Pharmacy (In-State)

Renewal Information

For a list of renewal dates please see: Renewal Date Page

To Renew:

You will be able to renew your credential approximately 4 weeks prior to your license expiring. You will receive an email to the email address on file with instructions on how to renew.

1. ​Online Log In: Go to LicensE

2. Select "Renew My License"

3. Complete the application

4. Upload any required documents

5. Submit payment

6. See fees list here: Credential Fees

Pharmacy (In-State) licenses must be renewed by May 31 of even years for a $74 renewal fee. Pharmacy (In-State) licenses renewed after May 31 of even years must pay $99, which includes the $74 renewal fee and a late fee of $25.

Should you receive your initial credential in the months leading up to this date, you are still required to renew your license by the statutorily defined date.

During the renewal, you will need to upload your managing pharmacist's information to the renewal application.

There is no continuing education requirement for this credential.

Per Wisconsin Statute chapter 450.06 (1) no pharmacist or person engaged in the practice of pharmacy under chapter 450.03 (1) (f), (g), or (i) may dispense at any location in this state that is not licensed as a pharmacy by the board. No person in this state may use or display the title “pharmacy," “drugstore," “apothecary," or any other title, symbol, or insignia having the same or similar meanings, except for a place of practice which is licensed under this section as a pharmacy by the board.

Per Wisconsin Statute chapter 450.06 (4) Any person who fails to license his or her place of practice as required under this section may be assessed a forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $50 for each separate offense. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.

The completed application with the fee and required documentation must be submitted at least 30 days prior to date the applicant wishes to open the pharmacy. Make sure to provide all requested information.

A pharmacy may not operate unless a pharmacy license has been granted. Board action shall be taken within 60 business days of receipt of a completed pharmacy application, as provided in Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter SPS 4.03.

Per Wisconsin Statute chapter 450.09(1) (a) every pharmacy shall be under the control of the managing pharmacist who signed the pharmacy license application, the most recent license renewal application or the most recent amended schedule of operations. The managing pharmacist shall be responsible for the professional operations of the pharmacy. A pharmacist may be the managing pharmacist of not more than one community and one institutional pharmacy at any time and shall be engaged in the practice of pharmacy at each location he or she supervises. The board shall by rule define community pharmacy and institutional pharmacy for the purposes of this section, but a pharmacy that is operated exclusively as a Remotely Supervised Pharmacy shall not be considered a community pharmacy or institutional pharmacy for the purposes of this paragraph.

• The location of the pharmacy

• A floor plan of the pharmacy. Enclose one set of original floor plans, scaled to size, with a description of the various areas designated. Indicate location of sink and refrigerator. For specific floor plan requirements, refer to Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 6.

• The name of the managing pharmacist. Every pharmacy shall be under the control of the managing pharmacist who is listed on Department records. The managing pharmacist shall be responsible for the professional operations of the pharmacy. A pharmacist may be the managing pharmacist of not more than one community and one institutional pharmacy at any time and shall be engaged in the practice of pharmacy at each location he or she supervises. Use Form 2516 to report changes in the managing pharmacist, to notify the Board of the supervision of Remotely Supervised Pharmacies pursuant to EmR 2213, or to request Board approval to supervise more than 10 Remotely Supervised Pharmacies.

• Contact the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for registration forms at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov, (571) 362-6251, U.S. Department of Justice, DEA, 230 S. Dearborn Street, Kluczynski Federal Building, Ste. 1200, Chicago, IL 60604.

• Complete and submit self-inspection (Form 2550) with the expected dates of compliance per Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 6. You may upload the form into LicensE, https://license.wi.gov.

The Board no longer requires the Department of Safety and Professional Services to send inspectors to conduct on-site inspections prior to licensure.

In lieu of the above, the Board requires the Managing Pharmacist to complete Form 2550: Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report. Please complete each line indicating the date of compliance, either actual or anticipated, but in no event later than the proposed opening date indicated on the cover page of Form 2550. Sign the affidavit. If the Pharmacy is in non-compliance with any portions of the “Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report,” please indicate why the pharmacy is in non-compliance and when the pharmacy will be in compliance. Submit the entire “Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report” to the Board office when completed. Please make a copy for your files.

After the “Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report” has been reviewed and is found to be in order, a license number will be issued if all other requirements have been satisfied.

The Department on behalf of the Board will conduct an unannounced audit of the pharmacy location within one year after the date the license was issued to verify that the pharmacy is in compliance with the “Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report” as well as the Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code Relating to the Practice of Pharmacy.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure or the “Pharmacy Self-Inspection Report” please submit a support ticket by choosing Request Support through your LicensE account at license.wi.gov.

The Division of Legal Services and Compliance in the Department of Safety and Professional Services conducts a follow-up inspection to the self-inspection done by new Pharmacies prior to their opening for business.

• Below is a list of the most frequently occurring problems we found during our follow-up inspections. The reference is to the Pharmacy Board Rule or Statute. This list is being provided to assist new businesses in conducting their self-inspections.

  • Prescription labels – Not having the correct address of the facility or using the name of the previous pharmacy as per Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 7.02.

  • Records – Inadequate recordkeeping of Schedule V substances Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 8.05.

  • Alarm systems – All facilities must have a functioning alarm system or alternate board approved security system at all times to detect entry after hours. Some facilities were found to have opened without an alarm system in place or the alarm system was not working at various times Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 13.10(4).

To license a pharmacy or Remotely Supervised Pharmacy because of a change of ownership or change of location, complete the In-State Pharmacy License Application in LicensE at license.wi.gov and pay the $60.00 credential fee in the DSPS online LicensE system, https://license.wi.gov. Complete all steps under License Information.

Wisconsin Statute chapter 450.06 (3) requires that a new pharmacy license be obtained following a change of ownership. The chart on the following page sets forth when a change of ownership is deemed to have occurred or not occurred. Following the issuance of a new license, that new licensee must also renew that new license at the next required renewal date, regardless of when that new license was issued.

Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Wisconsin Statutes 450.06(3), provides in relevant part as follows:

No pharmacy may be opened or kept open for practice following a change of ownership, unless the pharmacy is licensed for the new owner notwithstanding any remaining period of validity under the pharmacy’s license under the previous owner.

Limited Liability Companies created under Wisconsin Statute chapter 183 are the same as Corporations for change of ownership.

Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter Phar 8.02(3)(f) Records: In any instance, that a pharmacy, practitioner, or other DEA registrant authorized to possess controlled substances is required to file with the DEA a report of theft or loss of controlled substances, the pharmacy, practitioner or other DEA registrant shall also send a copy to the board within two weeks of filing with the DEA.

Any pharmacy, practitioner, or other drug enforcement administration registrant is responsible for reporting the theft or significant loss of controlled substances to:

1. U.S. Department of Justice, DEA, 230 S. Dearborn Street, Kluczynski Federal Building, Ste. 1200, Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 353-7875; and

2. Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935, (608) 266-2112, dspsenforcement@wisconsin.gov.

Report the theft or loss on DEA Form DEA-106, (Report of Theft or Loss of Controlled Substances), obtainable from DEA at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

All thefts and any significant losses must be reported to the DEA immediately upon discovery of the theft or loss. Notification must be accomplished by completing and filing a DEA Form DEA-106, (Report of Theft or Loss of Controlled Substances). The form may be found on the Internet at www.DEAdiversion.usdoj.gov or may be obtained from your local DEA office. If the circumstances regarding the theft or loss need clarification before the form can be completed, the registrant can make an initial report via telephone or some other means and file the completed form as soon as the circumstances are known.

All controlled substances to be destroyed by a registrant, or caused to be destroyed by a registrant, shall be destroyed in compliance with applicable federal, state, tribal and local laws. See 21 CFR 1317. Contact your local DEA office for further information and necessary forms.

1. How does an in-state Pharmacy notify the Pharmacy Examining Board of a change in their DBA name?

   Please request a DBA amendment through your LicensE account by clicking the Amendment tab and choosing Request for Amendment at license.wi.gov. You must include the FEIN for the Pharmacy and confirm that this is a name change only and change of ownership has not occurred. Include your current and new name with your WI license number.

2. How does an in-state Pharmacy notify the Pharmacy Examining Board of a change in address?

   Please submit a change of address amendment via LicensE, https://license.wi.gov/. If this is a postal change only and no physical move has taken place, please create a support ticket through your organization’s LicensE account using the Request Support feature. You must include in the ticket the FEIN for the Pharmacy and confirm that this is a postal change only and no change of location has occurred. Include your current/new address with your WI license number.

3. How does an in-state Pharmacy notify the Pharmacy Examining Board of a change in managing pharmacist?

   Please submit an amendment through your in-state Pharmacy’s account in LicensE, https://license.wi.gov/. Please note that you must upload Form 2516: Managing Pharmacist Notification and Request Form.

4. How does an in-state Pharmacy notify the Pharmacy Examining Board of a facility closure?

   Please email Form 606: Pharmacy Closing Affidavit to dspscredpharmacy@wisconsin.gov. Once complete, submit a support ticket by Requesting Support through your LicensE account at license.wi.gov.

5. How does an in-state Pharmacy know if they need to re-license their Pharmacy due to a change of ownership?

   Wisconsin Statute section 450.06(3), requires that a new pharmacy license be obtained following a change of ownership. Please see the chart under Change of Ownership for guidance on whether a change of ownership is deemed to have occurred or not occurred.

   Following the issuance of a new license, the new licensee must also renew that new license at the next required renewal date, regardless of when that new license was issued.

• You can pay all fees associated with your credential by going to LicensE. 

• You will be asked to pay automatically at the end of your application. 

• You can pay with a credit or debit card, or via an automated clearing house or (ACH) payment.  

Please note, using an ACH payment can increase credential processing times by 3-5 business days.

You can view a list of fees for initial credentials and renewing your credential here: 

Credential Fees

The term credential is used universally to mean license, certification, permit, registration, enrollment and authorization.

• Applicants with convictions, who do not already have a credential, may apply for a predetermination. Predetermination is an optional, first step that happens before you would submit an initial credential application while meeting all credentialing requirements (e.g., education, training, examination, etc.)

  • To apply for a predetermination, log into LicensE.

  • If you have not created an account, you will first need to register.

  • After creating your account, log in, and select “Apply for a Pre-Determination.”

  •   Select the type of credential you would like to apply for.

  •   Follow all application instructions and upload all required documents.

• If the Department decides your record would not disqualify you, you can then apply for the actual credential and meet all the typical requirements like education, training, and exams.

• You may skip the predetermination process and submit your initial application for your credential. You must complete all steps to meet the credentialing requirements such as education, training, exams, and disclose your conviction record on your application.  Convictions and pending charges will be reviewed as part of the application process.

• Some applications require review by Department Legal staff.   

• This can be for a number of reasons, including but not limited to disclosure of convictions or pending charges, professional discipline, malpractice, termination, medical condition, supervised experience and application via reciprocity/endorsement.   

• Applications that require legal review will require additional processing time.  

• An application in the status “Legal File Preparation” is with DSPS and under review. 

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.

• LicensE at (license.wi.gov) is a self-guided online system where you can manage your professional credential from start to finish. 

• You will still need to review the requirements for the credential you are applying to. These can be found on the A-Z profession page. 

• With LicensE you can: 

  • Apply for a credential for the first time, with steps guiding you to upload your application documents, and pay all required fees.  

  • Renew an existing credential when it is time, to keep your credential active.  

  • View or download your credential for your records or verification.  

  • Update your personal information, including your phone number, email, and mailing address 

  • Submit support tickets and receive responses to your email from our staff experts.  

  • Allow third parties to review and upload required documents on your behalf 

  • Check the status of someone's credential using the public LicensE look up. 

• If you have never held a credential, you will need to create an account the first time you are on LicensE. 

  • To create an account, visit LicensE. You will then select “register for an individual” if you are applying for a license held by an individual, or “register for an organization” if you are applying for a license held by an organization.  

  • If you are not sure if the license you are applying for is an individual or organization license, please visit our A-Z professions page and review the profession page for more information.  

• When you create an account, please be sure to use an email you will always have access to.  

• For more information on LicensE, please see link to LicensE "How To" Page.