
International Services Program (ISP)
ACPE’s International Services Program offers professional degree program Certification and Precertification, consultation, and training to stakeholders around the world who seek guidance related to quality assurance and advancement of pharmacy education. The expertise, global perspectives, staff resources, and formal processes within the ISP support international stakeholders to advance pharmacy education and quality in their respective countries. ISP was established in January 2011.
International Commission
Abeer M. Al-Ghananeem, PhD
Professor of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics and Director of Research at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences; Member of the Board of Trustees at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College for InnovationLouisville, Kentucky, USA (Chair)
Jannet M. Carmichael, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FAPhA
President of Pharm Consult NV, LLCReno, Nevada, USA (Vice Chair/Chair-Elect)
Yousif Abdu Asiri, MS, PhD
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and President, Taif UniversityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Suresh Bhojraj, PhD
Pro Chancellor of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, MysuruMysuru, India
Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA
Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Practice Transformation, University of Maryland, School of PharmacyBaltimore, Maryland, USA
Michael Katz, PharmD
Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, and Director, International Programs and Residency Programs, University of Arizona, College of PharmacyTucson, Arizona, USA
Sherief Khalifa, PhD (Commissioner-Elect)
Professor and Vice Chancellor for Quality and Global Engagement, Dean, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, UAE, and Professor of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, EgyptAjman, UAE
Donald E. Letendre, BSPh, PharmD, FASHP
Dean and Professor, University of Iowa, College of PharmacyIowa City, Iowa, USA
Jenelle Sobotka, PharmD, FAPhA (Commissioner-Elect)
Professor and Director, Online Certificate and Masters Programs in Pharmacy Leadership, University of Cincinnati, James L. Winkle College of PharmacyCincinnati, Ohio, USA
ISP Advisory Group (ISPAG): 2020 – 2021 Term
Ola Ghaleb Al Ahdab, PhD
Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAbdullah M. Alhammad, PharmD, BCPS
Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaLilian Azzopardi, BPharm (Hons), MPhil, PhD, MRPharmS, FFIP
Msida, MaltaLeida Barrios, MSc
Panama City, PanamaTina Penick Brock, RPh, MS, EdD
Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaRula M. Darwish, PhD
Amman, JordanRümeysa Demirdamar, PhD
Lefke, Northern CyprusNettie Dzabala, MSc Pharm
Blantyre, MalawiManohar D. Karvekar, PhD, MPharm
Bangalore, IndiaSherief Khalifa, PhD
Ajman, United Arab EmiratesRosalyn Cain King, BS, PharmD, MPH, RPh, FNPhA
Silver Spring, Maryland, USABeom-Jin Lee, PhD
Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, South KoreaSilvana Nair Leite, PhD
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, BrazilArijana Meštrovic, MPharm, DrSc
Zagreb, CroatiaImelda G. Peña, RPh, DrPH
Manila, PhilippinesAntonio Sánchez Pozo, PhD
Granada, SpainMohamad Rahal, PhD
Beirut, LebanonP.T. Thomas, BPharm, MS, PhD
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MalaysiaDaisy Volmer, PhD
Tartu, Estonia
Certification of Professional Degree Programs
ACPE ISP Quality Criteria may be voluntarily adopted by degree programs in pharmacy outside of the United States.
Certification Quality Criteria
International Quality Criteria for Certification of Professional Degree Programs in Pharmacy
Adopted: June 23, 2016; Released: July 1, 2016
Glossary
Glossary For ISP Certification and Precertification Documents
Policies and Procedures
The ACPE Board has adopted policies and procedures that apply to the Certification and Precertification of professional degree programs in pharmacy that are based outside the United States of America (USA) and its territories; namely, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
Application for Certification:
ACPE accepts applications for Certification for programs that are a minimum of four academic years in length.
A summary of the steps in the application process and associated documentation, forms, flowcharts, and timelines are available for download.
Guidance:
Forms and Templates
- Summary of Certification Application Steps and Required Documentation
*Confirm with ACPE whether country-specific requirements are met. For schools located in Saudi Arabia, email Silvi Kastrati, for further information and additional guidance.
Deadlines for Submission of Application for Certification*
January 2022 Certification decision by the ACPE Board: Application Deadline Has Already Passed
June 2022 Certification decision by the ACPE Board: Click Here to See Sample Timeline
January 2023 Certification decision by the ACPE Board: Click Here to See Sample Timeline
Application for Precertification:
ACPE accepts applications for Precertification for programs that are a minimum of four academic years in length.
A summary of the steps in the application process and associated documentation, forms, flowcharts, and timelines are available for download.
Guidance:
Please e-mail us at “international@acpe-accredit.org” with any questions or inquiries.
Forms and Templates
Maintaining Certification:
Forms and Templates:
Interim Reports:
- Interim Report Template (June 2017)
Annual Reporting:
Fees
The fee structure for ACPE international services and related resources are available below.
World Bank Data – Country Classifications (latest published data)
ACPE has a rich history of engagements and promoting information exchange internationally among organizations and agencies involved in the quality assurance of pharmacy education.
On December 7, 2020, ACPE and CAA held a virtual signing ceremony to renew the MOU. To view a clip of the ceremony, click here.
In addition, ACPE was contracted by MSH to develop a report on quality assurance of continuing education and continuing professional development. The report was entitled “Continuing Pharmaceutical Education: Guide to Establishing Quality Assured and Accredited Programs.”
Hosting International Visitors
ACPE has hosted visitors from around the world, and has provided assistance to many countries in their efforts to establish or develop their own quality assurance systems for pharmacy education. If you are interested in visiting ACPE, please e-mail ISP Director, Mike Rouse, at mrouse@acpe-accredit.org
- Future Meetings and Presentations
- May 2021 International Commission Meeting: May 16-18, 2021 in Chicago, IL, USA
- November 2021 International Commission Meeting: November 14-16, 2021 in Chicago, IL, USA
- Future Calls
- International Commission Conference Call: None scheduled at this time.
- ISP Webinars
- ISP Informational Webinar: None scheduled at this time.
ISP Announcements
Consultation
ACPE offers consultation in a broad range of areas related to quality assurance and advancement of pharmacy education, including:
- Professional degree programs in pharmacy
- Continuing pharmacy education/continuing professional development
- In-service training
- Credentialing
- QA systems/development of standards
Workshops
ACPE offers and conducts training and workshops on topics such as preparation of self-studies, evaluator training, assessment, curricular development, continuing professional development, and standards development. Training programs may also be customized to meet the needs of global stakeholders.
The SMART Pharmacist Program is a sustainable, evidence-based educational initiative, designed for national professional institutions, associations, and chambers to foster changes in the pharmacy profession. To learn more, visit the SMART Pharmacist Program website: www.smartpharmacistprogram.org
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COVID-19 UPDATE
Partners of the SMART Pharmacist Program: In this very unusual and unpredictable time of pandemic, we would like to connect with all of you, in different countries, all over the World and express our support.
We would also like to recognize and thank our SMART Pharmacists who are serving patients at the front line. We have prepared a short video message that we would like to ask you to forward to all of them to keep the motivation and sustainability of the Program.
Yours truly,
Arijana Mestrovic and Mike Rouse
To view a list of all programs outside of the United States that have been granted Certification Status by ACPE, please click one of the following buttons.
- Professional degree program certification
- Consultation
- Workshops and training programs
ACPE is also engaged in numerous international activities, programs, and initiatives. See ISP Collaborations.
ACPE is committed to promoting information exchange among organizations and agencies involved in the quality assurance of pharmacy education. Over the past several years, members of the ACPE staff have been active in the International Forum for Quality Assurance of Pharmacy Education, an initiative of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Members of staff from ACPE have participated in several meetings of the Forum.
ACPE’s mission is to assure and advance pharmacy education. While its primary focus and the majority of its activity and effort will always be in the USA, ACPE believes that to fulfill its mission, it also should be involved beyond its borders. ACPE acknowledges that it can contribute to and learn from experiences and initiatives in other countries. ACPE also recognizes the benefits derived from monitoring and influencing global trends and developments within the profession of pharmacy, within education generally, and in the specific areas of quality assurance and quality improvement of pharmacy education.
The objectives of the Forum are:
- To promote excellence in education for the profession of pharmacy
- To provide an international forum for information exchange, collaboration, and cooperation in the area of quality assurance of pharmacy education, both in terms of entry-to-practice degree programs, as well as post-qualification continuing pharmacy education and continuing professional development
- To facilitate and promote communication between individuals, agencies, associations, and other bodies actively involved or interested in quality assurance of pharmacy education, with a view to:
• The establishment of systems of quality assurance in countries where no such formal systems exist, and
• The continuous quality improvement of existing systems of quality assurance.
The system of accreditation used in the USA may also be different from quality assurance approaches elsewhere. ACPE is an independent, autonomous agency, and in many other countries, quality assurance is the responsibility of a governmental, professional, or regulatory body. The framework and most or all of the “core principles” contained in the standards should, however, be applicable in most environments and, if modified to meet local needs and circumstances, the ACPE standards may be able to serve as a basis for the development of country-specific standards.
ACPE’s ISP has developed the International Quality Criteria and offers Certification of Professional Degree Programs in Pharmacy outside of the USA and territories.
Michael J. Rouse, BPharm (Hons), MPS
mrouse@acpe-accredit.org
Silvi Kastrati
skastrati@acpe-accredit.org
Contact Us
To submit a request for information, submit the form below: