Montana News: Requirements for CEAC Approval of Educational Programs

January 1, 2008 4:20 pm

Reprinted from the January 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.A review of the requirements for submitting programs for Montana Board of Pharmacy Continuing Education Advisory Council (CEAC) approval is a timely topic now that pharmaceutical companies can no longer be Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education-accredited providers of continuing education. The Montana Board of Pharmacy office has received an increased number of requests for CEAC approval for educational programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.

A CEAC Program Approval Form must be submitted with every request for CEAC. The form, which has been revised as of July 2006, outlines all of the required information that must be submitted to the Board. Previous editions of this form will not be accepted. An electronic copy of the form can be obtained from the Board of Pharmacy office by e-mailing a request to dlibsdpha@mt.gov.
A copy of the presenter’s curriculum vitae (CV) must be provided when requesting program approval. If a CV is not available, a summary of the presenter’s credentials, professional affiliations, and current practice site(s) is acceptable. The presenters name and credentials (eg, Tom Jones, RPh) on a program flier is not acceptable.

A description or summary of the program content must be submitted. The Board must have enough information to make an evaluation of the content of the educational program. This may be a brief description of the program with goals and objectives or a copy of the entire presentation. If possible, a copy of any program handouts should be submitted. A program flier with the title of the presentation, the presenter’s name, and program date, time, and location does not provide enough information to determine the educational value of a presentation. A program announcement alone will not be accepted.

Optimally, CEAC requests should be submitted 30 days prior to the date of the program; however, it is not required. Requests for CEAC approval may be submitted to the Board after a program has occurred as long as all of the required information is provided.
There is no guarantee that a program will receive CEAC approval.

Once a program has been CEAC-approved, the person requesting approval must award each attendee a certificate indicating the program title, CEAC number, hours approved for group or individual credit, program date, and attendee name. It is not acceptable to distribute copies of the program approval letter from the Board of Pharmacy to attendees in lieu of a certificate because the letter only identifies the person requesting approval, not the attendee. The person requesting approval on behalf of other individuals must maintain a copy of all materials submitted to the Board, the attendee sign-in sheet, and the CEAC approval letter for three years.