Obtaining FPGEC Certification for Foreign-born Pharmacists

If your undergraduate degree was conferred by a recognized school of pharmacy outside of the United States, you are considered a foreign pharmacy graduate by the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC). Review these basic steps in the process of immigrating to the United States. Direct your questions to any of our immigration specialists here at DURRANI LAW FIRM; we can help you fill out the proper applications and file any paperwork at appropriate times.

To immigrate to the United States as a pharmacist and obtain an H-1B employment visa, you must:

Vist the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s website at www.nabp.org and get an application for the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE).

Visit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) website at www.toefl.org and get an application for the TOEFL and Test of Spoken English (TSE).

Passing these three exams will grant you FPGEE certification that can be used for sitting
in state board exams (NAPLEX).

How does the FPGEC certification process work?

You can think of FPGEC certification as a step toward taking the board exams in the state in which you home to practice pharmacy. It is not a license to practice; rather it is a means of allowing foreign graduates to partially fulfill eligibility requirements for state licensing.

To be considered to take the FPGEE, see www.nabp.org to determine what you must include in your application. Once you have completed your application, send those papers and any necessary supplemental documents to:

NABP
FPGEC
Examination Committee
700 Busse Highway
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-2402
USA

The FPGEC will process all application materials as they are received and evaluate them for accuracy, authenticity and fulfillment of program requirements. The Committee will notify each candidate regarding the status of his or her file, including any deficiencies. An opportunity to correct any deficiencies will be give.

It is important to remember that even the smallest error anywhere in your application can significantly slow the FPGEC process.

If all requirements are met in the application, you will receive a letter of acceptance to sit for the FPGEE.

What do I need to know about the TOEFL and TSE?

To be eligible for FPGEC Certification, candidates must pass the TOEFL with a total score of 550 or higher on the paper-based TOEFL or 213 or higher on the computer-based TOEFL. Candidates must pass the TSE with a score of between 45 and 50 or higher, depending on the state in which you hope to practice.

The TOEFL and TSE must be passed within two years (either before or after) of passing the FPGEE and must be completed by all foreign pharmacy students, even those who are native English speakers.

After completing the tests, you must request that TOEFL/TSE Services submit an authentic report of your TOEFL and TSE scores directly to the FPGEC.

For additional information and instructions about the TOEFL and TSE, see
www.toefl.org or write to:

TOEFL/TSE Services
PO Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
USA
(609)771-7100

Once I’ve received my FPGEC certification, how do I become licensed to practice pharmacy in a particular state?

Although requirements vary between states, most pharmacists must:

Graduate from an accredited college of pharmacy,
participate in residency or internship programs to acquire direct patient care experience AND
pass the NABPLEX (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Licensing Exam). See www.nabp.org for more details.

Durrani Law Firm can help you with the FPGEC application and the proper corresponding H-1B visa. We are available for consultations and can be contacted by email at info@durrani.com or phone at 1-866-DURRANI.