High Point University School of Pharmacy Accreditation Status

On July 11, 2016 High Point University received the following notification from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE):

“High Point University School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program has been granted Precandidate status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60503, 312/644-3575; FAX 312/664-4652, web site http://www.acpe-accredit.org.”

 

To help students understand precandidate status, the following information has been excerpted from ACPE documents available on their web site (see address above).

Based on Sections 6.1, 6.1.1, 6.1.2, and 7.3 of the ACPE Accreditation Manual (excerpted below) the following statement was provided.

6.1 Preaccreditation. A newly instituted Doctor of Pharmacy program must be granted each of the two Preaccreditation statuses at the appropriate stage of its development. The standards are the same as those employed for accredited status, however, Preaccreditation involves planning in accord with the standards and provision of reasonable assurances for a quality outcome. A new program must achieve Precandidate accreditation status prior to beginning instruction of students1.

6.1.1 Precandidate. A newly instituted program that has no students enrolled but that meets the eligibility criteria (see “Eligibility for ACPE Accreditation or Preaccreditation”) for accreditation may be granted Precandidate status. The granting of Precandidate status indicates that a program’s planning for the Doctor of Pharmacy program has taken into account the standards and guidelines and suggests reasonable assurances of moving to the next step, that of Candidate status. Granting of Precandidate status brings no rights or privileges of Full accreditation. Public disclosure by the program of the terms and conditions of Precandidate status is required (see paragraph 7, “Reference to Accreditation”).

6.1.2 Candidate. Once students have enrolled in a new program that is currently recognized by ACPE with Precandidate status, such program may be granted Candidate status by ACPE. The granting of Candidate status denotes a developmental program that is expected to mature in accordance with stated plans by the time the first class has graduated. Granting of Candidate status brings rights and privileges of Full accreditation. Public disclosure by the program of the terms and conditions of Candidate status is required (see paragraph 7, “Reference to Accreditation”).

7.3 Preaccreditation. References to a program that has been granted a preaccreditation status (Precandidate or Candidate) must state the only following in reference to the program’s accreditation status:

Granting of Precandidate status brings no rights or privileges of accreditation as associated with either candidate status or accredited status. Precandidate status indicates only that planning has taken into account ACPE standards and guidelines and suggests reasonable assurance of moving to the next step, that of Candidate status. Since Precandidate status does not create any rights of accreditation under the ACPE standards, it is the opinion of ACPE that graduates of programs of Colleges or Schools of Pharmacy that bear Precandidate status do not meet the educational requirements for licensure.

A comprehensive on-site evaluation for consideration of advancing to Candidate status has been approved by ACPE and will be scheduled during the spring of 2017.