problems that can come up during an audit. A skilled PBM audit defense attorney can identify specific areas that you should focus on in the time before your pharmacy’s audit. However, typically you will benefit from taking the following steps:

• Review the written on-site audit notification. You want to pay close attention to the scope of the audit, including the date ranges that the audit will cover. The terms of the audit as stated in the letter should comply with your contract and will applicable laws. An attorney may be needed to determine compliance.
• Check the date of the proposed audit. This date should be a date when you and other needed personnel will be present. An audit should not be left to employees to handle.
• Create an audit file. This file or box should contain all correspondence, records, notes, and documentation of telephone calls related to the audit.
• Meet with your staff. Your staff should be prepared for the audit as well.
• Organize your records and conduct a self-audit. You should review what records you have as well as identify any problem areas that the PBM auditor may spot.
• Prepare a designated physical area for the audit. This area should be private. It should also be away from your employees’ spaces and pharmacy operations. Often a closed-off breakroom with a table and chair is suitable.

Contact an Illinois PBM Audit Attorney

Working toward the pharmacy license takes much time and effort. For domestic applicants, meaning those who have obtained education for the pharmacy license in the United States, the requirements are different from those who have obtained education for the pharmacy license internationally. There are tests that international applicants may have to take to determine their status of qualification for the pharmacy license.

The Application Process for International Applicants

Pharmacy license applicants who have graduated from a professional degree program from outside the United States or its territories should submit proof of a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee Certificate, or FPGEC. Also, the applicant needs to successfully pass the preliminary diagnostic examination, called the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Program, which determines the equivalence of education to approved programs.

The process to become a licensed pharmacist takes much time and effort, and to own a pharmacy comes with more expectations and requirements. If you own a pharmacy, you may expect to have pharmacy compliance audits run from time to time. There are many factors in pharmacy audits that you need to know in order to meet guidelines to keep the pharmacy intact.

Definition of Pharmacy Audit

A pharmacy audit is a formal review of operations and processes to make sure that pharmacies are compliant with pharmacy regulations and other related agreements. The pharmacy audit process can come in many different types, including desktop, onsite, prepay claims review, and investigational pharmacy audits.

Studying to become a pharmacist will take several years, from taking extensive biology and chemistry classes in college to attending pharmacy school. Receiving one’s license to become a pharmacist proves to be very rewarding. In order to apply for a pharmacist license, one needs to know, in complete detail, how to apply and what is required in the application process.

Required Licensing Fees

To apply to become a licensed pharmacist, the applicant must pay $75 at the time of the application process. Also, the applicant must pay a fee to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation that covers the cost of determining his or her eligibility and providing of an application examination. If the applicant fails to appear at the time of the examination on the scheduled date, then he or she will forfeit the examination and the required fees.