FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Cynthia Avery

(312) 664-3575

cavery@acpe-accredit.org

November 17, 2015

ACPE Engages Stakeholders on Advancing Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Chicago, IL – Over 60 leaders from across the continuum of pharmacy practice, academia, industry, state boards of pharmacy and health care organizations gathered in Chicago, Illinois, on October 29-30, to participate in the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education’s (ACPE) invitational conference 40 Years Later: Current and Future Opportunities and Challenges in Continuing Pharmacy Education. This groundbreaking, invitational conference engaged attendees to identify the optimal future state of accredited CPE, including its relationship to CPD practices, practitioner privileging in health care delivery organizations, and interprofessional education (IPE) and practice. Attendees also assessed current conditions with respect to accredited CPE, taking into account the diversity of educational needs among practitioners; the status of CPD; and the perspectives of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy owners, health care delivery organizations, CPE providers, regulators, the public, and accreditors (ACPE and others). Attendees also identified viable options for moving from current conditions to the optimal future state of accredited CPE.

Nationally recognized speakers shared the history of CPE accreditation and reviewed the results of a CPE/CPD survey to gather perspectives from all stakeholders related to the current and future states of CE/CPD. Dr. Kristin Janke of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy conducted the CE/CPD survey. Expert panelists presented thought-provoking comments regarding the needs of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for continuing education in the next 10-15 years and the ways in which the marketplace and the regulatory framework will ensure practitioner competence. Panelists challenged attendees to consider what pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will need from their continuing education in the next 10-15 years, as well as the factors that will ensure ongoing practitioner competence in the future.

Participants also engaged through in-depth workgroup sessions to develop specific recommendations for optimizing the value of CPE over the next 10-15 years and outlined the steps needed to ensure practitioner competency based on marketplace and regulatory changes. Detailed proceedings of the meeting outcomes will be submitted for publication in early 2016.

“ACPE will work diligently, with other stakeholders, to advance the contribution of CPE and CPD to patient care,” emphasized Peter H. Vlasses, PharmD, DSc (Hon), BCPS, FCCP, Executive Director, ACPE. “In the face of tremendous changes in our profession and health care, the conference outcomes will be extremely important to shine a light on the path ACPE and our profession should take in furthering CE quality improvement.” 

ACPE would like to thank the ACPE leadership, speakers, facilitators, moderators, panelists, and William Zellmer, ACPE Conference Advisor, who made the outcomes of the conference possible. ACPE also deeply appreciates the support of the Community Pharmacy Foundation and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation whose grant support funded the work of the conference.

About the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education

ACPE is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. In collaboration with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, ACPE accredits pharmacy technician education and training programs. ACPE also offers evaluation and certification of professional degree programs internationally. The mission of ACPE is to assure and advance excellence in education for the profession of pharmacy. ACPE is an autonomous and independent agency whose Board of Directors is derived through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and the American Council on Education (ACE). To learn more about ACPE, visit www.acpe-accredit.org or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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