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EnglishWhat Is ACPE's International Services Program for Pharmacy Education?
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ACPE's International Services Program evaluates and internationally accredits professional pharmacy degree programs located outside the United States. It exists for non-U.S. pharmacy schools that want an external, standards-based review of their program and a recognized pathway to quality assurance. If your institution is outside the U.S. and is considering external review of a professional pharmacy degree, this is the ACPE program to look at first.
What the program does
According to ACPE, the International Services Program offers evaluation and international accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy education outside the United States. Its stated purpose is to improve the quality of pharmacy education globally.
Two things follow from that description:
- It is a review service, not a membership or a ranking. The output is an evaluation and, where applicable, international accreditation status.
- It is separate from ACPE's U.S. programs. PharmD accreditation, continuing education provider accreditation, and pharmacy technician education accreditation (run with ASHP) apply to U.S.-based programs and providers. A program outside the U.S. should not assume it falls under the PharmD accreditation track.
Who it is for
The program is aimed at professional degree programs in pharmacy outside the United States — typically schools or faculties that award a pharmacy degree and want an external quality benchmark. ACPE's site organizes its offerings by audience, including a "Dean/Program Administrator" path, which is the relevant entry point for an institution seeking accreditation rather than an individual learner.
If you are an individual — a student, pharmacist, or technician — this program is not the one you interact with directly. Learners are directed instead to ACPE's Continuing Professional Development resources and to listings of accredited programs and providers.
How it fits with ACPE's other programs
| Program | Applies to | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| PharmD Accreditation | Doctor of Pharmacy programs in the United States | Ensures programs meet rigorous U.S. educational standards |
| Continuing Education Provider Accreditation | Providers of continuing pharmacy education | Quality and integrity of CE offerings for pharmacists |
| Continuing Professional Development | Individual pharmacists | Self-directed, ongoing, outcomes-focused learning |
| International Services Program | Professional pharmacy degree programs outside the U.S. | Evaluation and international accreditation |
| Pharmacy Technician Education Accreditation | Technician education and training programs (with ASHP) | Accreditation of technician training |
The distinction that matters most: the International Services Program is the only one of these framed around programs outside the United States. The others are U.S.-focused or individual-focused.
What to expect from the process
ACPE describes the program as a pathway to quality of pharmacy education on a global scale. In practice, that means a structured review against defined standards, culminating in an evaluation and an accreditation decision.
The site does not publish the full step-by-step process, fee schedule, or timeline on the pages summarized here. Before committing, confirm directly with ACPE:
- Eligibility criteria — which degree types and institutional statuses qualify.
- Standards and self-study requirements — what documentation the program must prepare.
- Evaluation format — whether a site visit is required and who conducts it.
- Fees and duration — cost, review timeline, and the length of any accreditation term.
- Recognition — how international accreditation status is described and what it does and does not signify to regulators, employers, or students in your country.
A practical example
Suppose a pharmacy faculty outside the U.S. is redesigning its professional degree and wants external validation before seeking recognition from its national regulator. The realistic first step is not to apply immediately but to map the program against ACPE's published standards, identify gaps in curriculum outcomes, assessment, and quality monitoring, and then contact ACPE through the Dean/Program Administrator route to confirm eligibility and requirements. The value of the program in that scenario is the structured external benchmark — not an automatic substitute for local accreditation, which remains a separate question for the national authority.
Where to start
Begin at acpe-accredit.org and navigate to the International Services Program section, then use the Dean/Program Administrator entry point for institutional inquiries. Confirm current requirements, fees, and timelines with ACPE directly, since those details are not specified in the site material available here.