Approved Continuing Education Policy Statement

The Board has recently reviewed its policy on approval of continuing education. There is currently a great variety and availability of continuing education approved by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE). The Board reaffirmed its confidence in providers approved by the ACPE. At the same time, the Board clarified the approval process for non-ACPE approved continuing education providers.

R4-23-204(B)(5) defines an "approved provider" as an individual, institution, organization, association, corporation, or agency that has been approved by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) in accordance with its policy and procedures, or by the Board as having met criteria indicative of the ability to provide quality continuing education.

The Board will limit its approval of non-ACPE providers of continuing education to the following:

• 1. Attendance at a designated Board meeting will continue to be accepted by the Board as satisfying the requirement for an "approved course in pharmacy law" as defined in R4-23-110.
  A. 0.15 CEU's for attendance at a morning or afternoon session of a designated Board meeting.
  B. 0.3 CEU's for attendance at a whole day session of a designated Board meeting.
• 2. Arizona pharmacy law seminars presented by a member of the Board staff which are scheduled regularly and presented at various locations around the state will also be accepted for the pharmacy law requirement.
• 3. The Board will approve providers other than the above only on a pre-program approval basis with requests due in the Board office at least 60 days in advance of an anticipated program. The Board will be very selective and expects this avenue for approval to be rarely used and only in exceptional circumstances.

This substantive policy statement is advisory only. A substantive policy statement does not include internal procedural documents that only affect the internal procedures of the agency and does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties or include confidential information or rules made in accordance with the Arizona Administrative Procedure Act. If you believe that this substantive policy statement does impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties you may petition the agency under A.R.S. § 41-1033 for a review of the statement. REV. 08/2002