Continuing Pharmaceutical Education: Guide to Establishing Quality Assured and Accredited Programs

The CPD process involves three main groups: the individual pharmaceutical professional, the provider or group that provides the CE/CPD activities, and the CE/CPD accreditation body that oversees the quality assurance or accreditation process. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is the US national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE was established in 1932 for the accreditation of pre-service education and broadened its scope to include the accreditation of providers of continuing pharmacy education in 1975. ACPE's International Services Program was established in 2015 to strengthen its ability to assist international stakeholders who seek guidance related to quality assurance and advancement of pharmacy education. The Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program aims to ensure the availability of quality pharmaceutical products and effective pharmaceutical services to achieve desired health outcomes. The SIAPS result areas include improving governance, building capacity for pharmaceutical management, addressing information for decision-making in the pharmaceutical sector, strengthening financing strategies and mechanisms to improve access to medicines, and increasing pharmaceutical services. The need to build pharmaceutical capacity and accredit programs for continuing education and training in low- and middle-income countries is driven by the lack of an adequately trained healthcare workforce, which creates a barrier to the delivery of quality healthcare services. Inadequate knowledge, limited skills, and inappropriate attitudes can hinder the achievement of health outcomes. Advances in treatment and diagnosis of diseases, new technologies, systems, and process improvements, as well as changes in professional roles and responsibilities, require healthcare workers to engage in continuing professional development. The framework for establishing quality in continuing education and continuing professional development (CPD) involves several key elements. These include the establishment of a quality continuing professional development (CPD) program, the assurance of the quality of CE/CPD training activities, and the establishment of a CE/CPD accreditation body. The CE/CPD accreditation body oversees the quality assurance or accreditation process and ensures that CE/CPD activities meet established standards. The quality of individual CE/CPD and training activities can be assured by using quality criteria and standards. These criteria and standards should be based on the principles of quality education, which include relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and sustainability. The CE/CPD accreditation body should also consider the following elements when developing its accreditation standards: the scope of accreditation, the criteria for accreditation, the accreditation process, and the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of accredited providers. The development of an accreditation body involves several steps. These include the establishment of a clear vision and mission, the development of a strategic plan, the establishment of a governance structure, the development of accreditation standards, and the implementation of the accreditation process. The accreditation body should also consider the following models for accreditation: the self-accreditation model, the peer review model, and the hybrid model. The establishment of a CE/CPD accreditation body requires a clear understanding of the accreditation process, the development of accreditation standards, and the implementation of the accreditation process. The accreditation body should also consider the following components when developing its accreditation standards: the scope of accreditation, the criteria for accreditation, the accreditation process, and the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of accredited providers. The lack of an adequately trained healthcare workforce creates a barrier to the delivery of quality healthcare services. Inadequate knowledge, limited skills, and inappropriate attitudes can hinder the achievement of health outcomes. Advances in treatment and diagnosis of diseases, new technologies,