CONTINUING EDUCATION OVERVIEW
Per new Board Policy, CE requirements have changed to 6 hours every 2 years, with 2 of those hours being live. CE programs must be approved for technicians. This is indicated by the letter "T" listed after the ACPE program number.
680-X-2-.37 CONTINUING EDUCATION for PHARMACY TECHNICIANS
*PLEASE NOTE BOARD POLICY CHANGES TO THIS CURRENT RULE: CE requirements have changed to 6 hours every 2 years, with 2 of those hours being live.*
- Pharmacy Technicians shall complete three (3) hours of continuing education every year as a condition of registration renewal.* By submitting the biennial renewal, a pharmacy technician is representing their compliance with this requirement by the end of the relevant calendar year.
- In order to receive credit for continuing education, the continuing education shall be previously approved by the Board. Any requests for approval of continuing education shall be submitted to the Board no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to offering of the continuing education. A condition of approval shall be that the continuing education is pertinent to the practice of pharmacy. However, this requirement shall not apply to ACPE approved continuing education courses for which a program number is available.
- Continuing Education may be completed by either attendance or by distance based program, video or by publications; however, a pharmacy technician must complete at least one (1) hour of live continuing education through attendance at a course(s).*
- It is the responsibility of each pharmacy technician to maintain and compile accurate records relating to all continuing education courses or activities they have attended and completed. It shall be the responsibility of each pharmacy technician to maintain above described documentation and information pertaining to each year for a period of two (2) years and this information shall be submitted to the Board of Pharmacy within thirty (30) calendar days after a request for the same by the Board.
- The Board of Pharmacy shall randomly audit the continuing education documentation or information to be maintained or submitted by each pharmacy technician as described herein to assure compliance with these rules. Failure to maintain the documentation or information set forth in these rules or the submission of false or misleading information or documentation to the Board of Pharmacy or failure to submit requested documentation or information within the time specified by the Board may subject the pharmacy technician, after hearing, to those penalties outlined in Code of Alabama 1975 §34-23-132.
- Upon written request to the Board of Pharmacy, and upon the demonstration of good and sufficient cause, the Board of Pharmacy may grant a waiver or extension of time for the completion of the annual hour requirements for continuing education as set forth herein. The pharmacy technician who seeks such a waiver or extension shall submit to the Board of Pharmacy any documentation required by the Board which the Board deems appropriate for it to make a decision concerning that waiver or extension.
OBTAINING A CPE MONITOR NUMBER
CLICK HERE to set up an e-Profile to receive your CPE monitor number.
CPE Monitor Service
Electronic transmission of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) data is now live through the CPE Monitor™ service. Nearly 50 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)accredited CPE providers have already transitioned their systems to transmit data and are now requiring licensees to submit their National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) e-Profile ID and date of birth (MM/DD) in order to obtain CPE credit.
The CPE data exchange currently occurs several times a day between NABP and ACPE in order to update records in the NABP e-Profiles to coincide with the data uploaded by the CPE providers. As additional ACPE-accredited providers transition their systems, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be able to begin viewing their CPE contact hours online through their NABP e-Profile. It is important that licensees set up their e-Profiles and obtain their e-Profile IDs if they have not done so already in order to avoid delays in CPE recording and ensure a seamless transition to electronic tracking. Soon all ACPE-accredited CPE providers will require the eProfile ID along with each licensee's date ofbirth (MMDD) in order to receive credit for ACPE accredited CPE activities.
The streamlined CPE Monitor process will eventually eliminate the need for hard-copy statements ofCPE credit for activities taken from ACPE-accredited providers. Anticipated to be operational in 2013, this paperless process will give the state boards of pharmacy access to an online registry oftheir licensees' completed CPE credits allowing them to conduct their audits electronically, and will enable the boards, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians to more easily monitor compliance with CPE requirements. Licensees will also have the capability to print a statement from their NABP e-Profile containing the CPE data transmitted to NABP by ACPE for licensing jurisdictions that may require paper documentation to be submitted.
Individuals can find more information on CPE Monitor and set up their e-Profiles by visiting www.MyCPEmonitor.net.
ACPE Program Update
PLEASE NOTE: Effective January 1, 2011, ONLY ACPE programs or courses may be used to satisfy Continuing Education requirements. This includes programs for Pharmacists and Technicians. Consultant, Preceptor, and Parenteral Certification require training that has been approved by the Board prior to the event and may be submitted to obtain or renew the certificate whether ACPE approved or not. However, unless ACPE approves the program it cannot count toward mandatory CE hours.
CPE Monitor Service
Electronic transmission of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) data is now live through the CPE Monitor™ service. Nearly 50 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)accredited CPE providers have already transitioned their systems to transmit data and are now requiring licensees to submit their National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) e-Profile ID and date of birth (MM/DD) in order to obtain CPE credit.
The CPE data exchange currently occurs several times a day between NABP and ACPE in order to update records in the NABP e-Profiles to coincide with the data uploaded by the CPE providers. As additional ACPE-accredited providers transition their systems, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be able to begin viewing their CPE contact hours online through their NABP e-Profile. It is important that licensees set up their e-Profiles and obtain their e-Profile IDs if they have not done so already in order to avoid delays in CPE recording and ensure a seamless transition to electronic tracking. Soon all ACPE-accredited CPE providers will require the eProfile ID along with each licensee's date ofbirth (MMDD) in order to receive credit for ACPE accredited CPE activities.
The streamlined CPE Monitor process will eventually eliminate the need for hard-copy statements ofCPE credit for activities taken from ACPE-accredited providers. Anticipated to be operational in 2013, this paperless process will give the state boards of pharmacy access to an online registry oftheir licensees' completed CPE credits allowing them to conduct their audits electronically, and will enable the boards, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians to more easily monitor compliance with CPE requirements. Licensees will also have the capability to print a statement from their NABP e-Profile containing the CPE data transmitted to NABP by ACPE for licensing jurisdictions that may require paper documentation to be submitted.
Individuals can find more information on CPE Monitor and set up their e-Profiles by visiting www.MyCPEmonitor.net.
ACPE Program Update
PLEASE NOTE: Effective January 1, 2011, ONLY ACPE programs or courses may be used to satisfy Continuing Education requirements. This includes programs for Pharmacists and Technicians. Consultant, Preceptor, and Parenteral Certification require training that has been approved by the Board prior to the event and may be submitted to obtain or renew the certificate whether ACPE approved or not. However, unless ACPE approves the program it cannot count toward mandatory CE hours.