Accreditation

Accreditation Status

The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) through June 30, 2024. The school’s Continuing Professional Education Program is fully accredited by ACPE through June 30, 2022.

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE (until 2003 known as the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education) was established in 1932 for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy, and in 1975 its scope was broadened to include accreditation of providers of continuing pharmacy education.

The mission of ACPE is to assure and advance quality in pharmacy education. ACPE is an autonomous and independent agency whose Board of Directors is appointed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) (three appointments each), and the American Council on Education (one appointment). Since the inception of its accreditation agency recognition program in 1952, ACPE has been recognized continuously by the U.S. Department of Education, and it gained recognition by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in April 2004. State boards of pharmacy require that licensure applicants from the United States have graduated from an accredited pharmacy degree program to be eligible to sit for the North American Pharmacist Licensure ExaminationTM (NAPLEX®).

Student Complaint Policy & Procedure

Policy

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the pharmacy school accreditation agency, is required by the U.S. Department of Education to assure that pharmacy programs have a policy to record and address student complaints regarding a school’s adherence to the ACPE Accreditation Standards and Guidelines for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree hereinafter referred to as the “ACPE Standards”.

The purpose of this policy is to provide the opportunity for pharmacy students to document complaints about the School of Pharmacy’s adherence to any of the ACPE Standards. Complaints may relate to matters involving the curriculum, faculty, student affairs or other areas relating to specific ACPE standards. In the case of common academic matters within the School of Pharmacy (e.g., grade challenges, academic standing reviews and appeals, etc.), students should refer to policies of procedures of the school and college, as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Information Manual.

Procedure

Student complaints are filed with the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Pharmacy, who can be reached through the Administrative Coordinator in the School of Pharmacy (telephone: 617-373-3380). Complaints must be submitted in writing using the attached Complaint Form. The student must specify which ACPE standard, policy or procedure is in question, provide a summary of the claim and include supporting evidence, as applicable. Receipt of the Complaint Form will be acknowledged via e-mail by the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.
The student will be invited to meet with the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs to discuss the complaint. If the Assistant Dean cannot resolve the issue to the student’s satisfaction, he/she will form an ad hoc committee consisting of three faculty who are not involved with the issue, a pharmacy student, and a staff member from the Bouvé College Office of Student Services. The committee will review the complaint and make a recommendation to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs within 10 business days of the committee’s formation. The student may be invited to meet with the committee to answer questions. Minutes must be taken at all committee meetings.
The student will receive from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs a written response to the complaint within five business days of the conclusion of committee’s deliberations. The response will include an evaluation of the complaint and the decision of the committee. Should the committee find that a violation of an accreditation standard has occurred, a proposal for corrective action and a corresponding timeline will be outlined.
If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the committee, he/she may appeal to the Dean of the School of Pharmacy. Appeals must be received by the Dean’s office within five business days of the issuance of the committee’s report to the student. The Dean will review the case and render his/her decision within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the School Dean is final.
This process is the sole mechanism within the School of Pharmacy for submission of student complaints regarding ACPE Standards.
Any student who wishes to file a complaint with ACPE for unresolved issues related to ACPE Standards may visit the ACPE website and follow the student link to access the procedures for filing a complaint.
All written complaints, investigations, committee meeting minutes, reports, and correspondence relating to the complaints will be retained in a confidential file and made available to an ACPE site-visit team in accordance with ACPE Accreditation Standards.

Accreditation Standards and Guidelines

School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Strategic Plan

Comments on strategic plan welcomed. Please email: [email protected]

Quality Indicators