The life of a pharmacist is a fast-paced one. In fact, with staffing cut backs in hospitals and pharmacies across the country, a pharmacist’s life is busier than ever.
Trying to balance a hectic work schedule and family increasingly makes compliance with important continuing education requirements difficult even though they remain essential to the role of the pharmacist. Yet, many CE credits may be achieved online; in fact, some pharmacists are working toward their Doctor of Pharmacy degree while completing their current CE requirements through online channels that allow for greater distance learning opportunities and more convenience than ever before!
State CE Requirements
In order to stay up to date with CE, pharmacists should verify their requirements with their state licensing board. Each state maintains different requirements for healthcare workers. Licenses are offered at the discretion of state boards, so it is important to learn about any updates regarding specific content or other pharmacist-specific requirements such as the number of hours required for license renewal.
When choosing a distance learning opportunity, pharmacists should always ascertain its accrediting agency and try to choose coursework that will allow them to remain current in their field. Look for CE activities that are instructed by leading clinicians or scientists. It’s always beneficial to find CE that correlates directly with patient care, too.
Journals
Both online and print journals offer distance learning opportunities for pharmacists to obtain accredited CE hours. An online journal such as Pharmacy Times makes finding CE opportunities as simple as scrolling down their home page to find relevant coursework.
By clicking on the course’s title, pharmacists can find all the pertinent information they need to decide whether or not to proceed with the CE—accrediting agency, number of CE credit hours, cost (this particular journal is popular for its free CE), course expiration, and who supports the activity. Then, they can simply view the lesson and take the test to earn the needed CE credits.
More Online Opportunities for CE
Online CE has ballooned with a myriad of activities—webinars, courses, lectures, discussions—there are many opportunities for distance learning online. Sites like PowerPak.com specialize in CE for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. State pharmacy associations and pharmacy schools also provide a wide array of online CE opportunities. There are fees associated with some CE activities, but many remain free. Hospitals and hospital networks may also host various online CE opportunities for pharmacists.
Resources for Locating Online CE
Some sites make it easy for busy pharmacists to locate relevant CE. Various websites like
PharmacyWeek.com index CE opportunities that are fee-based, free, or offered through universities. Many reputable organizations offer top-notch CE and pharmacists should check their websites regularly for distance learning opportunities; some of these include the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, CE Medicus, Medscape, and PharmaCE.
By visiting these sites regularly, pharmacists will be able to fulfill their continuing education requirements easily and remain vibrant and current in their field. Since some CE credits can be obtained over a long lunch break, it’s more convenient than ever to stay up-to-date and earn the needed accredited hours for licensure.
Discover the relevance between pharmacy and public health and explore the opportunities for pharmacists in public health with The Pharmacist in Public Health: Education, Applications and Opportunities by Hoai-An Truong.
