Programs with International-Accreditation Status By Country

ACPE introduced the following amendments to terminology and designation of status – click here for details:

• January 1, 2023 – terms related to “Certification” were amended to “International-Accreditation”
• September 1, 2023 – terms related to status granted after an online evaluation were amended

ACPE International-Accreditation, International-Preaccreditation and Provisional International-Accreditation (collectively referred to as International-Accreditation Status) are not intended to and do not qualify graduates of a program with this status to be eligible to apply directly to sit for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination^® (NAPLEX^®) for licensure in the United States. ACPE International-Accreditation Status does not change or modify the requirement for pharmacists educated outside of the United States to achieve the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s (NABP) Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee™ (FPGEC^®) Certification before applying for a pharmacy licensure exam or state board of pharmacy license in the United States. ACPE International-Accreditation Status does not assure that the professional degree program would adequately prepare a graduate to be licensed to practice as a pharmacist in any of the states or territories of the United States.

Additional Status Definitions

Provisional International-Accreditation:  A Program is granted Provisional International-Accreditation if, as a result of an initial evaluation visit conducted on-site, it has been demonstrated that the Program complies with the Eligibility Criteria but has been found to have factors that compromise compliance with Quality Criteria. If the evaluation is conducted online, the designation of “(online evaluation)” will be included in the program’s status. The college must have demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Board, its preparedness to comply with all Quality Criteria and initiated appropriate plans to address the factors that compromise compliance. Provisional International-Accreditation may only be granted following a program’s initial application for International-Accreditation. The standard Term for Provisional International-Accreditation is two years, during which Term the Board will monitor progress toward full compliance with Quality Criteria. If the Program is not Advanced to International-Accreditation or International-Accreditation (online evaluation) within the two-year Term, Provisional International-Accreditation or Provisional International-Accreditation (online evaluation) may be withdrawn at the end of the two-year Term. A Program with this status is otherwise subject to the same policies and procedures as a Program with International-Accreditation.

International Pre-Accreditation:  A Professional Degree Program may be granted International-Preaccreditation during any stage of its development prior to the graduation of its first cohort; i.e., either before or after the admission of students. The Quality Criteria are the same as those employed for International-Accreditation; however, International-Preaccreditation involves evaluation of planning in accord with the Quality Criteria and provision by the college and institution of reasonable assurances for a quality outcome. If the evaluation is conducted online, the designation of “(online evaluation)” will be included in the program’s status.

International-Accreditation:  A Program is granted International-Accreditation if, as a result of an initial evaluation visit conducted on-site, it has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Board that the Program complies with the Eligibility Criteria and Quality Criteria, and there is reasonable assurance of continued compliance. If the initial evaluation is conducted online, the designation of “(online evaluation)” will be included in the program’s status. Internationally-Accredited Programs have the ongoing obligation to continually demonstrate compliance with the Quality Criteria.