ISP is very pleased to announce that there are five colleges, faculties and schools of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and India that are in the process of applying for certification. On-site evaluation visits for these schools are provisionally scheduled between February and May 2014. ISP staff looks forward to helping other schools that are interested in our services. 

ACPE Updates Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP)

ACPE and CCAPP established a formal MOU in 2002. The organizations will continue to share best practices in accreditation, exchange information regarding trends and advances in pharmacy education and training in their respective countries, and observe or participate in on-site evaluation visits, board, and commission meetings. New areas of collaboration include inter-professional education, education and training of pharmacy technicians, and international activities. 

ACPE Signs Memorandum of Understanding with CIDPHARMEF ( Conférence internationale des doyens de pharmacie d'expression francaise)

ACPE and CIDPHARMEF will engage in ongoing communication and information-exchange regarding educational quality, policies and procedures, and operational tools and resources. Leaders within both organizations may also observe site visits and study each other's quality assurance systems and processes.

ACPE Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) to Advance the Quality of Global Pharmacy Education.

The organizations will engage in ongoing communication and information exchange regarding educational quality criteria, policies and procedures and other operational tools and resources. Leaders within both organizations may observe site visits and study each other's quality assurance systems and processes. You may find the links to the press releases for the MOU's at: 

https://www.acpe-accredit.org/international/newsletters.asp

ISP staff presented at or visited the following conferences and institutions:

July: Monash University Conference, Prato, Italy

August: Poznan University, Poznan, Poland; European Pharmaceutical Students Association Summer University, Zadar, Croatia; Split University, Split, Croatia

September: FIP Congress, Dublin, Ireland. Peter Vlasses and Mike Rouse provided a training workshop for the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) evaluators.

October: Conference Belgrade, Serbia and Conference, Podgorica, Montenegro

November: Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy Conference, Singapore

Eastern European Countries Deliberate Global Standards and Frameworks for Pharmacy Education 

Presidents and Representatives of Chambers of Pharmacy Meeting in Podgorica, Montenegro

In October, Mike Rouse visited Belgrade (Serbia) and Podgorica (Montenegro) to be a keynote speaker at two national conferences. The conference in Belgrade was a significant event, gathering more than 600 pharmacists from Serbia in the magnificent theater hall Madlenianum. Mike was invited by Pharma Expert, an educational company operating in Eastern Europe and he inspired participants with the following subjects: Quality assurance in pharmacy education - global overview, criteria and guidelines; CPD: Concepts, Components and Commitment; and Competency Self-assessment and Education Action Plan for Pharmacists. Together with Dr. Arijana Mestrovic, he presented the same topics to 120 pharmacists in Montenegro, invited by the Chamber of Pharmacists. Mike and Arijana's visit was well announced in local media, including interviews presented in the evening news on national TV. At this conference, presidents or representatives of pharmacy chambers in the region (Slovenia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo) were present, participating - for the first time as a group - in fruitful discussions and sharing ideas for new approaches to pharmacy education.

This was excellent opportunity be part of important changes in the pharmacy profession in the region. Competency, service development, and continuing professional development in educational processes were recognized by participants as essential to advance pharmacy practice. It was very inspirational to speak and motivate our colleagues to start these important changes and additionally to introduce global tools and standards in Eastern Europe.

Mike Rouse discusses "Pillars of Educational Quality" at Workshop in Belgrade, Serbia