Continuing professional education hour requirements for pharmacists vary based on circumstances. How many hours are required for a pharmacist licensed for the first time on August 31, 2019?

For pharmacists who are licensed for the first time in Indiana, there is a specific set of continuing professional education (CPE) hour requirements that apply. The regulation indicates that newly licensed pharmacists are not required to complete any continuing education hours for the first renewal period following their initial licensure.

Since the individual in this scenario was licensed on August 31, 2019, their first license renewal would typically occur in two years, around the end of August 2021. The first renewal period does not require any CPE hours, which is why the correct answer is that no hours are needed.

This regulation enables new pharmacists to focus on transitioning into their practice without the added pressure of fulfilling CPE requirements immediately after obtaining their license. Thus, the choice indicating zero hours is consistent with Indiana's requirements for new pharmacists.