APC Accreditation Retires – What It Means & How lrnrx Has You Covered
The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) has officially announced the retirement of its Accreditation Standards for Continuing Professional Development Activities (2013). This marks a significant shift in the way pharmacists engage with and evaluate continuing education. From 31 December 2025, CPD providers will no longer be able to accredit their activities through APC, and the standards will be formally retired.
Currently accredited CPD organisations such as the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Advanced Pharmacy Australia, and the Australasian College of Pharmacy may continue accrediting CPD activities using the APC standards until the end of 2025. These accredited activities may retain their validity for up to three years based on current policies. However, after 31 December 2025, accreditation will no longer be granted using the APC standards.
This decision comes in response to the changing professional landscape, including expanded pharmacist roles, and aligns with the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s current stance that accreditation is not mandatory for CPD activities.
What This Means for Pharmacists
Pharmacists may naturally be concerned about how to ensure their CPD is still compliant with AHPRA requirements after 2025.
1. Accredited Activities Still Count
If you’re currently enrolled in or have completed a CPD activity with APC accreditation, it remains valid until the expiry date of the activity, even after 2025.
2. Unaccredited CPD is Already Recognised
Importantly, since 2015, the Pharmacy Board of Australia has allowed for the inclusion of unaccredited CPD as part of your annual requirements. There has never been a requirement for all CPD to be accredited.
3. Assessing Quality is Now Your Responsibility
Without the APC logo or accreditation system, pharmacists will now need to personally assess CPD activities for:
-
Relevance to their scope of practice
-
Alignment with the National Competency Standards Framework
-
Suitability for individual learning goals
Peer recommendations, professional bodies, and trusted providers will play an increasingly important role in validating quality.
4. Changes Coming to CPD Guidelines
The Pharmacy Board of Australia is expected to release new draft CPD registration standards soon. These may provide updated guidance on the structure and recording of CPD without the APC framework.
How lrnrx Will Continue to Support Pharmacist CPD
At lrnrx, our mission has always been to offer practical, engaging, and relevant education that empowers pharmacy professionals to grow in their roles and improve patient outcomes. With the upcoming changes to APC accreditation, we want to reassure our learners that we are already ahead of the curve.
Here’s how lrnrx will continue to meet your CPD needs:
-
Aligned with AHPRA’s CPD Standards
-
All lrnrx courses are developed in accordance with the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s CPD Registration Standard.
Our modules are structured to help pharmacists:
-
Reflect on their learning needs
-
Plan, complete, and evaluate CPD activities
-
Keep appropriate documentation and evidence for audit
Outcomes-Based Learning
Our courses are designed with clear learning objectives and practical applications, meeting the expectations outlined in the National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia. Even without formal accreditation, they remain compliant, relevant, and robust.
Record-Keeping Made Easy
lrnrx supports self-recording of CPD by:
-
Allowing upload of completion certificates completed by external providers
-
Learning reflections and outcomes automatically updated in your CPD report
Quality and Peer Review
All lrnrx content is:
-
Peer-reviewed by experienced pharmacists and subject matter experts
-
Developed using evidence-based practice
-
Tailored to real-world scenarios to enhance engagement and retention
Focus on Expanded Scope
As pharmacists embrace expanded roles including vaccination, prescribing, and aged care, we continue to build courses specific to emerging scopes of practice. This ensures our education remains not only current but also forward-looking.
The Bottom Line
While the retirement of APC’s CPD accreditation framework may feel like a major shift, it reflects a more flexible and self-directed model of professional development, one that lrnrx is perfectly positioned to support.
Pharmacists should feel confident that they can continue to meet their AHPRA CPD registration renewal requirements with high-quality, outcomes-focused training delivered by trusted providers like lrnrx.
We will continue to monitor regulatory updates and ensure that our courses remain compliant, valuable, and easy to integrate into your professional journey.
Sources:
https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/media-hub/apc-announces-retirement-of-cpd-standards/
