APC Accreditation of Pharmacy Education Programs 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the APC Accreditation Standards, which body formally approves an accredited pharmacy program as qualifying for registration purposes in Australia?
- The Pharmacy Board of Australia (Correct answer)
- The Australian Pharmacy Council
- AHPRA directly
- The relevant university academic board
Correct answer: The Pharmacy Board of Australia
The Pharmacy Board of Australia approves programs accredited by the APC as qualifying for pharmacist registration under the National Law.
Question 2: What is the standard maximum duration of an initial accreditation period granted to a newly accredited pharmacy program in Australia?
- 2 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
APC typically grants initial accreditation for up to 5 years, after which programs must seek re-accreditation.
Question 3: Which APC accreditation standard domain specifically addresses the curriculum design and learning outcomes of a pharmacy program?
- Governance and Management
- Program of Study (Correct answer)
- Assessment and Student Support
- Resources and Infrastructure
Correct answer: Program of Study
The 'Program of Study' domain within APC standards covers curriculum design, content, and intended learning outcomes.
Question 4: A pharmacy school proposes to increase its student intake by 40% without corresponding changes to facilities. Which APC accreditation standard would this primarily threaten?
- Staff qualifications
- Governance and quality assurance
- Resources and infrastructure adequacy (Correct answer)
- Assessment validity
Correct answer: Resources and infrastructure adequacy
Increasing student numbers without scaling facilities threatens the Resources and Infrastructure standard, which requires adequate physical and staffing resources.
Question 5: Under APC accreditation requirements, experiential placements in pharmacy programs must be supervised by whom?
- Any registered health professional
- A registered pharmacist (Correct answer)
- A pharmacy academic only
- A clinical nurse educator
Correct answer: A registered pharmacist
APC standards require that experiential placements be supervised by registered pharmacists to ensure professional competency development.
Question 6: Which term describes an accreditation status granted when a program meets most standards but has specific conditions it must address within a defined timeframe?
- Full accreditation
- Provisional accreditation
- Conditional accreditation (Correct answer)
- Interim accreditation
Correct answer: Conditional accreditation
Conditional accreditation is granted when a program meets most requirements but must address identified deficiencies by a specified date.
Question 7: APC accreditation standards require pharmacy programs to align graduate outcomes with which national competency framework?
- The ACSQHC Safety and Quality Framework
- The National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia (Correct answer)
- The Australian Qualifications Framework Level 9
- The AHPRA Code of Conduct
Correct answer: The National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia
Programs must align their graduate outcomes with the National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia (NCS).
APC Accreditation of Pharmacy Education Programs 2
Under the APC Accreditation Standards, which body formally approves an accredited pharmacy program as qualifying for registration purposes in Australia?