ACPE is the national agency for accreditation in pharmacy education in the United States and U.S. territories. ACPE sets standards for assuring and advancing quality in the education and continuing education of pharmacists to prepare them for the delivery of pharmacist-provided patient care. ACPE’s work extends collaboratively to include pharmacy technician education programs and reaches around the world through the quality certification of programs outside of the United States and territories.

ACPE communicates with stakeholders through a variety of media and venues. Recent proceedings, reports, newsletters, press releases, presentations, and webinars are available for public access:

ACPE Report of Proceedings and Annual Report – Board of Directors

Proceedings of ACPE Board of Directors Meetings are published twice a year within 30 days of the end of each meeting. Board meetings are held in January and June each year.

Invitational Conference Proceedings

In collaboration with a broad array of leaders in pharmacy, health care, academia, continuing professional education, and policy, ACPE periodically conducts invitational stakeholder conferences to engage stakeholders in discussions to provide insight into changing trends in healthcare and necessary evolution of accreditation standards for professional degree programs, continuing education providers, and pharmacy technician education. Information and proceedings are available below:

  • Charting Accreditation’s Future: ACPE Consensus Conference on Advancing Quality in Pharmacy Education (September 2012)
    ACPE convened this invitational conference to engage stakeholders to advise the ACPE Board of Directors on how to ensure that the standards, guidelines, and accreditation process for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs are aligned with (1) current and future competency requirements of pharmacists and (2) evidence-based practices in assessing student learning and the quality of educational programs.

2012 Invitational Conference – Audio files and presentations

Reactor Panel: Perspectives on Current and Future Competency Requirements of Pharmacists 

Moderator:  Victoria F. Roche

Panelists: 

  • Carmen A. Catizone, MS, RPh, DPh
    Executive Director, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
  • Steven W. Gray, PharmD, JD
    Pharmacy Professional Affairs Leader, Kaiser Permanente, California
  • Nimesh Jhaveri, BS Pharmacy, MBA
    Executive Director, Pharmacy Services, Walgreens
  • Tom Menighan, BS Pharmacy, MBA, ScD
    Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, American Pharmacists Association
  • Daniel C. Robinson, PharmD
    Dean, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences
  • Lori J. Golterman, PharmD
    Clinical Specialist and National Director of Residency Programs
    Pharmacy Benefits Management, Veterans Health Administration

Panel Discussion: Innovations in Assessment and Accountability in Educational Programs in Other Health Professions

Moderator: Heidi M. Anderson, PhD, FAPhA

Panelists:

  • Barbara Barzansky, PhD
    Director, Division of Undergraduate Medical Education
    Secretary, Liaison Committee on Medical Education, American Medical Association
  • Heidi Taylor, PhD, RN
    Associate Professor of Nursing, West Texas A & M University
  • Mary Jane Harris, PT, MS
    Director, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy

Panel Discussion: Innovations in Assessment and Quality Improvement in Pharmacy Education—Classroom Teaching, Distance Learning, and Experiential Education

Moderator: Michael A. Moné, RPh, JD, FAPhA, ACPE Secretary/Treasurer

Panelists:

  • Listening and Taking Action: ACPE’s Next Steps

    Robert S. Beardsley, RPh, PhD, ACPE President
    Peter H. Vlasses, PharmD, DSc (Hon), BCPS, FCCP, ACPE Executive Director

  • 40 Years Later: Current and Future Opportunities and Challenges in Continuing Pharmacy Education. Conference Proceedings.
    Convened October 29-30, 2015 to ensure that accredited Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will be well-aligned with the future, evolving needs of the profession of pharmacy.

Special Reports

ACPE collaborates with stakeholders to discuss the evolving areas of contemporary pharmacy practice and outline competencies required by pharmacists to enter practice in these areas.

  • Continuing Pharmaceutical Education: Guide to Establishing Quality Assured and Accredited Programs
    Collaboratively developed with the Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS), this guidance document (with associated tools) is designed to assure the quality of CPD and advance excellence in education for the pharmacy profession through the establishment of standards and
    criteria for the accreditation of CPD and CE programs for pharmacy professionals.
  • AMCP-ACPE Task Force Report 2012
    Collaboratively developed with the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, this report describes the educational competencies required for pharmacists to enter pharmacy practice in managed care organizations.
  • NACDS Foundation-NCPA-ACPE Task Force
    Collaboratively developed with the National Community Pharmacy Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, this report describes the educational competencies required for pharmacists to enter pharmacy practice in community pharmacies.
  • ASHP-ACPE Task Force
    Collaboratively developed with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacy, this report describes the educational competencies required for pharmacists to enter pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems.

ACPE Update Newsletter

CPD Newsletters

CPE Provider e-Update

The CPE Provider e-update is an electronic newsletter with news and updates from the ACPE staff and CPE Commission for accredited CPE providers.

ACPE ISP Newsletter

The ACPE International Services Program Newsletter is published twice a year to communicate updates and information about ISP activities, programs and leaders with stakeholders around the world who share an interest in assuring quality in pharmacy education globally.

Training Webinars

CPE Webinars and Workshops

For information on CPE webinars and workshops, click here.

ISP Webinars

For information on ISP webinars, click here.