Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about accredited activities?

Questions about Certificate Programs?

Statement of Credit questions?

Contact Information

Accreditation Statistics

What are ACPE's guidelines for logo usage?

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Accredited Activities

Is there a listing of CE activities that is accessible to pharmacists who are looking for CE activities?

The Pharmacists' Learning Assistance Network (P.L.A.N. ® ) is an information service developed by ACPE to allow pharmacists to access information on continuing pharmacy. To access this service or for more information please click here.

Does ACPE accredit individual CE activities?

No, ACPE does not accredit individual CE activities. ACPE accredits organizations to plan and conduct CE activities. All providers must plan and conduct activities in accord with ACPE's Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines . These standards consist of twenty-six criteria that include: Administration and Organization, Budget and Resources, Faculty and Staff, Educational Program Development, Methods of Delivery, Facilities, and Evaluation.

How does a pharmacist know if a CE program will offer ACPE credit?

The Council's Policy on Reference to Accreditation indicates that whenever any reference to accredited provider status is made by an ACPE accredited provider in any form of communication or publicity (e.g., announcements, promotional materials, publications, etc.), it shall state only the following:

"(Name of provider) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education." The Council's official logo as it is shown here should be used in close conjunction with this statement.

I attended a conference that only offered CME credit. Can I also receive ACPE credit?

ACPE does not distribute statements of credit. In order to receive credit you need to contact the state board of pharmacy and ask if they approve CE activities for renewal of licensure or do they accept CME credit. A list of the individual CE requirements by state board may be found here.

I was reading a journal article to obtain ACPE credit. The article has a statement that it is supported by a grant from a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Will my state board of pharmacy accept this for ACPE credit? 

ACPE does not accredit pharmaceutical manufacturers as ACPE accredited providers of CE. However pharmaceutical manufacturers may supply a grant to an ACPE accredited provider in support of a CE activity. These types of activities are acceptable by state boards of pharmacy. CE activities whereby the pharmaceutical manufacturer is responsible for the content of the CE activity are not acceptable for ACPE credit.

What is the ACPE Universal Program Number (UPN)?

A Universal Program Number is an identification number which is assigned to each new continuing pharmacy education program developed and sponsored, or cosponsored, by an ACPE-accredited provider. This number is developed by appending to the ACPE provider identification number (e.g. 197), the cosponsor designation number (000 for no cosponsor, 999 for all non-ACPE-accredited cosponsors, or the ACPE identification number for ACPE-accredited cosponsors), the year of program development (e.g., 06), the sequential number of the program from among the new programs developed during that year (e.g., 001), and the format (L - Live offerings, H - Home study and other mediated offerings, C -Offerings that contain both live and home study or mediated components) and topic designators (01 - Drug therapy related, 02 - AIDS therapy related, 03 - Law topics, 04 - General Pharmacy Topics). Repeated offerings of the same program should use the same Universal Program Number for a three-year period, although the cosponsor designation might vary. Example: 197-999-06-001-L03.

Certificate Programs

What is a certificate program?

Certificate Programs in Pharmacy are a part of the spectrum of continuing professional education in pharmacy. Certificate Programs are structured and systematic post-graduate continuing education experiences for pharmacists that are generally smaller in magnitude and shorter in time than degree programs, and that impart knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance behaviors designed to meet specific pharmacy practice objectives. Certificate Programs are designed to instill, expand, or enhance practice competencies through the systematic acquisition of specified knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance behaviors. Upon completion of a Certificate Program in Pharmacy, the pharmacists will receive a Certificate of Completion and a statement of continuing education credit. A Certificate Program is generally a minimum length of 15 contact hours and includes a didactic component and practice experiences and/or simulations so as to assure demonstration of the application of the stated professional competencies. A Certificate Program in Pharmacy offered by an ACPE-accredited provider is depicted by means of the ACPE Certificate Program mark, presented below, which is utilized in close conjunction with the title of the Certificate Program.

 

Is there a difference between Certificate Programs in Pharmacy and the certification processes that exist in other parts of pharmacy?

Yes, Certificate Programs in Pharmacy are to be distinguished from certification and licensure, which give recognition to an individual and have different purposes and meanings. Certification is the process by which a non-governmental agency, such as a professional association, grants recognition, following assessment, to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that organization. The formal recognition of certification is granted to an individual to designate to the public that this person is competent to practice in the designated area of certification. The successful completion of one or more Certificate Programs in Pharmacy may be among the requirements for certification or re-certification, as determined by the organization granting certification. As with certification, licensure refers to the recognition of an individual and involves predetermined qualifications, but the granting agency is governmental, and licensure provides a legal basis for practice.

Statements of Credit

What is the difference between a certificate and a statement of credit?

A statement of credit (new terminology; previously referred to as a certificate, the terminology was changed to avoid confusion with certificate programs or certification) is the document of evidence of completion a pharmacist obtains after participating in a continuing education activity.

I lost my ACPE statement of credit, can I receive another one?

Yes. You need to contact the ACPE-accredited provider who conducted the CE activity and they should be able to provide you with a duplicate statement of credit. To assist you a list of accredited providers along with their contact information may be accessed here.

How do I contact you with a specific question?

If you need to speak with someone directly, please call (312) 664-3575 or e-mail us at:

csinfo@acpe-accredit.org
(professional degree program questions)

ceinfo@acpe-accredit.org
(continuing education accreditation questions)

Accreditation Statistics

106 Colleges and Schools with accreditation status

- 90 Colleges and Schools with full accreditation
- 10 Colleges and Schools with Candidate status
- 6 Colleges and Schools with Precandidate status

414 Continuing Education Providers with Accreditation Status

39 Continuing Education Providers who also offer Certificate Programs

1 Continuing Education Providers have inactive status