Pharmacy License from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Pennsylvania accept a Rhode Island pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Rhode Island license transfers into Pennsylvania through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy — but Pennsylvania gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. Coming from Rhode Island neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Pennsylvania's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Pennsylvania allows.
What's different between Rhode Island and Pennsylvania
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Pennsylvania. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Rhode Island to Pennsylvania (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Pennsylvania to Rhode Island (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Rhode Island matter?
Coming from Rhode Island does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Pennsylvania.
- Application fee
Pennsylvania lists $45 for an out-of-state applicant and Rhode Island lists $250 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Pennsylvania (this move): NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer.
- Rhode Island (the reverse move): NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Effective April 1, 2026, Rhode Island requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) — Rhode Island is an NABP early-adopter board — before submitting the Licensure Transfer application.
What changes, Rhode Island → Pennsylvania
| Rhode Island (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $250 (Rhode Island pharmacist license fee per the DOH fee structure (216-RICR-10-05-2); the 90-day temporary license is also $250; optional $30 framed certificate. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee) | $45 (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a fixed processing time; a 90-day temporary license bridges the wait for UMPJE results and NABP license-transfer verification | Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted |
| Licensing authority | Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy | Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) application, then apply on PALS (pals.pa.gov).
- Pass the Pennsylvania MPJE (unless exempt via pre-1983 licensure or a passed FDLE).
- Document 1,500 acceptable intern hours, or one year of full-time practice in another U.S. state, or a one-year U.S. residency.
- Obtain an FBI Identity History Summary Check dated within 180 days and submit an NPDB self-query report.
- Complete 3 hours of Act 31 child-abuse recognition training and 4 hours of ABC-MAP opioid education.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy — Reciprocal Licensure Instructions (PharmM) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania Pharmacist Licensure Snapshot (Department of State) — $45 fee ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy (NABP member page) — UMPJE effective April 1, 2026 for license transfer ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Rhode Island DOH Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2) — pharmacist license fee $250 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE launches for early-adopter boards of pharmacy (Rhode Island listed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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