Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0334

HR0334 LRB104 13540 ECR 26024 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois currently requires candidates for pharmacist licensure to pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) in addition to the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX); and

WHEREAS, Pass rate data for the Illinois MPJE has prompted renewed interest in evaluating its effectiveness as a tool for assessing licensure readiness and ensuring alignment with best practices in competency assessment; and

WHEREAS, Variations in candidate performance between Illinois and other jurisdictions suggest an opportunity to examine the content, structure, and item development process of the Illinois MPJE to ensure it accurately reflects current law and supports workforce readiness; and

WHEREAS, There is substantial concern from academic and professional stakeholders that the Illinois MPJE question bank may be outdated and does not adhere to best practices in contemporary exam development; and

WHEREAS, Multiple national pharmacy organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), have called for reform or the elimination of the stand-alone jurisprudence examination, citing redundancy, inconsistency, and a lack of correlation with public safety outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Other states and territories, including Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, have eliminated the MPJE requirement, and evidence from Idaho shows no adverse impact on patient safety or regulatory enforcement following its elimination; and

WHEREAS, The requirement of a state-specific pharmacy law examination creates unnecessary barriers to licensure, contributing to workforce shortages and disincentivizing new graduates and out-of-state pharmacists from practicing in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) already mandates comprehensive education in pharmacy law as part of every Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, and all licensure candidates must complete supervised clinical training under licensed pharmacists; and

WHEREAS, Eliminating the MPJE as a barrier to licensure will promote greater workforce mobility, reduce costs for new graduates, and better position Illinois to attract and retain qualified pharmacists at a time of increasing pharmacy closures and service gaps; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), in consultation with the Illinois Board of Pharmacy, to eliminate the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) as a requirement for pharmacist licensure in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the IDFPR and the Illinois Board of Pharmacy to consider alternative approaches to ensuring pharmacists' understanding of state-specific laws and rules, including continuing education, attestation statements, or integration of jurisprudence content within the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX); and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Secretary of IDFPR, the Chair of the Illinois Board of Pharmacy, and the deans of all accredited schools and colleges of pharmacy in the State of Illinois.