CCP audit

The Continuing Competence Program consists of three categories. All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are in either Category 1, 2, or 3 each year.

Category 1 requires you to complete the basic CCP requirements:

• complete at least 15 CEUs,
• record that learning on learning records,
• implement at least one CEU worth of learning into your practice and document this on an implementation record,
• complete any required learning that has been assigned by the competence committee, and
• submit a portfolio before the end of each CE cycle.

Every year, a percentage of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, as determined by Council, will be selected to have their professional portfolios audited. A portfolio consists of your learning records and an implementation record. These must be submitted to ACP via the CCP portal in order to renew your practice permit.

Professional portfolio audit

Your portfolio may be selected for an audit as a result of

• random selection;
• a late or incomplete submission; or
• a request of the registrar who has identified an issue arising from a request for registration, issuance of a practice permit, renewal of a practice permit, or the findings of an inspection or investigation.

If selected, your portfolio will go through an administrative audit and your implementation record will be peer assessed by two pharmacists/pharmacy technicians trained in assessment. The peer assessment is a criterion-based assessment (i.e., based on established criteria). This means the assessment will be as objective and fair as possible. Because you submitted all of your information when you submitted your portfolio, you will not be notified until the audit has been completed. When the audit is complete, you will receive a letter indicating whether your portfolio has met the established standard.

There are three possible outcomes to the assessment:

1. If you meet the established standard, you will be notified that you have been audited and that the audit was satisfactory. You may be provided with feedback to improve your future portfolios. You will be directed to complete the program on an annual basis in Category 1.
2. If you did not meet the established standard but your deficiency was minor in nature, you will be notified that your portfolio was audited and that it was unsatisfactory. You will be provided with feedback on how to improve your future portfolios. You will be placed in Category 2 of the program, which means that you complete a new portfolio in the following CE cycle, using the feedback provided to you. That portfolio will be audited at the end of the CE cycle.
3. If you did not meet the established standard and your portfolio has significant gaps, errors, or omissions, you will be notified that your portfolio was audited and that it was unsatisfactory. You will be placed in Category 3 and referred to the competence committee to determine further action.

A clinical pharmacist or pharmacy technician in Category 3 must meet the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program and any additional activities directed by the competence committee and will be subject to audit at the end of the CE cycle.

If the audit of a pharmacist or pharmacy technician is successful, the registrant may have their competence case closed and may not be randomly selected for audit for the next five years. Please refer to the respective CCP rules and CCP guide for further details.