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| TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS |
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The Pharmacy Council shall be responsible for the overall policy guiding of the training of Medicine Counter Assistants, as enshrined in this Policy.
There shall be a visible, continuous and identifiable authority charged with the administration of the Training Institution. The administrative authority shall have the responsibility and be accountable for assuring and demonstrating compliance with the quality criteria and this Policy.
The provider shall adopt a statement, which sets forth the mission and goals of the Training Institution.
The administrative authority for coordinating the provider’s training activities shall be vested in a Training Coordinator who is readily accessible on a regular basis.
Administrative stability should always be assured.
There shall be a Training Coordinator for every Training Institution in whom the administrative function is vested. The Training Coordinator shall be qualified by virtue of his/her background, education, training and/or experience.
Some important areas of the coordinator’s background, which should be present or developed, are a working knowledge in training, planning and development, and an understanding of the basic principles of adult learning.
Some important areas of training and experience which should be present or developed include program faculty selection, program budget preparation, record keeping, and a general familiarity with contemporary Medicine Counter Assistants training as well as current trends and issues in pharmaceutical needs.
The Training Coordinator and, where applicable, other professional staff, should maintain and seek to improve their knowledge, skills and experience in the areas outlined above.
If an approved Training Institution works with others (non-approved by the Pharmacy Council) for the development, distribution and/or presentation of training program, the responsibility for ensuring that all quality criteria and standards are met rests with the approved provider. Early in the planning, the functions of each party shall be clearly identified and documented.
If two or more approved providers work together for the development, distribution, and/or presentation of continuing pharmaceutical education programs, the responsibility for assurance of compliance with the quality criteria is held jointly. Early in the planning, decisions shall be made relative to the specific areas or the division of responsibility of each approved provider and shall be identified and documented
The promotion and advertising of each continuing education activity shall be conducted in a responsible fashion.
Adequate information should be provided to prospective participants in advance, in order to enable them to be well-informed consumers of the education programs.
Promotional materials (e.g. brochures, advertisements, memoranda, letters of invitation, other announcements) should clearly and explicitly include at least the following key informational items:
- The educational goals and specific learning objectives of the particular program.
- The nature of the target audience(s) that may best benefit from participation in the program.
- The training resource persons and their credentials.
- The fees for the program and a clear statement of the items that are and are not covered by those fees, as well as any applicable deadlines for program cancellations and fee refunds.
- The schedule of the educational activities.
- The number of training credits, specified in contact hours that can be earned through participation and successful completion of the program.
- A statement identifying the training provider as an institution accredited by the Pharmacy Council.
- A full description of all requirements established by the provider for successful completion of the training programme and subsequent awarding of credit (e.g., passing a post-test at a pre-specified proficiency level, completing a program evaluation form, participating in all sessions or certain combinations of sessions which have been designed as a program package, etc.).
In programmes where both core and elective sessions are used, the sessions being offered, as core sessions for credit should be clearly identified, and a statement indicating when and how a participant should expect to receive a certificate should be clearly made.
Promotional materials should represent the educational programme being offered in a fair and responsible manner.
Providers shall adhere to a uniform quantitative system of measurement for training credits based on the contact hours, defined as 45-60 minutes of participation or its equivalent.
In cases where the method of educational delivery does not lend itself to straightforward and direct translation into contact hours, as may be the case with home work and other mediated instructional approaches, a determination of the number of educational credits which may be awarded shall be made by realistically appraising the amount of time required for participants to successfully complete the program
The provider shall maintain and assure the availability of records adequate to serve the needs of the participants and others requiring such information.
Records of participation should be kept for a minimum period of five years, and Training Institutions shall keep full documentation on the following:
- Duration of program.
- Personal information data of participants.
- Dates of commencement and completion of programme.
- Drop-out rates (with reasons).
- A copy of the documentation shall be submitted to the Pharmacy Council.
- Documentation on Resource Persons and their relevant qualifications and field of instruction.
- Records of daily attendance.
- Records of resource persons and their relevant qualifications and their fields of instruction.
The provider shall give evidence to each participant, in the form of a testimonial or other official document, of successful completion of the training having passed the final assessment by the Pharmacy Council.
The Pharmacy Council shall issue a certificate to participants who have successfully completed their training. The successful participant shall be deemed to have completed the requisite total number of credits, and has been assessed and certified to have passed. The certificate shall include the following information:
- The full name of the participant,
- The title and date(s) of the program,
- The approved provider(s) of the program,
- The official logo of the Pharmacy Council,
- Courses taken,
- The name and signature of the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council or his Representative,
- The assigned Training Batch Number,
- The name of the Training Institution, and
- The name and signature of the Training Coordinator or His Representative.
Duly completed and signed certificates shall be awarded only following the completion of the program. Replaced certificates should be clearly marked as “Replacement Copy” or “Duplicate Copy”.
Approved providers must have a sound basis for providing evidence of participation in Medicine Counter Assistants training programs.
The provider shall develop and promulgate policies and procedures for the management of grievances including tuition and fee refunds.
The provider’s policies and procedures should be formalized in a written format and should facilitate quick and smooth resolution of grievances/complaints
A sound resource base is a requirement for the running of the training program and their improvement. To provide adequately for quality programs and necessary improvements, sufficient resources must be available.
The budget and resources for training programs shall be adequate to the activities undertaken and their continued improvement.
Available resources should provide for both direct and indirect program costs, including provisions for non-operational expenses like training evaluation and development.
The quality of training programs and their value to participants depends heavily on the ability and expertise of the resource persons and support staff.
The resource persons for the training program shall be competent in the subject areas and qualified by experience, training and/or preparation for the tasks and methods of delivery.
In order to facilitate effective teaching and learning, the provider shall provide systematic and effective guidance and development support, particularly related to the development of training goals and specific learning objectives, preparation of suitable and appropriate supporting and supplementary instructional materials, design and implementation of appropriate learning activities in both structure and process, and development of appropriate learning assessment instruments and activities.
The Pharmacy Council shall, through the program monitoring and evaluation processes, ensure the effectiveness of this Policy, and shall make adjustments and modifications, as it deems fit.
The provider shall put in place monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that the training policies and objectives are fully implemented.
An appropriate number of resource persons shall be engaged for each training program.
In determining the appropriate number of resource persons for the training programs, consideration should be given to the topics to be covered, the need for appropriate balance, and the overall duration of the program.
There shall be adequate support personnel to assist with the administrative and technical matters related to the preparation, presentation and implementation of the training programs.
The provider shall ensure not only the availability of support personnel, but also the provision to them of adequate training and information to ensure the quality of program and programming.
(Educational Programmes Development)
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