Accredited learning FAQs

Accredited learning FAQs

1. Is there a minimum accredited learning requirement?
There is no minimum amount of accredited learning that a pharmacist must do each year. A pharmacist is able to accrue all of their continuing education from non-accredited learning activities that are relevant to their pharmacy practice (as long as they completely and thoughtfully fill out the required non-accredited learning records). But the college does take many calls about whether specific courses are accredited and how pharmacists can determine if a course is accredited. Here’s the answer!

2. How can I tell if a course is accredited for pharmacists?
ACP recognizes as accredited learning those CE programs that are accredited by a pharmacy accrediting body. Those are the:

• Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP),
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE),
• Alberta College of Pharmacists, and
• other provincial pharmacy accrediting bodies such as the Ontario College of Pharmacists, the University of British Columbia Continuing Pharmacy Professional Development, and Dalhousie Continuing Pharmacy Education.

Pharmacists can confirm accreditation by looking for the CCCEP logo and file number, the ACPE logo and file number, the ACP file number, and other provincial pharmacy accrediting bodies’ file number.

Now that ACP has ceased doing provincial accreditation (except for injections training programs) pharmacists will no longer find ACP-accredited continuing education events, except for those that received accreditation extending past 2010. However, RxA is now a CCCEP-accredited provider, and all of their CE events are CCCEP-accredited.

3. What if I claim a non-accredited course as accredited learning?
Claiming non-accredited learning activities as accredited learning could flag your file for an Audit of Professional Declarations, so be sure to confirm accreditation status before adding a new course to your CPD Log as an accredited course.

Continuing medical education events, such as the 28th Annual Calgary Therapeutics Course, have not been accredited by a pharmacy accrediting body and therefore cannot be claimed as accredited learning.