Accreditation Program Standards and Criteria Advisory Initiative
NABP’s Accreditation Program Standards and Criteria Advisory Initiative incorporates industry comments and committee review to help maintain the integrity of its accreditation programs’ standards and criteria. The inclusive comment process represents an opportunity for accredited entities to share their perspectives on accreditation program standards and criteria, as NABP simultaneously monitors legislative changes for their possible impact.
The Accreditation Program Standards and Criteria Advisory Initiative includes two committees: one dedicated to distribution and the other to pharmacy. The committees are composed of NABP-accredited entities who can commit to a 3-year term. Participants are chosen to ensure an optimal mix of subject matter expertise.
NABP-accredited entities can submit comments throughout the year that will be routinely reviewed for items requiring immediate consideration. In January of each year, the standards or criteria for a group of programs will undergo the formal comment review process outlined below.
Formal reviews may also be initiated at any time if needed.
Annual Review Process
| Step 1 – January of each year Each year, in January, comments for the NABP accreditation program standards or criteria undergoing formal review are compiled and shared with NABP subject matter experts (SMEs). |
| Step 2 – 15-30 business days The SMEs assess the comments to determine if they should be forwarded to the appropriate advisory committee. |
| Step 3 – 30 business days The advisory committee members review proposed standards/criteria comments and provide written feedback. |
| Step 4 – 15-30 business days The SMEs review the committee’s comments to determine if edits are needed to the applicable standards or criteria. |
| Step 5 – 30 business days Proposed changes are made available for public review by the relevant accreditation program customers. |
| Step 6 – 15-30 business days The SMEs review comments from accreditation customers to determine if further edits are needed to the proposed standards or criteria changes. |
| Step 7 – 10 business days Final changes, if there are any, are shared with the advisory committee before their final publication. |
| Step 8 – 5 business days Final changes are published on the NABP website accompanied by a 30-day written notification; if there are no changes, this will also be announced. |
NABP retains the sole discretion to determine the standards and criteria for its accreditation programs. All timelines are approximate and may be adjusted at NABP’s discretion in response to comment volume.
