State of Oregon Pharmaceutical Representative 10 Credit Pre-License Curriculum

This 10-credit curriculum is accredited by the Oregon licensing department and fulfills the requirements for the pre-license education. The curriculum consists of 7 courses each having an assessment. Upon completion of the curriculum, you will receive a Certificate of Completion which is required to complete your initial licensure.

State of Oregon Pharmaceutical Representative 10 Credit Pre-License Curriculum

This 10-credit curriculum is accredited by the Oregon licensing department and fulfills the requirements for the pre-license education. The curriculum consists of 7 courses each having an assessment. Upon completion of the curriculum, you will receive a Certificate of Completion which is required to complete your initial licensure.

State of Oregon Requirements*

Pre-license 10 PLE
  • The state of Oregon has enacted a Pharmaceutical Representative Licensing requirement, which became effective 1/1/2022. “Pharmaceutical Representative” is defined to include anybody who markets or promotes pharmaceutical products to health care providers in Oregon for 15 or more days during a calendar year. 
  • The conditions of initial licensure will include payment of a $755 license fee
  • In order to satisfy the prelicensure education requirements for an initial pharmaceutical representative license, applicants must complete a course(s) of at least 10 hours (PLE). In addition, each year an additional 5 hours of continuing education (CE) must be completed in order to renew the license.
  • Note: Licensees are subject to fines for failure to comply with the licensure requirements.
  • The online licensure application is available on the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services website. Please note that pharmaceutical sales representatives will be required to register in the state’s NIPR system, the same system utilized by insurance agents in Oregon. Step-by-step instructions, a video tutorial and an FAQ page are available at the link above and the instructions are attached for your reference.  
  • The NIPR system that is used for registration was designed for use by insurance agents, and is not tailored to pharmaceutical representatives, so may not be 100% user-friendly.
  • We recommend watching the video tutorial that is available for navigating the application process.  
  • You will be required to provide your “home” or personal address and phone number for ease of regulator contact.

Course Content

1: HIPAA HITECH
Training employees to safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI) is a requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as amended by the HITECH (The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act. This privacy course is specifically tailored to help employees understand what information is private, why it is private and what they can do to protect it. 
2: The Anti-Kickback Statute
Federal fraud and abuse law is a compilation of several laws, including the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), the Stark Law, and the False Claims Act. This course focuses on the AKS, with a particular emphasis on its application to pharmaceutical companies.
3: False Claims Act for Life Science
This course explains the purpose of the False Claims Act (FCA), the scope, how it is enforced and the associated penalties of non-compliance. Potential risks in sales activities are identified and examples are provided as a means to help manufacturers mitigate their risks.
4: Medical Terminology & Abbreviations Modules I to IV
This course provides common medical terminology and abbreviations which will provide a baseline for employees to better understand products, improve communications with healthcare professionals and have a better understanding of reportable events.
5: Product Complaints and Adverse Events
This Adverse Event course is comprised of two lessons and provides valuable information to enable the trainee to understand and identify an Adverse Event, define the types of Adverse Events, the importance of reporting requirements and tools for compliance.
6: Introduction to Working with DEA Controlled Substances
This course offers a foundation to working with DEA Controlled Substances in the life science industry. The course explains the functions of the Office of Diversion Control, laws and codes related to Controlled Substances, Registrant Responsibilities and more.
7: Cultural Competency in Life Sciences Modules I to IV
Cultural Competency in Life Sciences. This course consists of four modules with knowledge checks throughout and an assessment at the conclusion of the course. Module I takes the learner through the meaning of cultural competency and its philosophies and principles in the healthcare industry. Discussions include culture, race, ethnicity, identity and key terms. Module II to IV introduces the Bennett Model, cross cultural communication, measuring your cultural competence, communication and cultural influences working with health care professionals and practices to improve your cultural competence.