What Is ACPE's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program?

Updated

ACPE's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program is a self-directed, ongoing, systematic, and outcomes-focused approach to learning that pharmacists integrate into their daily practice. ACPE supports it with structured self-directed learning materials and tools. It is distinct from ACPE's Continuing Education (CE) Provider Accreditation program: CE accreditation quality-assures providers of continuing pharmacy education, while CPD is a learning approach for individual pharmacists. If you are a pharmacist planning your own professional growth, CPD is the relevant program; if you run an organization that delivers continuing education, look at CE Provider Accreditation instead.

How CPD differs from traditional continuing education

Traditional CE is typically counted in hours and completed to satisfy licensure requirements. ACPE describes CPD as self-directed, ongoing, systematic, and outcomes-focused — language that points to a cycle of assessing your own needs, planning learning, applying it in practice, and evaluating results, rather than accumulating credits.

Dimension CPD (as described by ACPE) CE Provider Accreditation
Who it serves Individual pharmacists directing their own learning Organizations that provide continuing pharmacy education
Core idea Self-directed, ongoing, systematic, outcomes-focused learning integrated into daily practice Quality assurance and integrity of continuing education offerings
ACPE's role Provides structured self-directed learning materials and tools Accredits the provider

What ACPE provides for CPD

According to ACPE, the program supports a commitment to improvement through its Continuing Professional Development accreditation program, and it offers structured materials and tools for self-directed learning. The site presents CPD as a learner-facing pathway alongside its other programs, including PharmD Accreditation, Joint Accreditation, Continuing Education Provider Accreditation, and the International Services Program.

Who should use it

  • Pharmacists who want a structured way to plan and document ongoing learning tied to their practice, rather than only tracking CE hours.
  • Learners exploring ACPE's programs: the site separates "Available Programs for Learners" (which includes CPD) from programs for deans and program administrators.
  • Not the right fit if your goal is to have your organization's CE courses accredited — that is the Continuing Education Provider Accreditation program.

How to get started

  1. Go to acpe-accredit.org.
  2. Use the program navigation to open the Continuing Professional Development section (the homepage lists it under both its program headings and "Available Programs for Learners").
  3. Review the CPD materials and tools ACPE provides, then use them to structure your own learning cycle: identify needs, set goals, learn, apply, and evaluate outcomes in your practice.

Expected result: a documented, practice-integrated learning plan rather than a simple record of CE hours.

Common sticking point: conflating CPD with CE provider accreditation. Check which audience the page addresses — individual learners versus organizations — before assuming a program applies to you.