Registered pharmacists; qualifications for license

(a) Any applicant for a license as a pharmacist shall submit an application on a form prescribed by the board and shall provide evidence to the board that the applicant: (1) Is at least eighteen years of age; (2) Holds a degree from a school or college of pharmacy or department in a university which is recognized and accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education; (3) Has a minimum of fifteen hundred hours of practical experience in any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, under the supervision of a pharmacist who is duly registered or licensed in the state, territory, or district where the experience is obtained. Service and experience under the supervision of a registered pharmacist as required in this section shall be predominantly related to the practice of pharmacy as defined under section 461-1. In the event an applicant has no practical experience as required, the applicant may take the examination and upon passing the examination, shall not receive a license until after the applicant fulfills the practical experience requirement; (4) Has passed an examination as may be prescribed by the board; and (5) Does not have an encumbered license or a pending disciplinary action or unresolved complaint in the practice of pharmacy in any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, or if any license has been or is encumbered, the applicant shall provide all information requested by the board. (b) Any applicant who is otherwise qualified to apply for a license to practice pharmacy in this State, but who is a graduate of a school or college of pharmacy located outside the United States which has not been recognized by the board as an accredited school, may be deemed to have satisfied the requirement of subsection (a)(2) by providing verification to the board of the applicant's academic record and graduation and by meeting other requirements as the board may establish from time to time. The board shall require the applicant to successfully pass an examination or examinations given or approved by the board to establish proficiency in English if the school is located outside the United States in a country where the official language is not English, and equivalency of education of the applicant with qualified graduates of a school or college recognized by the board as a prerequisite to taking the licensure examination required by section 461-6.