The profession of pharmacy places high priority on continuing professional development (CPD) for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. MPA plays a key role in CPD and aims to provide continuing education programs that support the enhanced competence of pharmacy professionals.

Licensure Requirements
As of July 2007, pharmacists are required to earn 10 hours of live PCE credit and one hour of pain credit, both requirements inclusive of the 30 hours normally earned. Certified pharmacy technicians must obtain one hour of pharmacy law continuing education credit every two years. Michigan pharmacists are not required to obtain pharmacy law continuing education credit, and pharmacy technicians are not required to meet the pain and live continuing education credit requirements.

Live continuing education credit can only be obtained via an online course if the universal program number is appropriately identified. The “L” in the following universal program number examples, signifies that the program has been accredited as a live course. If a letter other than the “L” appears, the program does not meet the live requirements.
112-000-08-246-L01-P
112-999-08-305-L01-P
129-112-08-238-L01-P

Earning PCE Credit
In an effort to assist you in targeting programs that will lend to your professional development, as well as adhering to ACPE's Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines, every PCE program listed will identify the appropriate audience in conjunction with the program number with a P (pharmacist) or T (technician). Pharmacy technician-specific programming will be geared toward the technician’s scope of responsibilities. However, even though MPA may accredit a program for technicians, it is the technician's responsibility to determine whether the subject matter is acceptable to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) for recertification.

PTCB deems the following topics appropriate:

• Medication distribution and inventory control systems

• Pharmacy administration and management calculations

• Programs specific to pharmacy technicians

• Interpersonal skills

• Organizational skills

• Pharmacy law

• Pharmacology/drug therapy

Programs relating to functions outside the scope of practice for pharmacy technicians are not accepted by PTCB.

The following outlines the procedures for appropriately earning pharmacy continuing education (PCE) credit according to guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Please review them thoroughly. The Michigan Pharmacists Association will not be held responsible for individuals not adhering to the following guidelines.

Posttest Examination and Evaluation—To assess the level of participation and program/article effectiveness, participants will be required to submit a posttest examination and evaluation for each program. Participants must pass each posttest with a score of 70 percent or greater in order to receive PCE credit.

Fraud, Waste and Abuse Training
Based upon regulations found in the Medicare Part D Program to Control Fraud, Waste and Abuse, subcontractors with responsibilities pertaining to the Part D program of a sponsor (e.g., pharmacy, pharmacists, technicians) should receive specialized compliance training at the time of contracting and annually thereafter as a condition of ongoing contractual relationship. Guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicates that specialized training should be a minimum of four hours in length and that a record of this training should be kept for a minimum of 10 years and be made available to the CMS upon request. Several Part D plan sponsors have requested documentation of pharmacy staff fraud, waste and abuse training.

Accreditation

Michigan Pharmacists Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Michigan Pharmacists Association is an approved provider of Pharmacy Technician Continuing Education (PTCE).