Advanced Clinical Excellence in Pharmacy Program

Overview

The Advanced Clinical Excellence in Pharmacy Program (hereafter “ACEPP”), administered by the USC School of Pharmacy and the International Academy, offers select graduates from accredited overseas universities a comprehensive and practical pathway to a U.S. pharmacy license. The ACEPP includes:

• Highly-tailored preparatory program (English, TOEFL, and FPGEE) to support FPGEC certification;
• Customized education and training program designed specifically for internationally-trained pharmacists to gain experience in U.S. healthcare environments;
• Structured didactic and clinical skills training opportunities;
• Experiential opportunities aimed at strengthening clinical and patient skills.
• Successful completion of the non-degree ACEPP will result in Fellows achieving 1,500 hours as well as position themselves to take the NAPLEX and state licensing examinations. Fellows will interact closely with the USC School of Pharmacy faculty, administrators and students, expanding their professional networks while immersing themselves in a dynamic, pharmacy-specific professional and academic environment.

ACEP Preparatory Program

Foreign pharmacists wishing to join ACEPP’s rotation program must first acquire FPGEC certification and an intern license. However, many foreign pharmacists face difficulty meeting the language requirements associated with FPGEC certification.

For foreign pharmacists who have not yet received their FPGEC certification, ACEPP offers:

• Increase English language proficiency
• Strengthen TOEFL test-taking skills
• Improve English use in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences settings
• Become more familiar with FPGEE and its requirements

The School of Pharmacy and the International Academy offer two levels of preparatory programming dependent upon their English language proficiency:

• Intensive English Program (IEP) – for participants with iBT TOEFL scores under 80
• Masters Preparatory Program (MP) – for participants with iBT TOEFL scores over 80 but under the FPGEC required a score of 93 (Reading 22, Listening 21, Speaking 26, Writing 24)

Preparatory Program Duration

Participants typically spend between 1-4 semesters in the Preparatory Program before transitioning to the ACEPP rotation program. Actual time in the Preparatory Program is dependent upon individual English language gains and success achieving required FPGEC scores on the TOEFL.

ACEPP Program Milestones

A participant’s total time needed to complete ACEPP depends on individual qualifications (language proficiency, FPGEC certification, intern license, etc). The following outline is meant to provide a rough estimate of the time needed to complete each step. Please keep in mind not all ACEPP participants will require the Preparatory Program.

1. Pre-Pharmacy Language and Test Preparation (up to 18 months)
   • Intensive English Program – for participants with iBT TOEFL scores under 80
   • Masters Preparatory Program – for participants with iBT TOEFL scores over 80 but under the FPGEC required a score of 93 (Reading 22, Listening 21, Speaking 26, Writing 24)
2. Apply for and receive FPGEC Certification (up to 4 months)
   • Pass the iBT TOEFL with the required minimum score (see above)
   • Pass the FPGEE with the required minimum score (test offered 2-3 times per year)
3. Apply for and receive a valid California pharmacist intern license (1-2 months)
4. ACEPP Rotation Program (10-12 months)
   • Participate in and complete the ACEPP rotation program resulting in at least 1,500 hours
   • Successfully complete the Advanced Practice Pharmacist (APP) certificate training program
   • Complete the NAPLEX preparatory course (offered by the School of Pharmacy each April)

Upon completion of ACEPP, we encourage all participants to take the NAPLEX and any required state licensure tests.