Pharmacists may use HHS HEART course to meet Texas human-trafficking CE requirement
May 30, 2025 | Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Boards & Commissions, Executive, Texas
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A Texas State Board of Pharmacy staff member said pharmacists may satisfy the Human Trafficking Prevention continuing-education requirement by completing the HHS C HEART course posted on the Texas Health and Human Services website; the board indicated the course counts as 1.5 hours toward license renewal.
The staff member told meeting attendees that the HEART course is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and therefore will not automatically report to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s CPE Monitor. The staff member advised pharmacists to save the HEART certificate in their records and to provide that certificate as proof of continuing education if the board requests it. They said pharmacists should not have to submit the certificate in advance of their renewal.
The staff member gave a contact for questions: humantrafficking@hhs.texas.gov, and noted the HEART course is hosted on the HHS site and linked from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s Human Trafficking Prevention Course webpage. The guidance provided was informational; there was no motion or vote tied to this item during the meeting.
The board’s clarification addresses how licensees can document completion because non-ACPE courses do not automatically transmit credits to the CPE Monitor system. Pharmacists who complete the HEART course should retain the course completion certificate as the primary evidence of having met the requirement, the staff member said.
No additional details about enforcement, deadlines, or changes to the board’s rule were provided during the discussion. Licensees with questions were directed to the HHS contact listed above or to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy website for the Human Trafficking Prevention Course link.
The staff member told meeting attendees that the HEART course is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and therefore will not automatically report to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s CPE Monitor. The staff member advised pharmacists to save the HEART certificate in their records and to provide that certificate as proof of continuing education if the board requests it. They said pharmacists should not have to submit the certificate in advance of their renewal.
The staff member gave a contact for questions: humantrafficking@hhs.texas.gov, and noted the HEART course is hosted on the HHS site and linked from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s Human Trafficking Prevention Course webpage. The guidance provided was informational; there was no motion or vote tied to this item during the meeting.
The board’s clarification addresses how licensees can document completion because non-ACPE courses do not automatically transmit credits to the CPE Monitor system. Pharmacists who complete the HEART course should retain the course completion certificate as the primary evidence of having met the requirement, the staff member said.
No additional details about enforcement, deadlines, or changes to the board’s rule were provided during the discussion. Licensees with questions were directed to the HHS contact listed above or to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy website for the Human Trafficking Prevention Course link.
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