STAYING INFORMED
Steven R. Smith, MS, RPh, BCACP
CASE
R.L. is a newly graduated pharmacist. Since finishing his APPE rotations, he is worried about maintaining all of the knowledge he has gained. After attending some continuing pharmacy education (CPE) presentations, he feels that the content was not really as helpful as he had hoped.
WHY IT’S ESSENTIAL
“A pharmacist maintains professional competence.”—Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, APhA1
“I just got done with 6 years of pharmacy school. Why do I have to keep learning?”—Student
Keeping up with new pharmacy knowledge is essential to offering the best care to patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an average of 23.5 new molecular entities each year over the past 6 years. In addition to approving new agents, the FDA approves generic medications and adds new formulations, indications, adverse reactions, and black-box warnings to product package inserts more often than can be counted. At the same time, keeping up with changes to state and federal laws is vital to practicing pharmacy safely. While you must stay current on laws that apply directly to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, you must also keep up on laws that pertain to physicians, nurses, physician assistants, advance practice nurses, and all other healthcare professionals if the laws have implications on the drug use process. To add to the challenge, advances in diagnostic testing and medical treatments are ever present, published by many healthcare professional organizations and government agencies each year. Thus, becoming a pharmacist is a commitment to lifelong learning through continuing professional development.2
QUICK TIP
Laws and regulations are always changing. In Ohio, for example, one-fifth of State Board of Pharmacy regulations are reviewed each year and are modified, removed, or replaced with new regulations written to keep current with the practice of pharmacy.
LIFELONG LEARNING AND CONTINUING PHARMACY EDUCATION
CPE required to maintain your license is a small part of what it takes to maintain competence to practice pharmacy. Competence encompasses knowledge, skills, attributes, behaviors, and attitudes. You must incorporate these competencies into the activities of your professional practice. Although it is the responsibility of the provider of CPE to ensure the quality of the program, it is the responsibility of each pharmacist to seek knowledge, build skills, and achieve the competence necessary for your pharmacy practice. Each pharmacist must select CPE programs and other activities to enhance the quality of care being provided to patients in his or her practice setting. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) states that, as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, you should3
- Identify your individual educational needs
- Pursue educational activities that will produce and sustain more effective professional practice to improve practice, patient, and population healthcare outcomes
- Link learned or acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to opportunities for application in practice
- Continue self-directed learning throughout the progression of your career
CASE QUESTION
R.L. feels that he is particularly weak in his ability to precept pharmacy students effectively, but his counseling skills are quite sharp. What kinds of CPE activities should R.L. focus on at this time?
Reporting CPE
Each state sets the requirements for licensure for pharmacists. Both the number of contact hours of CPE and the frequency of reporting vary from state to state. The best source to get this information, as well as the process of reporting, is the state board of pharmacy website for the state in which you will be licensed.
In 2011, a system for tracking and reporting CPE, called the CPE Monitor, was developed as a collaborative effort of ACPE and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The system authenticates and stores completed CPE units for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from ACPE-accredited providers. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should register and obtain an e-Profile ID from www.MyCPEmonitor.net. CPE providers will request your ID and will enter the Universal Activity Number, a unique number assigned to the CPE program you attended. This will be verified by ACPE and linked to NABP, making it possible for boards of pharmacy to download your CPE log for license renewal.4
CASE QUESTION
R.L. is unsure about the requirements for CPE in his state. Where can he go to find out how many continuing education units (CEUs) are required to renew his license?
QUICK TIP
Some states require you to obtain a certain number of CPE credits from live programs, whereas other states require CPE on law, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or other specific categories.
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