Standardization and Accreditation:
What do we need to Advance Pharmacy Education?
Michael Rouse
Assistant Executive Director, Professional Affairs and Director, International Services, ACPE
3rd Asia Pacific Pharmacy Education Workshop
Bandung, Indonesia November 20 - 21, 2012
Overview of Presentation
• Defining some terms
• Quality assurance of higher education in the USA
• ACPE: history, mission, structure and operations
• Standards or Standardization?
• Principles, process and advantages of the accreditation model
Accreditation
The process whereby an association or agency grants recognition to an
organization, site or program that meets certain established qualifications or
standards, as determined through initial and periodic evaluations.
Source: Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy, USA
Standardization
The formulation, publication, and
implementation of guidelines, rules, and specifications for common and repeated use, aimed at achieving optimum
degree of order or uniformity in a given context, discipline, or field.
Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com
Quality Assurance of Higher Education in the
USA
Quality Assurance of Higher Education
Three-pronged approach in the USA:
– Federal government (Department of Education)
– State government
– Accreditation agencies
Oversight of Higher Education in the USA
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STATE EDUCATION AUTHORITY
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITOR
PROGRAMMATIC ACCREDITOR
UNIVERSITY
DEGREE PROGRAM IN COLLEGE OR SCHOOL RECOGNIZE
ACCREDIT
AUTHORIZE TO AWARD
DEGREE
Accreditation Agencies
• Institutional: evaluate the entire institution, including all academic programs
– For example, “regional accreditors” that cover specific geographic areas of the USA
• Programmatic or Specialized: Evaluate only a single program or related programs in a specific area of study or profession (e.g.
ACPE and the PharmD degree)
ACPE: History, Mission, Structure and
Operations
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• National agency for accreditation of pharmacy education
• ACPE accredits:
– Professional degree programs (PharmD)
• Recognized by:
– U.S. Department of Education
– Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
– Providers of continuing pharmacy education
• ACPE is an autonomous, independent, not-for- profit agency with headquarters in Chicago,
Illinois
ACPE History
• Founded in 1932 for accreditation of
professional (pre-service) programs by:
– National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) (regulators)
– American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) (educators)
– American Pharmacists Association (APhA) (practitioners)
NABP
AACP APhA
Other pharmacy organizations Accreditation
agencies
State boards of pharmacy
Individual educators and practitioners State and federal
government e.g. Dept. of Education
Colleges and schools of pharmacy
CE Providers
GENERAL PUBLIC (consumers of pharmacist services)
Students and prospective
students
Employers/
Trade
History of Services Provided
• Accreditation of pharmacy degree programs in 1932
• Accreditation of CE Providers added in 1975
• Accreditation of Certificate Programs (1999 – 2008)
• International Services Program added in
2011
ACPE Mission
To assure and advance excellence in education for the profession of
pharmacy
How ACPE Achieves its Mission
• Establishing standards and criteria for the accreditation of pharmacy programs and continuing education providers
• Accrediting pharmacy education providers and programs
• Reporting publicly on its activities
• Promoting continuous quality improvement within its accredited groups and itself
• Encouraging innovation in pharmacy education
• Emphasizing learning outcomes in the continuum of pharmacy education
• Consulting and assisting in the development and advancement of quality pharmacy education,
including the conduct of accreditation research
• Gathering and analyzing information and ideas from multiple sources and viewpoints
How ACPE Achieves its Mission
• Mission, Planning, and Evaluation
• Organization and Administration
• Curriculum
• Students
• Faculty and Staff
• Facilities and Resources
Standards and Guidelines
151
Guidelines 30
Criteria
Structure of ACPE Standards
MISSION, PLANNING, AND
EVALUATION
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
CURRICULUM STUDENTS FACULTY AND STAFF FACILITIES AND
RESOURCES
1. College or School Mission and Goals
4. Institutional Accreditation
9. The Goal of the Curriculum
16. Organization of Student Services
24. Faculty and Staff- Quantitative Factors
27. Physical Facilities
2. Strategic Plan 5. College or School and University Relationship
10. Curricular Development, Delivery, and Improvement
17. Admission Criteria, Policies, and Procedures
25. Faculty and Staff- Qualitative Factors
28. Practice Facilities
3. Evaluation of Achievement of Mission and Goals
6. College or School and other
Administrative Relationships
11. Teaching and Learning Methods
18. Transfer of Credits and Waiver of Requisites for Admission with Advanced Standing
26. Faculty and Staff Continuing Professional Development and Performance Review
29. Library and Educational Resources
7. College or School Organization and Governance
12. Professional
Competencies and Outcome Expectations
19. Progression of Students
30. Financial Resources
8. Qualifications and Responsibilities of the Dean
13. Curricular Core-
Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, and Values
20. Student Complaints Policy
14. Curricular Core- Pharmacy Practice Experiences
21. Program Information
15. Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning and Curricular Effectiveness
22. Student
Representation and Perspectives
23. Professional Behavior and Harmonious
Relationships
Standards or
Standardization?
Program-driven ACPE-encouraged
Innovation Individuality ACPE Standards
Standardization Consistency
Standards or Standardization?
• Quality determined on the basis of evaluation against and compliance with agreed standards
• Standards should be developed and adopted through profession-wide consensus
• Compliance with accreditation standards is not necessarily intended to imply or ensure
standardization:
– in all aspects of the degree program
– mission, structure, and outcomes of the school of pharmacy
Standards ≠ Standardization?
We don’t want a “cookie cutter” approach
Standards or Standardization?
Accreditation standards should allow
some degree of flexibility for schools of pharmacy:
• how they achieve the desired outcomes for graduates
• other mission-related aspects
Different Ways to Get Over the Bar
Principles and
Advantages of the
Accreditation Model
The Accreditation Model
• Peer and stakeholder-driven process
• Reflected in the agency’s governance structure, policies and procedures
• The model relies heavily on self-
assessment and the school/institution’s commitment to continuous quality
improvement
Principles & Process
• Process is ongoing, cyclical
• Involves periodic comprehensive
review, annual monitoring and interim monitoring (if necessary)
• Standards and guidelines allow for institutional flexibility and can
emphasize unique aspects of
program
Principles & Process
• Increased emphasis on outcomes, while retaining some focus on structure and
process
• Should not be viewed as a barrier to
innovation or responsible experimentation
• Designed to assure quality of
professional program, while facilitating
school’s mission and goals
Principles & Process
• Accreditation process and decisions must:
– be Standards-based and evidence based
– be fair, impartial, consistent and free from conflict of interest
– allow for due process and appeal
• Independence and autonomy in decision making process
Principles & Process
• Must achieve right balance between
confidentiality and public disclosure (to encourage honest reflection, self-
assessment , and quality improvement but also protect students and the public)
• Transparency in agency operations - standards development, evaluation
criteria, outcome measures, policies, etc.
Principles & Process
• Opportunity for all to provide input (students, faculty, preceptors,
practitioners, regulators, public, government, etc.)
• Standards must be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are valid and
contemporary
• Resolution of deficiencies (bring into
compliance) in an acceptable timeframe
Program-driven Encouraged
Innovation Individuality
Standards
Standardization Consistency
Thank you for your
attention!
Contact Details
Mike Rouse
Assistant Executive Director, Professional Affairs and Director, International Services,
ACPE
Email: [email protected] Website: www.acpe-accredit.org
