Of the examinations that NABP offers to gauge candidates’ readiness for pharmacy practice, the MPJE is the only one that assesses knowledge of state and federal laws and the ability to apply that knowledge in practice.

We’ve heard of a misperception that a number of states are considering eliminating or have eliminated jurisprudence examinations for licensure. The rumor is that jurisprudence examinations are no longer being considered essential. However, NABP assures its members and stakeholders that law exams are here to stay.

MPJE Plays a Vital Safety Role

Nearly all jurisdictions (48) still require a passing score on a jurisprudence examination for licensure. Of those, Arkansas and California administer their own law tests.

Jurisprudence examinations continue to be an important metric in evaluating credentials for licensure candidates.

We consider the MPJE of particular importance because of the connection between pharmacist regulation and public health. To ensure positive patient outcomes as often as possible, licensed pharmacists should understand the laws and regulations of their jurisdiction. The knowledge, skills, and abilities that the MPJE evaluates are not secondary to clinical knowledge but complementary to it.

Adaptable Test Responds to State Needs

Because each state’s pharmacy practice laws and regulations vary, MPJE content must be customized for each state and jurisdiction. And, because laws and regulations can change, NABP and its member boards ensure that each version of the MPJE is adaptable. When a test item is no longer relevant for a state, it can be quickly removed from that state’s MPJE after a board informs us of the change.

Also, the MPJE goes through an ongoing development process to ensure that the scores provided by the test are an accurate means of assessing a candidate’s competence to practice pharmacy. This includes evaluations of the test design and plan, surveys and blueprint review, standard setting, item development, and ongoing analysis and refining. In fact, a new MPJE blueprint, or competency statements, will be effective in January 2023.

Additional information about the MPJE and all NABP’s examinations are available in the Programs section of the NABP website.

This article was adapted from the August 2022 edition of Innovations.