Third section of the state examination in pharmacy

What is examined?

§ 19 of the Pharmacists' Licensing Regulations provides for two subjects: Pharmaceutical Practice and Special Legal Areas for Pharmacists. The examination is oral, held before a committee of the state examination office, lasting at least half an hour and at most one hour per candidate per subject. The content covers everyday pharmacy practice: compounding, dispensing of medicines, counselling, narcotic drugs law, and the requirements of the Pharmacy Operations Regulation. The Medicines Act, the Pharmacy Act, and pricing regulations form the second focus. Because these provisions are continuously changing, the version in force on the examination date is the relevant one. Questions are usually based on specific cases from the pre-registration period.

How does the procedure work?

Candidates are admitted once they have passed the Second Section and can demonstrate completion of the twelve-month practical training including the accompanying instruction. If a candidate fails a subject examination, the examining committee may under § 15(6) AAppO require up to three further months of practical training before a resit. This noticeably delays the start of professional life, because many employment contracts are aligned with the planned date of approbation. Two resits are permitted; after that the examination is permanently failed. The certificate of the Third Section is the central document in the approbation application.

What applies to graduates from EU countries and from third countries?

The Third Section is the only examination section that § 22 AAppO expressly excludes from credit recognition for qualifications obtained abroad. However, anyone from an EU state such as Romania, Croatia, or Malta who has obtained a recognised training certificate under Annex V no. 5.6.2 of Directive 2005/36/EC does not need it at all. For applicants from third countries the knowledge test is oriented around this section in terms of content: it covers Pharmaceutical Practice, Special Legal Areas, and a subject in which substantial differences were identified. It lasts 30 to 60 minutes depending on the extent of the differences and may be retaken twice.

Common misconceptions

Passing the examination is not the same as authorisation to practise. The licence to practise as a pharmacist must be applied for separately from the competent state authority, with a certificate of good conduct and a medical certificate. Processing times and fees differ depending on the federal state.