A Narrative Review and Synthesis of Alignment between Competency-Based Pharmacy Education and ACPE Standards 2025

Competency-based education (CBE) continues to be a topic of discussion in pharmacy education, with calls for frameworks that focus on educational outcomes that require learners to demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes (KSA) and abilities in a variety of settings. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) CBE Task Force has produced a foundational body of evidence defining competency-based pharmacy education (CBPE) as "an outcomes-based curricular model of an organized framework of competencies for pharmacists to meet health care and societal needs." This manuscript describes foundational constructs to CBPE, examines how the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2025 align with CBPE, and explores both the opportunities for innovative program design and the challenges that may arise when considering CBPE implementation.

A total of eight constructs foundational to CBPE were synthesized. Through analysis of the Standards' structure and CBPE literature review, Standards 2025 align with elements of CBPE by emphasizing explicit educational outcomes, establishing comprehensive assessment systems, and integrating experiential learning to demonstrate competency. While alignment between Standards 2025 and CBPE constructs exists, Standards 2025 do not explicitly require CBPE, and time-based constraints remain a barrier to full CBPE implementation.

Elements of Standards 2025 allow for CBPE, however, the continued progression toward CBPE will require sustained investment in faculty and preceptor development, assessment infrastructure, and national coordination between accrediting bodies, regulatory and government agencies, and colleges and schools of pharmacy.