•
PORTLAND, Maine

UNE propels pharmacy practice forward through Continuing Education credits in New England

The University of New England is working to advance the future of pharmacy practice by serving as the exclusive Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) provider for pharmacy continuing education credits (CEC) in northern New England.

Each year, practicing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must complete 15 to 20 CECs to maintain their licensure. These credits, earned through attending seminars and symposiums held by pharmacy experts, help enhance the quality of professional development and advance the field of pharmacy. UNE, in accordance with its mission to promote lifelong learning, is an ACPE accredited institution that provides these credit opportunities for the Maine Pharmacy Association, Maine Society of Health Systems Pharmacists, New Hampshire Pharmacy Association, New Hampshire Health System Pharmacists and Massachusetts Health Systems Pharmacists.

UNE began its Continuing Education program in 2011, issuing 1,100 CECs to participants. This year, that number has risen to more than 9,000 CECs, and UNE is now the leading university-affiliated provider of live continuing education events in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. UNE also provides CEC opportunities for pharmacy technicians -- professionals who assist licensed pharmacists with the distribution of medication, communication with patients, and other pharmacy-related responsibilities.

“More and more, pharmacists are being delegated to perform clinical tasks, such as immunizations or cholesterol testing,” explained Dan Mickool, director of Continuing Education in UNE’s College of Pharmacy. “We want to increase the scope of continuing education credits for those pharmacists as their level of responsibilities increase, so they can communicate effectively with physicians and make proper treatment recommendations.”

The next opportunity for Maine residents to earn CECs will be at the fourth annual Dr. Douglas H. Kay Continuing Pharmacy Education Symposium on October 10, 2015, held at the Hannaford Lecture Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus. This year’s symposium will address topics ranging from antibiotic resistance to the changing medical marijuana laws.

For more information about UNE’s Continuing Education program, please contact Daniel Mickool at (207) 221-4077, dmickool@une.edu or Pauline Dombrowik at pdombrowik@une.edu.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.