UA College of Pharmacy earns continuing education reaccreditation

July 20, 2007

TUCSON, Ariz., -- The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy has been reaccredited as a provider of continuing pharmacy education, allowing it to continue providing continuing education to the nation’s pharmacists.

The college, ranked fourth nationally in American’s Best Graduate Schools 2006 (published by U.S. News and World Report), received notice in July from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) that the school’s continuing education function has been re-accredited for six years. To earn the re-accreditation, the college had to show that all programs offered continually meet 26 standards mandated by the ACPE.

“This is a notable achievement for us,” says Lynne Mascarella, director of continuing education for the college. “The ACPE’s requirements are stringent, and we are proud to have met them. This re-accreditation will allow us to continue to provide the high quality of pharmacy education that The University of Arizona is known for.”

Pharmacists are required to complete a certain number (which varies by state) of pharmacy-related continuing education (CE) contact hours per year to maintain their licenses. Arizona currently requires 30 contact hours of CE every two years.

In recent years, an average of 6,000 U.S. pharmacists per year have completed CE offered by the college.

The UA College of Pharmacy has been accredited to provide CE since 1977. A number of programs have been offered for many years, some beginning even before accreditation. The Southwestern Clinical Pharmacy Seminar, for example, celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

In addition to providing continuing education to pharmacists, the UA College of Pharmacy also offers training programs for pharmaceutical scientists from around the world.