Accreditation

Accreditation is a system for declaring that a program or institution meets established quality standards to provide assurance and confidence to the public. In the United States, accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental, peer review process which provides a means of evaluating a program or institution (e.g. training program, school, college, hospital, etc.) against a set of established standards set by a profession or industry. Accreditation seeks to enhance the quality of a program/institution by promoting self-evaluation; encouraging quality improvement; and providing public accountability by ensuring specific criteria are met. Accreditation in education includes two types of accreditation: institutional and specialized or programmatic accreditation.

Institutional accreditation evaluates overall institutional quality that provides education. (i.e., faculty/personnel, administration, finances, facilities, etc.). Examples of institutional accreditors include regional accreditation of colleges and universities:  Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Western Association for Schools and Colleges (WASC); and career college accreditors: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

Specialized/programmatic accreditation focuses on specific programs of study, rather than an institution as a whole. The focus is on the particular curriculum, faculty, evaluation, and training related to the specific field of study. Specialized /programmatic accreditors require the institution to be accredited by an institutional accreditation and only look at the specific training in their defined practice area. Many of these accreditation programs are conducted by the specific profession (e.g. dentistry, nursing, pharmacy) primarily to provide the public with assurance of the quality of the educational preparation of individuals that work within that profession. In pharmacy there are two major specialized/programmatic accreditors that review pharmacy education programs:

• The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredits the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program for pharmacists, as well as continuing education program providers for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians' continuing education.
• ASHP and the Commission on Credentialing (COC) accredits pharmacy technician training programs and pharmacy residency programs that are postgraduate training programs for pharmacists.

For more information on Lone Star College's regional and program specific accreditations, please click here.

Lone Star College Institutional Accreditation

Lone Star College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Lone Star College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Lone Star College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Lone Star College System Pharmacy Technology Accreditation

The Pharmacy Technology Program at Lone Star College has been accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) since 2007. ASHP is the only nationally recognized non-governmental, non-profit pharmacy association that has been accrediting pharmacy residencies since 1962 and pharmacy technician training programs in the United States since 1983. The ASHP Commission on Credentialing (COC) has representation from various components of the pharmacy profession to ensure the accreditation standards and processes provide quality training that meets the needs of the pharmacy profession. Members of the Commission include representatives from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), as well as a dedicated pharmacy technician educator. ASHP's Commission on Credentialing is the designated body of the ASHP Board of Directors responsible for recommending standards, comparing programs to the standards, and recommending accreditation status. A link has been provided in order to view the accredited schools within the greater Houston area: http://accred.ashp.org/aps/pages/directory/technicianProgramDirectory.aspx

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
ashp.org

Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education
190 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, Illinois 60603-3446

acpe-accredit.org

Lone Star College-Tomball Continuing Pharmacy Education