Report of the 2019-2020 AACP Academic Affairs Committee: Developing the Pharmacist Workforce for Society's Medication Use Needs in 2030

The Bridging Pharmacy Education and Practice Summit: A Unique Convening With Purpose

It is not often that a group of health executives, educators, and professionals gather with the goal of identifying a preferred future for their profession and the patients they serve. It is even more rare when such an assembly results in a clear and actionable plan to follow to achieve that desired future. Nevertheless, the Bridging Pharmacy Education and Practice (BPEP) Summit, an unprecedented collaborative event in June 2022 that involved six sites across the country and more than 300 participants, was just such a convening. In this Commentary we provide a brief overview of this extraordinary summit and the events that led up to it.

Advancing Pharmacy Education and Workforce Development Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Report of the 2020-2021 AACP Academic Affairs Committee

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020-2021 Academic Affairs Committee was charged to (1) Read all six reports from the 2019-20 AACP standing committees to identify elements of these reports that are relevant to your committee's work this year; (2) Determine what changes made in colleges and schools of pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic should be continued to advance pharmacy education; (3) Develop a realistic model for colleges and schools of pharmacy to share resources to meet the curricular needs of member schools; (4) Create strategies by which colleges and schools of pharmacy can meet current and future workforce development needs particularly in light of the changes in healthcare delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; (5) Identify salient activities for the Center To Accelerate Pharmacy Practice Transformation and Academic Innovation (CTAP) for consideration by the AACP Strategic Planning Committee and AACP staff. This report provides an overview of changes made in schools and colleges of pharmacy implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may be continued to advance pharmacy education; a realistic model for colleges and schools of pharmacy to share resources to meet the curricular needs of member schools; and strategies by which schools and colleges of pharmacy can meet current and future workforce development needs, particularly in light of the changes in healthcare delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee is proposing one policy statement for consideration by the 2021 AACP House of Delegates, four suggestions for consideration by schools and colleges of pharmacy (including two endorsements for suggestions from the 2020-21 Argus Commission), and one recommendation for consideration by AACP for CTAP to implement and oversee.

Advancing the Adoption of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the United States

Over the last four decades, the expanded patient care roles of pharmacists in the United States (U.S.) have increased focus on ensuring the implementation of processes to enhance continuing professional development within the profession. The transition from a model of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) to a model of continuing professional development (CPD) is still evolving. As pharmacists assume more complex roles in patient care delivery, particularly in community-based settings, the need to demonstrate and maintain professional competence becomes more critical. In addition, long-held processes for post-graduate education and licensure must also continue to adapt to meet these changing needs. Members of the pharmacy profession in the U.S. must adopt the concept of CPD and implement processes to support the thoughtful completion of professional development plans. Comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology solutions are available to assist pharmacists with understanding, implementing and applying CPD to their professional lives.