Continuing Pharmacy Education

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Continuing Pharmacy Education at Northeastern

Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

We deliver live, online, and enduring programs for pharmacists. Co-sponsors of our programs include the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy professional organizations, medical communications companies, other colleges of pharmacy and healthcare providers.

ACPE logo

Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of Continuing Pharmacy Education.


Debra Copeland

PharmD, RPh, FNAP

Associate Clinical Professor; Asst. Dean, Office of Experiential and Continuing Professional Education Pharmacy and Health Systems Science

Bita Zakeri

PhD, GCMM

Director of Professional Programs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Continuing Pharmacy Education

Our Mission and Goals

In the ever changing-world of information and advancements in healthcare, our mission is to support the enhancement of continuing quality education for pharmacists and pharmacy professionals through accrediting activities that meet re-licensure and provide up-to-date training towards enhancing patient care.

Our goals are to:

  • Prospectively identify needs and develop activities to fulfill them
  • Recognize ongoing re-licensure requirements and develop activities to meet them
  • Provide valuable information to enrich the continuing professional development of pharmacists
  • Recruit subject matter experts capable of delivering quality activities
  • Deliver engaging learning activities that utilize active learning strategies
  • Ensure learning activities are evidence-based and free of commercial bias

Frequently Asked Questions

Effective for the renewal period beginning January 1, 2015, a registrant seeking renewal of a personal registration must complete a minimum of 20 contact hours of continuing education each calendar year of the two-year renewal cycle; total 40 contact hours every two years. All personal registrations shall expire on December 31st of each even-numbered year.

All registrants must complete:

  • 2 contact hours per calendar year in pharmacy law
  • 15 contact hours maximum toward the 20 contact hour minimum per calendar year through home study
  • 5 contact hours per calendar year in the area of sterile compounding if the registrant oversees or is directly engaged in the practice of sterile compounding or who practices in a pharmacy licensed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 39G or 39I
  • 3 contact hours per calendar year in the area of complex non-sterile compounding if the registrant oversees or is directly engaged in the practice of complex non-sterile compounding or who practices in a pharmacy licensed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 39H

The five (5) sterile or three (3) complex non-sterile compounding CE hours count towards the twenty (20) CE hours required each calendar year and may be completed as home study or in live format. The compounding CE credits must be completed by December 31st of each calendar year.

Contact hours of continuing education may not be carried over from one calendar year to another.

  • At least two contact hours shall be in the area of pharmacy law; and not more than ten contact hours shall be acquired through home study and other mediated instruction.
  • No CEUs may be carried over from one calendar year to another. http://www.mass.gov/dph/boards/pharmacy

ACPE stands for the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. ACPE is the national accrediting agency for pharmacy continuing education. ACPE assures the quality of continuing pharmaceutical education programs by evaluating the providers of CE and by monitoring the quality of their educational activities. ACPE also provides a basis for uniform acceptance of CE credits among the states.

NABP stand for the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

CPE Monitor stands for Continuing Education Pharmacy Monitor which is the national system which tracks and records Continuing Pharmacy Education credits.

To determine if a program is accredited by ACPE, look for the ACPE logo and a fourteen digit number on information brochures regarding the program.

Statements of credit are available on participant’s individual CPE Monitor account. Go to www.nabp.net to create or access an account.

Certification vs. a statement of credit program

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) states that:

Certification is the process by which a non-governmental agency, such as a professional association, grants recognition, following assessment, to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that organization.

Examples of certifications in pharmacy include:

  • Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist (BCNP)
  • Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist (BCNSP)
  • Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP)
  • Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS)
  • Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) (see the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties for more information) and
  • Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) (see the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy for further information).

In contrast, “certificate programs in pharmacy are structured and systematic post-graduate continuing education experiences for pharmacists that are generally smaller in magnitude and shorter in time than degree programs, and that impart knowledge, skills, attitudes and performance behaviors designed to meet specific pharmacy practice objectives.

The successful completion of one or more Certificate Programs in Pharmacy may be among the requirements for certification or re-certification, as determined by the organization granting certification. 

Reference: The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Standards and Quality Assurance Procedures for ACPE-Approved Providers of Continuing Pharmaceutical Education Offering Certificate Programs in Pharmacy. Chicago, 1999.

Statements of credit are available on participant’s individual CPE Monitor account.
Create or access your account

It depends on the program. Some of our annual conferences are organized as two separate days. If you can register for one day, without the other, you could receive continuing education for just one day of programming. But, in general, you cannot receive partial credit (e.g. 2 hours of a 4 hour program) for our live coursework. You must attend the course in its entirety.

Mediated contact hours are those obtained outside of the live setting. Examples include online activities and continuing education activities found in pharmacy magazines.

Home Study FAQs

How do I know what questions I missed on a test?

All incorrectly answered questions will be displayed.


What happens if I fail a test?

Review all the program material and focus on those questions that you marked incorrectly. You may take the test again at no additional charge until you pass.


Can I get continuing education credit for your program in my state?

Although the majority of our programs are accepted for continuing education credit in all states, it is ultimately your responsibility to find out whether our programs will be acceptable for continuing education credits in your state. If you have questions, we recommend that you contact your state board.


If my state board requires that I submit my continuing education programs, who sends my records to the board?

You are responsible for all interactions with your state board and will need to share any information they require yourself.