The Uniform MPJE: What Pharmacy Students and Pharmacists Need to Know for 2026 and Beyond

Austin Sherman
The Uniform MPJE: What Pharmacy Students and Pharmacists Need to Know for 2026 and Beyond

Pharmacist licensure has always involved a “federal + state” reality: federal rules apply everywhere, but each state still has its own pharmacy practice act, regulations, and board policies. The Uniform Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (Uniform MPJE, or UMPJE) is NABP's attempt to make that reality easier to navigate, especially for pharmacists who plan to practice across state lines.

Below is what the Uniform MPJE is, what’s changing in 2026, and how it may affect new graduates and already licensed pharmacists pursuing licensure in another state.

What is the Uniform MPJE?

The Uniform MPJE is a new version of the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination being developed by the**** National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Instead of being built around one state’s unique law framework, the Uniform MPJE is designed to assess:

  • Federal pharmacy law that applies across the U.S.
  • General principles and concepts of state pharmacy law that are common (“universal”) across most jurisdictions

Importantly, NABP emphasizes that the Uniform MPJE is not just a federal law exam; it’s intended to test the shared legal and regulatory concepts most states have in common.

Boards of pharmacy will be able to choose whether to:

  • Keep using the current state-specific MPJE

OR

  • Adopt the Uniform MPJE as their jurisprudence exam option
Why does the Uniform MPJE matter?

The big goal: Allow easier license portability

The NABP explains the Uniform MPJE as a tool to help streamline license transfer and exam score transfer, which allows candidates seeking licensure in other states to take a single exam instead of multiple state-specific exams.

This is especially relevant as pharmacy practice becomes more interstate by nature:

  • pharmacists relocating for jobs/residency
  • multi-state health systems
  • telehealth and remote order verification structures that cross state borders
What this means for new graduates (Class of 2026 and beyond)

If your state adopts the Uniform MPJE

You will likely:

  • Take NAPLEX + Uniform MPJE (instead of NAPLEX + that state’s MPJE)
  • Benefit from a jurisprudence exam that may be more “portable” if you plan to get licensed in multiple adopting states over time

If your state does NOT adopt it (yet):

  • You’ll continue taking the state-specific MPJE (or that jurisdiction’s law exam, if they don’t use the MPJE)

For context, the NABP notes that most jurisdictions utilize the MPJE. However, some jurisdictions do not require a jurisprudence examination (e.g., Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), while others administer a state-specific jurisprudence exam instead (e.g., California, Arkansas, Nevada, and Puerto Rico).

What this means for already-licensed pharmacists moving to another state:

License transfer will still require state board approval

Even with the Uniform MPJE, you should still assume:

  • You still need to meet the state's requirements, such as applications, background checks, fees, and possible CE or other requirements.
  • You may still need a law exam depending on the state.

Why it's helpful:

If multiple states start to adopt the Uniform MPJE over time, pharmacists may eventually avoid repeating different exams for each new state, which leads to a reduction in:

  • The cost of transfer
  • Time to licensure
Studying: What to Expect:

NABP has released a Uniform MPJE content outline and has now released an official Uniform MPJE practice exam, called the Pre-UMPJE™, which became available in January 2026 according to NABP’s Uniform MPJE state guidance.

A good approach for studying is to prepare with strong foundations in:

  • Federal controlled substances and DEA requirements
  • Prescription validity and documentation standards
  • Dispensing/labeling rules (generalizable principles)
  • Pharmacist responsibilities, delegation, and workflow compliance concepts
  • Common “board enforcement” themes: recordkeeping, transfers, controlled substance inventories, error reporting, etc.
Bottom Line:

As the Uniform MPJE continues to roll out nationally, it has the potential to simplify licensure pathways for future pharmacists and those seeking multi-state practice. Because each state determines its own licensure requirements, candidates are strongly encouraged to stay informed by reviewing guidance from the state board(s) of pharmacy in which they plan to seek licensure.

Sources:
  1. https://nabp.pharmacy/programs/examinations/mpje/uniform-mpje/
  2. https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/new-practitioner/docs/2025/Pharmacy-Law-Examination-Preparation-Guide_ASHP-NPF.pdf?utm_source
  3. https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/Uniform-MPJE-Content-Outline.pdf
  4. https://nabp.pharmacy/news/news-releases/new-practice-exam-supports-candidates-taking-the-uniform-mpje/