FAQ

CCCEP Accreditation

• Is CCCEP Accreditation recognized in all provinces and territories?

  Yes, CCCEP accreditation is recognized in all provinces and territories. CCCEP was established by the provincial regulatory authorities to provide a national accreditation for continuing pharmacy education learning activities.

• What is the accreditation period of a CCCEP accreditation?

  A learning activity is accredited for 1 year. The accreditation may be renewed 2 times. Each renewal is for 1 year.

• What is a CEU?

  A CEU is the Continuing Education Unit which indicates the length of the learning activity. One CEU equals one hour. For example, a learning activity that is 3 hours in length would be 3 CEUs.

• Are breaks included in calculating the CEU of a learning activity?

  Breaks of longer than 5 minutes are not included in calculating the CEUs of the learning activity.

• Is the time it takes a participant to complete a learner assessment included in calculating the CEUs of a learning activity?

  Yes, provided the learner receives feedback on the results of the learner assessment.

• How long does it take to have a learning activity accredited by CCCEP?

  CCCEP provides a regular review and a fast track review. In a regular review, a provider will receive the Preliminary Report in five weeks for learning activities 4 CEUs (or less) and six weeks for a learning activity greater than 4 CEUs. The Preliminary Reports identifies any changes that may be required in the learning activity. In addition, a provider needs to allow 2-5 days for making changes and obtaining final approval.

• How long does it take to renew an accreditation?

  An accreditation renewal takes 4 to 14 days. While you must initiate a renewal prior to the expiry date, we recommend that you initiate your renewal 2 to 3 months prior to its expiry, in case you need to update your activity.

• When should I update the content of a learning activity?

  A provider should update an activity as soon as they are aware that new evidence or best practices are available. An update is a small change in an accredited activity. You need to have 1 expert review the changes in the activity. To update an activity, simply e-mail the changes to CCCEP.

• Do I need to submit a copy of all the presentations with my application for a Conference accreditation?

  No.  There are two options for Conference accreditation applications. Option 1 requires submission of the presentations in addition to all other required documents (e.g. disclosure and declarations forms, conference agenda). Option 2 allows you to submit the presentations after the conference. The application must be accompanied by the following: Conference schedule, evaluation forms, statement of attendance, bios, declaration and disclosure forms, learning objectives and abstracts, and (if possible) refererences. After the conference, the conference organizer must submit the presentation content or slides to CCCEP for post-review within 30 days of the conference dates. If there are serious issues with inaccurate information and bias in a presentation, the conference organizer/provider may be requested to advise all participants of the concerns regarding the presentation. The accreditation for the session may be withdrawn in the most serious instances.

• I am presenting my learning activity at a conference, can I accredit it as a conference?

  No. Only the conference organization may submit an application for a conference accreditation.  The conference accreditation is only applicable for the days of the conference. If you are presenting a learning activity at a conference, you may submit it for accreditation as a learning activity. You may then deliver it at different conferences and other venues during its accreditation period.

• The accreditation of my activity is about to expire, what are my options?

  If you have not renewed your activity, you may renew it. You are allowed two renewals, each for one year.

  If you have renewed your learning activity twice, you may either (1) extend the accreditation, if there are minimal (i.e. less than 10%) content changes required for the activity content to remain current; or (2) submit the activity as a new accreditation (this is required if there are more changes required to more than 10% of the program content for it to be current.

• Can I accredit an activity for both pharmacists and technicians?

  Yes, you can accredit a learning activity for both pharmacists and technicians, provided the learning activity is relevant to to both audiences and the activities are similar (range of 5 to 15% difference in content is allowed, depending on the length of the program). The accreditation application allows you to indicate a dual audience (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) and will assign a Z series number (e.g. 1234-2020-5678-I-Z).

Standards and Guidelines

• Do I need to use generic names for products?

  Yes, generic names are to be used. If necessary for accuracy, a brand name may be used once (with the generic name in brackets) and then the generic name used for the remainder of the activity. If a brand name is stated, all brand names must be listed.
  
    In situations where it is necessary for safety or accuracy, brand names may be used. However, all brand names are to be used in a balanced manner with no preference given to any one brand name or those of one company.

• Do I need to include a learner assessment?

  Yes, learner assessments are required in all learning activities, except for those accredited as a conference accreditation.

• Do I need to include learning objectives in my learning activity?

  Yes, learning objectives must be included in all learning activities. They should be outcome-based, and written in SMART format from the learner perspective.

• Do I need to have an expert review conducted on my learning activity?

  Yes. All new learning activities, except those submitted as part of a conference accreditation, must have an expert review conducted. The Expert Reviewers must complete the Expert Reviewer Release Statement and sign off on the content. The expert review may be two external experts or an expert panel. Expert Reviews are also required for Extensions and Updates, but not for Administrative and Delivery Type changes, unless there is a change in content.

• Can I include off-label content in my presentation?

  Yes. However, you must declare up front that you are including off-label content. Also, you must identify off-label content when you present it.

• Can there be ads on the same webpage as the educational content?

  No. Ads may only be located in on pages of a document or website that do not contain educational content. Ad are not permitted in presentation content.

• Can I distribute product information or samples at a presentation?

  No. Product information or samples cannot be distributed during or in the same space as the learning activity. They may be distributed in another space, provided the distribution occurs a minimum of 15 metres from the entrance to the space where the learning activity occurs.

Program Provider

• What are the requirements to be a program provider?

  Any organization or business, including a sole proprietorship, can register to be a program provider. The three primary requirements are that the program provider (1) develops and delivers quality continuing education that meets CCCEPs standards for accreditation, (2) adheres to the CCCEPs sponsorship code of practice and (3) maintains learner records for a period of three years after the expiry of the accreditation for a learning activity.

• How do I become a program provider?

  To become a program provider you complete the Provider Registration form, which asks you to provide your name and organization contact information. You also provide a username and password. As soon as you complete the registration form, you may log in as a “provider” and submit an application.

Accredited Provider

• What are the requirements to be a CCCEP accredited provider?

  In addition to meeting the general requirements for a program provider, an accredited provider must be an incorporated, non-profit organization, ideally with a history of providing continuing health education learning activities.

• What is the difference between a program provider and an accredited program provider?

  The primary difference is that program providers submit their learning activities to CCCEP for accreditation and accredited providers accredit their own learning activities, using the CCCEP standards and guidelines. The accredited provider pays CCCEP an annual fee based on the volume of programming, as opposed to paying the accreditation fee for each individual learning activity.

• How does an organization become an accredited provider?

  To become an accredited provider, an organization must submit an accredited provider application. The application is designed to assess the capacity of the organization to develop, deliver and self-accredit learning activities that meet CCCEP standards and guidelines for CCCEP accreditation. The application includes information about the organization (mission, plans, finances, human resources, etc.) and the learning activities that it has developed and delivered. The application must be approved by the CCCEP Board of Directors.

• How long does the accredited provider application process take?

  The application process usually takes 3 to 5 months from the provider submitting an Intent to Apply to the final approval. The process involves the completion of the Self-Assessment Application by the provider, the review of the Self-Assessment Application by a CCCEP review panel, a provider-review panel meeting, finalization of the application and review/approval by the CCCEP Board of Directors. The CCCEP Board normally reviews application twice per year – in late November and late May.

• What is the cost of becoming an accredited provider?

  The accredited provider application fee is $1500. Once accredited, Providers pay an annual fee based on their programming.  The minimum annual fee is $1600. 

Learner Assessment

• What is the difference between learner assessment and activity evaluation?

  A learner assessment is an activity by which the participant is able to assess what they are learning.

  An activity evaluation is evaluative feedback from the participants in a learning activity, usually through a participant evaluation form, to the program provider regarding potential bias and the quality of the activity, instructional materials, presenter, etc.