This is the Georgia-specific side of the MPJE, in full. The federal material — the Controlled Substances Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, HIPAA — is identical in every jurisdiction and is covered by the free federal pharmacy law guide. NABP makes no federal-versus-state split in the exam itself, so neither side comes in a fixed share; pairing the two is what covers it.
Every rule below carries the statute or board rule it came from, so you can check any line in under a minute. Nothing here is asserted bare. It was checked against the Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, the 2025 Code of Georgia, and the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy’s own policy manual and notices — then re-checked by a second, independent pass. How that was done.
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Six things commonly taught wrong about Georgia
Each one is a plausible-looking wrong answer, and each is the kind of thing a question is built around.
1. “26 pills” and “40 pills” are not prescribing limits
They are thresholds that exempt a prescriber from having to check the PDMP. A prescription for more than a three-day supply or more than 26 pills is perfectly lawful — it simply means the PDMP query becomes mandatory. O.C.G.A. § 16-13-63(a)(2)(A)(i), (iii)
2. Georgia has no general day-supply limit on initial opioid prescriptions
There is no across-the-board cap on a physician's or dentist's initial opioid prescription, and nothing in Title 16 Chapter 13 imposes one. Georgia's only opioid-specific prescribing duty of general application is a disclosure duty: the prescriber must give the patient information on addictive risks and safe disposal, verbally or in writing. O.C.G.A. § 16-13-56.1(b)
One narrow exception does exist, and it is exactly what a distractor is built on: an APRN or PA may order hydrocodone, oxycodone or compounds thereof only in emergency situations, and that order is limited to an initial prescription not exceeding a five-day supply, for a patient 18 or older. See section 2. O.C.G.A. § 43-34-25(d.1); § 43-34-103(e.1)(1)(B); r. 480-22-.12(2)(d),(4)(d)
3. Pharmacists do not have to enroll in the Georgia PDMP
Only prescribers with a DEA number must enroll and query. Dispensers report — they are under no duty to look anything up. The statute says so in terms: “Nothing in this part shall require a dispenser to obtain information about a patient from the PDMP.” O.C.G.A. § 16-13-63(a)(1)
4. The technician ratio is 1:4, not 1:3
It has been 1:4 since 2021 (HB 316). At the time of writing the Georgia Board's own FAQ pages still say 1:3 in two places. Trust the statute. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-82(d)(2)
5. Tiered technician certification is now a rule, not a statute
HB 382, effective 1 July 2026, struck the 0/1/2 certification schedule out of § 26-4-82. It survives in the Board rule and is still enforceable — violating any Board rule is itself a ground for discipline — but do not cite the statute as its authority. r. 480-15-.03(e); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-60(a)(9)
6. Nothing from the April 2026 rulemaking is in force
The Board adopted a package on 22 April 2026 — including a repeal of r. 480-10A-.08 and a rewrite of the mail-delivery chapter — but never filed it with the Secretary of State. A Georgia rule takes effect only on filing, plus twenty days. Learn the current text.
What is on this page
- Licensing and registrationrenewal cycles, CE, interns, technicians, the dates that trip people
- Controlled substancesthe long one — schedules, PDMP, partial fills, GDNA, pseudoephedrine
- What a prescription must carrycoded orders, changes, the three different emergency supplies
- Running the pharmacyratios, absence, physical requirements, emergency drug kits
- Two Georgia specialtiesdrug therapy modification, low-THC dispensing, vaccine protocols
- Discipline and what you must reportsixteen grounds, the conscience clause, every deadline
- The numbersprint this one
1. Licensing and registration
Georgia runs two different renewal clocks. Getting them the wrong way round is the single most common licensing error.
The two clocks
| What | Expires | Grace | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist license | 31 December, even years | late renewal to 31 Jan, +50% fee; administratively revoked after 31 Jan | r. 480-3-.01(1),(2) |
| Pharmacy permit, nonresident permit, technician registration | 30 June, odd years | lapses if not renewed before 1 September of that odd year | r. 480-6-.01(6); r. 480-10-.06(1)(b),(g); r. 480-15-.02(5) |
Continuing education
- Pharmacist — 30 hours (3.0 CEU) per biennium. r. 480-3-.03(3),(4); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-45
- First biennium is prorated by when you were licensed: 30 / 15 / 0 hours. r. 480-3-.03(5)
- Technician — 20 hours (2.0 CEU) per biennium, on and after 1 July 2023; first cycle prorated 20 / 10 / 0; plus 2 hours (0.2 CEU) immunization CE. r. 480-15-.02(6)(b),(c)1.–4.
- Keep your CE certificates 2 years. CE providers keep attendance records 5 years — the only retention period in Chapter 480 longer than two. r. 480-3-.03(6)(c), (10)(f)
Interns, externs, technicians
- 1,500 hours of practical experience for licensure. r. 480-2-.03
- Intern license runs 5 years, and ends on the third examination failure. r. 480-2-.03(1)(c); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-47(a),(c)
- Minimum ages: technician 17, pharmacy observer 17, pharmacist and intern the age of majority. r. 480-15-.02(2)(b); r. 480-15-.06(2)(a); r. 480-2-.01
- Technician certification may come from a Board-approved certification program, a Board-approved employer training and assessment program, or PTCB or another Board-approved national body. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-82(e)
Examination
The Board rule sets a minimum of 75 on the NAPLEX and 75 on the jurisprudence examination. r. 480-2-.04(2)(a)
Read that rule against reality
NABP's 2026 Candidate Application Bulletin now reports MPJE results as Pass or Fail only — “you will not receive a scaled score.” The 75 lives on in the Georgia rule as the Board's standard; it is not a number you will ever be shown. Separately, you must answer at least 107 of the 120 questions for any result to be reported at all.
Two application rules that are brand new
Criminal background checks — effective 1 October 2026
Applicants for a license to practice pharmacy or as a pharmacy intern must submit to a criminal background check as part of the application. The applicant pays the fee, and the application is not considered complete until the results reach the Board. Technicians are not named. Board notice, 16 July 2026; O.C.G.A. § 26-4-28(a)(20)
Undisclosed arrests cost $25 each — since 1 August 2026
Every applicant must disclose their complete criminal history inclusive of arrests, regardless of outcome — dismissed charges, nolle prosequi, first offender dispositions. Failure is treated as a material omission, carries an administrative service fee of $25.00 per undisclosed arrest, and processing stops until the fee is paid. The Board names three excuses it expressly rejects: advice of counsel, a belief the record was expunged, and a belief the arrest would not show up. Board notice, 16 July 2026
If your CE is audited and comes up short
- You must obtain two CE hours for every one hour you are deficient, and those hours cannot be counted again in the present or next biennium.
- The Board may assess a deficiency fee of $50 per deficient hour, capped at $500.
- Fail to appear before the Board for a scheduled appointment without a valid reason and, on reapplying, you face a six-month waiting period.
Board Policy 5 and Board Policy 6, Policy Manual adopted 22 April 2026
Keeping the Board informed
- Pharmacist change of employment or business address — within ten days, to the Board's executive director. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-44(a)
- Technician change of home and employment address — within ten days. r. 480-15-.02(7)
- Change in employment status of any registered technician — within 10 days of separation; and if the separation was for a criminal occupational or any drug-related reason, the reason must be reported. r. 480-15-.04(1)(b),(d)
- Military or spouse temporary license runs six months. r. 480-2-.06(2)(c)
- Reinstatement after four or more years out of practice: 500 supervised hours, minimum 20 and maximum 50 hours per week. Board Policy 2
2. Controlled substances
The longest section, and the one most questions come from. Georgia's distinguishing feature is the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency — a separate enforcement body that most states do not have, and which is the recipient of several reports you might expect to go to the Board.
The governing statute
- Schedule II requires a written prescription, except when dispensed directly by a registered practitioner other than a pharmacy or pharmacist to an ultimate user. O.C.G.A. § 16-13-41(a)
- No Schedule II prescription may be refilled. § 16-13-41(c)
- Schedule III, IV, V: not filled or refilled more than six months after issuance, and not refilled more than five times. § 16-13-41(d)(1); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(e); r. 480-22-.08(1)
- A prescription document signed in blank is unlawful, and issuing one is prima facie evidence of a conspiracy. Possession of a blank signed form by anyone other than the signer is prima facie evidence of a conspiracy between possessor and signer. § 16-13-41(h)
- Transmission of a Schedule II order by facsimile or other electronic means is permitted only in accordance with Board regulations or DEA regulations at 21 C.F.R. 1306. Georgia has no electronic prescribing mandate. § 16-13-41(b)
Security paper — a Georgia requirement with real exceptions
Every hard copy prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance written in Georgia must be on security paper, and a pharmacist shall not fill one that is not, except for emergency supplies. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80.1(a),(b)
It does not apply to prescriptions transmitted by telephone, facsimile or electronic means, nor to orders for hospital inpatients and outpatients, nursing home residents, mental health facility inpatients and residents, or incarcerated people, where the order goes into the medical record and directly to the pharmacy and the patient never handles it. § 26-4-80.1(g)
A hard copy bearing an electronic visual image of the practitioner's signature, not sent by fax, must also be on security paper. § 26-4-80(c) Dispensed Schedule II prescriptions are stamped with a red “C” no less than one inch high, in red ink, in the lower right corner. r. 480-22-.07(5)(a)
Partial fills — four different clocks
| Situation | Remainder due | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| C-II, pharmacy cannot supply the full quantity | within 72 hours | r. 480-22-.06(1)(a),(c) |
| C-II, non-emergency partial at patient or prescriber request | not later than 30 days from the date written | r. 480-22-.06(2)(b) |
| C-II, emergency oral prescription partially filled | within 72 hours of issuance | r. 480-22-.06(2)(c) |
| C-II for an LTCF resident, hospice patient or terminally ill patient | partial fills up to 60 days from the dispensing date | r. 480-22-.06(3)(d) |
Emergency oral Schedule II
- Permitted in emergency situations as defined by Board rule, reduced promptly to writing and filed. § 16-13-41(c)
- The prescriber's written follow-up is due within 7 days; if mailed it must be postmarked within the seven-day period. r. 480-22-.04(3)(d),(d)1.
- If the prescriber fails to deliver it, the pharmacist reports to GDNA. r. 480-22-.04(3)(d)1.
Transfers
A Schedule III, IV or V prescription may be transferred one time only — unless the pharmacies share a real-time online database, in which case up to the five permitted refills may be transferred, within the six months. Records of transfers are kept 2 years from the last refill. r. 480-22-.11(1),(1)(a),(3); r. 480-27-.08
The PDMP — the Jeffrey Dallas Gay, Jr., Act
| Duty | Rule | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Prescriber with a DEA number must enroll | by 1 Jan 2018; new DEA registrants within 30 days | § 16-13-57(c)(1) |
| Prescriber must query | first time, then at least every 90 days | § 16-13-63(a)(2)(A) |
| Which drugs trigger it | § 16-13-26(1) or (2) substances plus benzodiazepines — not all C-II to C-V | § 16-13-63(a)(2)(A),(a)(4) |
| Chart notation | date, time, and the name of the individual who ran the search | § 16-13-63(a)(3) |
| Dispenser reporting | at least every 24 hours; on equipment failure, notify the board and department immediately | § 16-13-59(b) |
| Delegates | not more than two per shift or rotation; the delegator may be civilly and criminally liable for their misuse | § 16-13-60(c)(5) |
| Identifying data | not accessible after five years from receipt | § 16-13-59(e) |
| Does not apply to | veterinarians; exempt OTC Schedule V | § 16-13-65 |
The five query exemptions — learn these as a set
- Prescription for no more than a three-day supply and no more than 26 pills
- Patient is in a hospital or healthcare facility, including a nursing home, intermediate care home, personal care home or hospice program, where the drug is administered on the premises
- Patient has had outpatient surgery and the prescription is for no more than a ten-day supply and no more than 40 pills
- Patient is terminally ill or under the supervised care of an outpatient hospice program
- Patient is receiving treatment for cancer
O.C.G.A. § 16-13-63(a)(2)(A)(i)–(v)
Penalties are unusually heavy
A dispenser who knowingly or intentionally fails to report, or submits incorrect information, commits a felony: one to five years, a fine up to $50,000, or both, plus referral to the licensing board. Obtaining or disclosing PDMP data with intent to sell or for commercial advantage, personal gain or malicious harm carries two to ten years and up to $250,000. O.C.G.A. § 16-13-64
Pseudoephedrine and exempt Schedule V
- PSE: 3.6 g per 24 hours, 9 g per 30 days. Logbook kept 2 years; records readily retrievable in under 6 hours if electronic, 24 hours if handwritten. r. 480-19-.03(b),(c),(d); r. 480-19-.04(2)(b)
- Exempt Schedule V (non-PSE): 4 fluid ounces or 32 dosage units per 48-hour period. r. 480-19-.01(b),(c)
Mid-level prescribers
- PA and APRN emergency Schedule II: a 5-day supply maximum, initial prescription only, patient must be 18 or older, and the prescriber must have at least one year of post-licensure clinical experience. r. 480-22-.12(2)(a),(d),(e); (4)(a),(d),(e)
- PA prescriptions: refills not more than 12 months past the original order. r. 480-22-.12(1)(f)
- APRN prescriptions: 12 months, extended to 24 months for oral contraceptives, hormone replacement and prenatal vitamins. r. 480-22-.12(3)(f)
What goes to GDNA rather than the Board
| Event | Deadline | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Theft, loss, or discovery of unaccounted-for controlled substances | within 3 days of discovery | r. 480-16-.06(1) |
| DEA Form 106 for theft or significant loss | copy to GDNA | r. 480-16-.06(2) |
| Fire or water damage to a building or storage area holding drugs | written notice within 3 days, requesting an immediate inspection | r. 480-16-.04(2) |
| GDNA's reciprocal duty to inspect after that notice | within 3 days of receipt | r. 480-16-.04(3) |
| Discovery of an unusual order of controlled substances | on discovery, to the Office of the Director | r. 480-20-.02(1) |
| Unlicensed dispensing, or allowing filling while impaired | within 10 days, to the Director | r. 480-16-.01(1) |
3. What a prescription must carry
Two Georgia rules here have no real federal analogue: the ban on coded prescriptions, and the requirement to record how you reached the prescriber.
Coded prescriptions are prohibited
No pharmacist, intern or extern shall compound or dispense any prescription that is coded. A coded prescription is one bearing letters, numbers, words, symbols or any other device used in lieu of the name, quantity, strength and directions, other than media recognized by the profession as a means of conveying information. “No symbol, word or any other device shall be used in lieu of the name of said preparation.” r. 480-5-.03(5)
Errors, ambiguity and changes
- No prescription containing any error, omission, irregularity or ambiguity may be compounded or dispensed. Contact the prescriber and confer before dispensing. And do not dispense at all if any doubt exists in your mind that the prescription is not legitimate. r. 480-5-.03(3)
- No supplying anything different in any manner from what was prescribed without prior prescriber approval — and the difference must be recorded immediately on the prescription showing the date, the time and the method by which approval was obtained. r. 480-5-.03(7)
- Corresponding liability: a pharmacist has the same corresponding liability for prescriptions as the issuing practitioner, as set out in 21 C.F.R. as it existed on 1 January 2013. r. 480-5-.03(14) The statute fixes it to 21 C.F.R. Part 1304 on the same date. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(b)
When a prescription stops being valid
When the patient no longer seeks consultation or treatment from the practitioner, the relationship is terminated, and the prescription becomes invalid after a reasonable period not to exceed six months in which the patient could have established a new relationship. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(h)
Two more Georgia timers
- Biologicals. Having dispensed an interchangeable biological product, communicate the specific product and the manufacturer to the prescriber within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. The prescription is kept 2 years. r. 480-51-.02(3)(a),(7); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-81(h)
- Topical ophthalmics. An early refill may be dispensed at 70 percent or greater of the predicted days of use, without new authorization. r. 480-22-.15(2); O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(f)(2)(A)
Three different emergency supplies — do not merge them
| Routine emergency refill | Declared emergency | Maintenance supply | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | up to a 72-hour supply | up to a 30-day supply | up to a 90-day supply |
| Trigger | cannot reach the practitioner for refill authorization | Governor's executive order or proclamation, or an NWS hurricane warning, in affected counties | maintenance medication for a chronic illness, within the dosage units authorized including refills |
| Excludes | controlled substances | Schedule II | Schedules II, III, IV and V |
| Notify | practitioner within 7 working days | prescriber within 48 hours | — |
O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(j) · § 26-4-80(f)(1) · § 26-4-80(q)(1),(2)
The 72-hour refill carries four further conditions worth knowing: interruption of therapy must, in your professional judgment, risk undesirable health consequences or physical or mental discomfort; it is recorded as a separate non-refillable prescription containing the number of the prescription it was refilled from; the circumstances go on the patient record and the new document; and you must not use the provision regularly for the same patient on the same medication. § 26-4-80(j)(2),(4),(5),(6)
4. Running the pharmacy
The ratio rules changed three months ago. Everything in this section reflects § 26-4-82 as rewritten by HB 382, effective 1 July 2026.
Supervision and ratios
- One pharmacist may directly supervise no more than four pharmacy technicians located in the licensed area of the pharmacy. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-82(d)(2)
- A technician working from a remote location outside the pharmacy does not count toward the supervisory ratio. same
- The pharmacist must be physically present and personally supervising any technician in the licensed area at all times. § 26-4-82(c)(2)
- Interns and externs: the total under the direct supervision of one pharmacist shall not exceed six persons, in any combination. § 26-4-82(f)
- The Board may approve an application to increase the ratio in a hospital pharmacy or a closed-door pharmacy, on written application by that pharmacy's PIC. § 26-4-82(d)(2)
- Pharmacy observer: 1:1, maximum 8 hours per day and 40 hours in total. r. 480-15-.06(4),(5)
Certification: still required, but by rule only
The Board rule continues to require that of the technicians on duty, 1 or 2 need none certified, 3 require 1 certified, and 4 require 2 certified. r. 480-15-.03(e)1.–3. HB 382 removed this from the statute on 1 July 2026 but the rule stands, and violating a Board rule is itself a ground for discipline. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-60(a)(9)
The pharmacist in charge, and absence
- A PIC may be in charge of not more than one pharmacy at a time. r. 480-10-.02(3)
- Absence is capped at 3 hours daily and 1½ hours at any one time. An absence of under 5 minutes is not an absence. r. 480-10-.02(4)(a)1.; r. 480-10-.16(1)(a),(b)
- The “Prescription Department Closed” sign uses letters not less than three inches. r. 480-10-.02(4)(a)3.
The physical pharmacy
- Minimum floor space 150 square feet. r. 480-10-.04
- Minimum equipment includes two mortars and pestles, two spatulas and one pill counting tray. r. 480-10-.12(1)(f)2.–4.
- Drive-through: transparent window no less than 2 × 3 feet; no more than two lanes; the farthest lane no more than 24 feet from the window. r. 480-10-.16(8)(a)
- Outdated stock examined at intervals of not more than six months. r. 480-10-.11
- LTCF drug returned for reuse must have at least six months remaining before expiry. r. 480-10-.17(4)(d)
Inspections, moving, and changing hands
- GDNA inspects every licensed pharmacy facility not less frequently than once every 18 months. Board Policy 12
- Change of ownership: you may ask to run the old and the new license simultaneously for up to 60 calendar days after the transaction closes — but only if the application was approved before closing. Board Policy 10
- Change of location: you may ask the Board to extend the license to cover both the old and the new premises for up to 30 calendar days — approval must come before you move or store any drug at the new site. Board Policy 11
- Both are a discretionary privilege, not a right, revocable at the Board's discretion, and neither denial nor revocation is a contested case under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Watch the direction of the two numbers
Sixty days to change owner, thirty days to change location. They are easy to swap. Note also that the Board's Policy Manual contains no policy on closing a pharmacy — that duty sits in the rules instead: on closing, the Board must be notified in writing immediately, stating who holds the prescription records and where they are kept. r. 480-10-.20(2)(a)
When the Governor declares an emergency
Board Policy 14 lets a pharmacist dispense a 72-hour refill supply repeatedly during a declared state of emergency — but in total not more than a 30-day supply — without practitioner authorization, provided the drug is not a controlled substance, it is in your professional judgment essential to maintaining life or continuing therapy, the record is marked “emergency refill prescription”, the patient is told it was dispensed without authorization, and you notify the practitioner when conditions permit. A state of emergency may be declared by the Governor or the President. Board Policy 14 §3; O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(j)
Temporary recognition of an out-of-state pharmacist during a relief effort ends at the end of the month following the third Board meeting after issuance and is not renewable; temporary technician registration ends with the emergency. Board Policy 14 §4
Emergency drug kits — three regimes, one of them different
Chapter 480-24 runs three near-identical rules, one per facility type. The differences are examinable.
| Facility | Inventory | Reseal and log? | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed nursing home | at least once a month | no | r. 480-24-.04(7)(d) |
| Licensed hospice | once a month | no | r. 480-24-.07(4) |
| Crisis Stabilization Unit | once a month | yes | r. 480-24-.08(2)(a) |
- Inventory is by a pharmacist from the provider pharmacy, who signs a card attached to the kit showing the date inspected; the provider pharmacy keeps the inspection record. r. 480-24-.04(7)(d)
- No drug may be taken from a kit without a new prescription drug order, and a valid signed order must reach the vendor pharmacy within 72 hours. (The CSU rule says “a” prescription drug order, not “a new” one.) r. 480-24-.04(7)(b); .07(2); .08(2)
- Unique to Crisis Stabilization Units: whenever the kit is accessed, personnel must immediately reseal it with a tamper-proof, serial-numbered seal, and record the seal serial number in a log along with the name of the person who removed the drug and resealed the kit and the date it was opened. r. 480-24-.08(2)(a)
- There is no fixed formulary and no numeric quantity cap. The Board approves the drugs and the amounts individually, per kit, per facility, on the GDNA Director's recommendation. Any change must go in writing to the GDNA Director. The approval becomes null and void once the approved pharmacy stops providing the kit. r. 480-24-.04(7)(g)
- Each solid oral dosage form in the kit is individually labeled with name, strength, lot number, expiration date and cautionary information. .04(7)(h)
- The exterior is labeled “EMERGENCY USE ONLY” and physically signed and dated by the pharmacist who sealed the kit, with a list of contents and the provider pharmacy's name, address and telephone attached inside and outside. .04(7)(i)
Record retention — the short answer is two years
Essentially everything in Chapter 480 is kept two years: dispensing records, original prescriptions in the serially numbered file, patient records from the last entry, transferred prescriptions from the last refill, electronic prescription data, daily sight-readable printouts and the bound log book, nonresident records, drug sample records, PSE logbooks, drug-disposal logs, biological substitution prescriptions, CE certificates and mail-order compromised-delivery documentation. r. 480-27-.03, -.05, -.07, -.09; r. 480-31-.01; r. 480-22-.07, -.11, -.14; r. 480-19-.03(d); r. 480-50-.02, -.03; r. 480-51-.02(3)(a); r. 480-3-.03(6)(c); r. 480-48-.02(4)(h)
The single exception is CE provider attendance records, at five years. r. 480-3-.03(10)(f)
5. Two Georgia specialties
Drug therapy modification and low-THC dispensing. Both are governed by chapters most candidates never open, and both diverge sharply from what the rest of the country does.
Drug therapy modification — and why it is not a collaborative practice agreement
If you have learned the multi-state CPA model, unlearn it for Georgia. Chapter 480-35 is physician-only delegation under a patient-specific protocol, and the pharmacist needs a separate Board certification before entering one at all.
- Only a physician may delegate. “Physician” means a person holding a current license to practice medicine in Georgia. No nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dentist, podiatrist or optometrist may enter a Chapter 480-35 protocol. r. 480-35-.01(4), -.04(1)
- It is patient-specific, not population-based. The protocol must state the identity of each patient it covers and the physician's diagnosis for each patient. There is no disease-state protocol. r. 480-35-.04(2)(e),(f)
- Certification first, and it renews on its own clock. Board certification requires a Board-approved course and 0.3 CEU / 3.0 contact hours obtained in the 12 months before applying. It is renewed annually and expires if not renewed by 31 December — which is not your license renewal cycle. The current certification must be posted with your license. r. 480-35-.02(1)(d),(3),(5)
- Renewal CE must be from a live program of at least 1.0 contact hour, on the therapy area in which you modify. Home study alone will not do it. r. 480-35-.03(3),(4)
- Modification is broader than it sounds. It covers dosages, dosage schedules and medications, and the substituted medication need not be pharmaceutically or therapeutically equivalent to what was first prescribed. r. 480-35-.01(2)
- There is no controlled-substance carve-out. Nothing in Chapter 480-35 excludes any schedule or drug class. The protocol must satisfy the prescription-issuance requirements of § 16-13-41 or § 16-13-74, and the only real limits are the types, categories and maximum and minimum dosage levels the parties write in themselves. r. 480-35-.04(1),(2)(j)
- Two-year ceiling. No protocol may run longer than two years, and a protocol terminates immediately if either party's license or certificate lapses, is revoked or is not renewed. r. 480-35-.04(3)
- Ten-year records — running from the date the protocol is terminated, not from the date of the record. This is the longest retention period in Georgia pharmacy law by a factor of five, and GDNA may inspect and copy them on request. r. 480-35-.05(2),(4)
- The patient opts out, not in. The protocol needs a mechanism to inform the patient that the physician authorized the modification and to tell them how to opt out. Consent is not required. r. 480-35-.04(2)(e)
- Hospital pharmacists are exempt. None of this applies to medication therapy management by protocol approved by a member of the hospital medical staff for hospital patients. r. 480-35-.08
No deadline to tell the prescriber
Chapter 480-35 sets no rule-level deadline for notifying the physician of a modification. The protocol itself must specify “the method and frequency of notification”, and you must document that it happened. If a question asks for the deadline, the answer is whatever the protocol says. r. 480-35-.04(2)(i); r. 480-35-.05(1)(e)
Low-THC products — dispensing without a prescription
Chapter 480-52 governs the Low THC Pharmacy Dispensary, which is not a separate pharmacy: it is a license bolted onto an existing retail pharmacy, sharing its premises, its prescription department, its PIC, its hours and its security. r. 480-52-.03, -.04, -.14
- There is no prescription. Products are dispensed to a Registered Patient on a registry card issued under § 31-2A-18. The pharmacist must physically view and inspect the patient's identification and registry card and verify that the registration is valid before dispensing. r. 480-52-.10(2)
- You must still check the PDMP. A pharmacist dispensing a low-THC product must seek and review PDMP information on the patient first — for a product that is neither a controlled substance nor a prescription drug. r. 480-52-.10(3)
- Permitted forms are a closed list: oil, tincture, transdermal patch, lotion, capsule. Food products are categorically excluded — “including, but not limited to, cookies, candies, or edibles.” r. 480-52-.01(7)
- FDA-approved products are outside the definition entirely. A drug approved under section 505 of the FDCA is not a “low THC oil”, so Epidiolex is dispensed as an ordinary prescription drug. r. 480-52-.01(5)
- Closed supply loop. Product may only be bought from a firm licensed by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, and expired product may only be returned to the originating Commission-licensed producer — no reverse distributor, no destruction on site. r. 480-52-.13, -.16
- License expires 30 June and dies on 1 September. Miss that and only a new application works. r. 480-52-.07(1)(g)
- Licensure uniquely requires a zoning gate — either written certification of compliance with § 16-12-215(a) or a certified copy of a local zoning authority order — and a GDNA Director's report certifying the applicant's qualifications. The predicate pharmacy's disciplinary history is a licensure factor. r. 480-52-.07(1)(c)1.vi, 3; (1)(i)7
- Stock may only be on hand after the permit has issued. r. 480-52-.12(1)(d)
The rule and the statute now disagree — know both
Chapter 480-52 still defines low THC oil by “not more than 5 percent by weight” of THC. That figure is now obsolete: SB 220, effective 1 July 2026, rewrote O.C.G.A. § 16-12-190 so that the statutory definition carries no percentage cap at all, and renamed the program medical cannabis. What replaced it is a quantity ceiling, not a potency one — § 16-12-191 now makes lawful a cumulative total of 12,000 mg of THC, with a 1,200 mg cap per package, labeled in milligrams rather than percentage. The old “20 fluid ounces” figure is gone. Do not read the 12,000 mg as a strength limit. The rule has not been conformed; implementing rules are due 1 January 2027. SB 220 (Act 712), Ga. L. 2026 p. 968 · § 16-12-190, -191, -200 · r. 480-52-.01(5)
- Smoking is banned for everyone. Vaporization is banned for anyone 21 years of age or younger — so it is lawful only from 22. Ingestion in any public place is prohibited. O.C.G.A. § 16-12-234(a)
Vaccines — the authority is not in the Pharmacy Practice Act
Georgia pharmacists vaccinate under a physician vaccine protocol agreement made under the Medical Practice Act and administered by the Composite Medical Board, not the Board of Pharmacy. That is a favorite distractor. O.C.G.A. § 43-34-26.1; Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 360-34
- Authority starts when the agreement is executed, not when it is filed. The physician files the executed agreement with the Composite Medical Board within 30 days of execution — so lawful administration can and does begin before filing. You need no confirmation back from the Medical Board. r. 360-34-.07
- What has to be on site. The agreement itself is posted conspicuously with the list of vaccines it authorizes; the notarised affidavit and proof of at least $250,000 of liability cover are kept at the pharmacy and are what GDNA asks to see. § 43-34-26.1(d)(13),(14),(15)
- One definition, three limbs — not three separate authorities. A vaccine qualifies if it is on the ACIP adult schedule and given to someone 18 or older; or it is influenza and the patient is 13 or older; or it is for an illness that has resulted in a public health emergency and the patient is 13 or older. All three run through the same protocol agreement. § 43-34-26.1(a)(9)(A)–(C); § 31-12-1.1
- COVID-19 from 13 — know where that comes from. COVID-19 is not named anywhere in the three-limb definition of “vaccine”. (A Board rule does name it elsewhere — r. 480-15-.04(1)(h)5 on how a COVID-19 vaccine is administered — but that is not what sets the age.) It reaches age 13 only through the public-health-emergency limb, and it is the Board that has said the emergency need not still be active. Answer the statutory limb, not the brand name. Board guidance, 12 August 2026
6. Discipline and what you must report
Georgia gives the Board unusually direct powers over the person, not just the license — compelled examination, deemed consent, and a mandatory duty to report your colleagues.
The sixteen grounds
The Board may refuse to issue or renew, suspend, revoke, restrict or fine, on one or more of these. O.C.G.A. § 26-4-60(a)
- Unprofessional, immoral, unethical, deceptive or deleterious conduct harmful to the public — including any departure from the minimal reasonable standards of acceptable and prevailing practice
- Incapacity preventing practice with reasonable skill, competence and safety
- Conviction of a felony; of a crime of moral turpitude anywhere; or of violating pharmacy or drug laws
- Knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations; fraud in obtaining a license
- Practicing or aiding unlicensed practice; falsely using “pharmacist”, “pharmacy intern” or “pharmacy”
- Failing to pay costs assessed in a disciplinary hearing
- Unfitness through intemperance in alcohol, narcotics, habit-forming drugs or stimulants, or an abnormal physical or mental condition threatening patient safety
- Being adjudged mentally incompetent — which automatically suspends the license for as long as the adjudication is in effect
- Violating any rule promulgated by the Board
- Promoting a prescription-only drug to the public
- Regularly using the mails or common carriers to deliver prescription drugs directly to patients, subject to the specialty-pharmacy, institutional and pharmacy-to-pharmacy exceptions
- Dispensing a different drug or brand than prescribed without prior authorization
- Violating or attempting to violate any statute or rule relating to pharmacy practice, in any jurisdiction, whether or not criminally punishable, where the licensee knows or should know
- Having a license revoked, suspended or annulled, or discipline taken, by any other licensing authority
- Failure to demonstrate the qualifications for a license — the burden is on the applicant
- Knowingly aiding or encouraging an unlicensed person, or one whose license is suspended or revoked, to practice
“Conviction” includes a plea of guilty, nolo contendere or no contest, regardless of whether adjudication of guilt or sentence is withheld or not entered. § 26-4-60(g)
Powers worth knowing
- Compelled examination and deemed consent. On reasonable grounds the Board may require a mental or physical examination. Results are admissible notwithstanding any claim of privilege. Everyone who accepts the privilege of practicing, or applies to, is deemed to have consented and to have waived all objections to admissibility. Refusal without cause lets the Board enter a final order. § 26-4-60(a)(7)(B)
- The Board may also obtain any records relating to mental or physical condition, including psychiatric records, on the same deemed-consent basis. (a)(7)(C) Such information is received in camera, is not disclosed publicly, and may not be used against the licensee in any other type of proceeding. (a)(7)(D)
- The order can reach the owner. Where a pharmacy, manufacturer, wholesaler, researcher or reverse distributor has violated the drug laws, the Board may issue a disciplinary order to any corporate owner, officer, owner, partner, or pharmacist in charge. r. 480-5-.02
- Cost recovery up to $25,000. The Board may direct a licensee found guilty to pay the reasonable cost of investigation and prosecution, capped at $25,000. r. 480-5-.05
- Unless otherwise provided, any violation of Chapter 4 is a misdemeanour. § 26-4-62
- Separate PIC exposure where complete and accurate controlled-substance records have not been kept. § 26-4-60(b)
The conscience clause
“It shall not be considered unprofessional conduct for any pharmacist to refuse to fill any prescription based on his/her professional judgment or ethical or moral beliefs.” r. 480-5-.03(13)
Impairment — a mandatory duty to report a colleague
Where a pharmacist, intern or extern is impaired or has endangered the public health and welfare while practicing, any other Board licensee who is aware of it has the obligation and duty to notify the Board. r. 480-5-.04
No safe harbour
No Georgia rule establishes a confidential, non-reporting recovery program as an alternative to discipline. The structure is: mandatory peer report, Board-approved treatment providers, consent orders. Do not assume a diversion program exists that excuses the report.
Every reporting deadline, in one table
| What happened | Within | To | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft or loss of drugs or devices; and the other nine notifiable occurrences | 24 hours, in writing | Board | r. 480-10-.20(1)(b),(2) |
| Theft, loss or unaccounted-for controlled substances | 3 days of discovery | GDNA | r. 480-16-.06(1) |
| Fire or water damage to drug storage | 3 days | GDNA Director | r. 480-16-.04(2) |
| Unlicensed dispensing, or filling while impaired | 10 days | GDNA Director | r. 480-16-.01(1) |
| Technician separation, with the reason if drug or crime related | 10 days | Board | r. 480-15-.04(1)(b),(d) |
| Pharmacist address or employment change | 10 days | Board | § 26-4-44(a) |
| Technician administers a vaccine — notify the patient's primary care provider | 72 hours | PCP | r. 480-15-.04(1)(j)2. |
| Interchangeable biological dispensed | 48 hours, excl. weekends and holidays | prescriber | r. 480-51-.02(7) |
| 72-hour emergency refill | 7 working days | practitioner | § 26-4-80(j)(3) |
| Declared-emergency 30-day supply | 48 hours | prescriber | § 26-4-80(f)(1) |
| Nonresident: discipline by another board or federal agency | 5 business days | Board | r. 480-6-.02(17) |
| Nonresident: change of PIC shipping into Georgia | 72 hours | Board | r. 480-6-.02(18) |
| Nonresident: respond to Board communications | 10 business days | Board | r. 480-6-.02(19) |
| Nonresident: produce records on written request | 15 business days | Board | r. 480-6-.02(11) |
| Intent to act as an authorized collector or site a receptacle | 30 days in advance | Board and GDNA | r. 480-50-.02(1)(a) |
7. The numbers
Print this page. If you remember nothing else from this sheet, remember these.
Ratios and people
| Pharmacist : technicians | 1 : 4 |
| — of whom certified (rule) | 1–2 → 0 · 3 → 1 · 4 → 2 |
| Interns + externs under one pharmacist | 6 total |
| Observer | 1 : 1 · 8 h/day · 40 h total |
| Pharmacies per PIC | 1 |
| PDMP delegates per shift | 2 |
| Minimum age, technician / observer | 17 |
Absence and presence
| Absence, daily maximum | 3 hours |
| Absence, at any one time | 1½ hours |
| Not an absence at all | under 5 minutes |
Continuing education
| Pharmacist, per biennium | 30 h |
| — first cycle, prorated | 30 / 15 / 0 |
| Technician, per biennium | 20 h |
| — first cycle, prorated | 20 / 10 / 0 |
| Technician immunization CE | 2 h |
| Intern practical experience | 1,500 h |
Renewal dates
| Pharmacist license | 31 Dec, even |
| — late until | 31 Jan, +50% |
| Pharmacy, nonresident, technician | 30 June, odd |
| — lapses | 1 Sept |
| Intern license | 5 years / 3rd failure |
Controlled substances
| C-II refills | none |
| C-III/IV/V refills · validity | 5 · 6 months |
| C-III/IV/V transfers | 1 (5 if shared database) |
| C-II partial, pharmacy short | 72 hours |
| C-II partial, non-emergency | 30 days |
| C-II partial, LTCF / hospice | 60 days |
| Emergency oral C-II, written follow-up | 7 days |
| PA / APRN emergency C-II | 5-day supply, age 18+ |
| Red “C” stamp | ≥ 1 inch |
Quantity caps
| Pseudoephedrine | 3.6 g / 24 h · 9 g / 30 d |
| Exempt Schedule V | 4 oz or 32 units / 48 h |
PDMP
| Prescriber query interval | every 90 days |
| Dispenser reporting | every 24 hours |
| Exemption, routine | ≤ 3-day AND ≤ 26 pills |
| Exemption, outpatient surgery | ≤ 10-day AND ≤ 40 pills |
| New DEA registrant enrols | 30 days |
| Identifying data accessible | 5 years |
Emergency supplies
| Routine, cannot reach prescriber | 72 h / notify 7 working days |
| Declared emergency | 30 d / notify 48 h |
| Maintenance, chronic illness | 90 d, non-controlled only |
| Ophthalmic early refill | ≥ 70% of days used |
Physical pharmacy
| Minimum floor space | 150 sq ft |
| Drive-through window | ≥ 2 × 3 ft |
| Drive-through lanes · distance | ≤ 2 · ≤ 24 ft |
| “Closed” sign letters | ≥ 3 inches |
| Outdated stock check | ≤ 6 months |
| LTCF return, expiry remaining | ≥ 6 months |
Retention
| Essentially everything | 2 years |
| CE provider attendance records | 5 years |
Drug therapy modification
| Who may delegate | physicians only |
| Protocol maximum | 2 years |
| Certification CE, annual | 3.0 h; ≥1.0 h live on renewal |
| Certification expires | 31 December |
| Record retention | 10 years from termination |
Low-THC
| Patient possession cap (statute) | 12,000 mg THC |
| Per-package cap (statute) | 1,200 mg THC |
| Potency cap (statute, post-SB 220) | none |
| Product definition (rule, unconformed) | ≤ 5% by weight |
| Vaporization lawful from | age 22 |
| Smoking | banned, all ages |
| License expires · dies | 30 June · 1 Sept |
| PDMP check before dispensing | required |
Board policies
| GDNA inspection interval | ≤ 18 months |
| Change of ownership, dual operation | 60 days |
| Change of location, dual premises | 30 days |
| CE audit shortfall make-up | 2 hours per 1 |
| CE deficiency fee · cap | $50/h · $500 |
| No-show waiting period | 6 months |
| Declared emergency, total supply | 30 days (72 h at a time) |
Vaccines
| ACIP adult schedule | age 18+ |
| Influenza | age 13+ |
| Public-health-emergency illness | age 13+ |
| Authority begins on protocol | execution |
| Physician files with Medical Board | 30 days |
| Liability cover | ≥ $250,000 |
Money
| Disciplinary cost recovery cap | $25,000 |
| PDMP reporting felony fine | up to $50,000 |
| Undisclosed arrest, per arrest | $25 |
How this was verified
Verification. Every rule in this sheet was checked against the Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Chapter 480, current through filings of 2 September 2026; against the 2025 Code of Georgia including amendments effective 1 July 2026; and against the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy's own Manual of Board Policies as adopted 22 April 2026 and its published notices; vaccine authority was checked against the Medical Practice Act and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 360-34. Every claim was then re-checked by a second, independent pass working only from primary sources. That pass corrected three statements in an earlier draft: the SB 220 figure is a cumulative possession ceiling and not a potency cap; the three vaccine categories are limbs of one definition under one protocol agreement, not independent authorities; and vaccination authority begins when the protocol is executed, not when it is filed. The HB 382 amendment was verified against the signed bill rather than a codifier's note.
Note the policy numbering. The Board renumbered its policies twice in eighteen months. Every policy cited here is numbered as in the manual adopted 22 April 2026; an older copy will not match.
What is not here. Federal law, and Board fee amounts. Everything else examinable in Chapter 480 that this sheet reaches is covered, including Chapters 480-35 and 480-52 in full.
This sheet is study material, not legal advice. Where a question turns on a rule, read the rule. © 2026 Adetayo Ogunsanya, PharmD · doctayo.com
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This page is study material, not legal advice. Where a question turns on a rule, read the rule. © 2026 Adetayo Ogunsanya, PharmD