Pharmacy Board in Saudi Arabia

Introduction 

This regulation aims to pass the general required rules of accrediting qualified hospitals and specialized centers; achieving the maximum advantages of proper available facilities in medical centers and medical education, hence, benefit training programs and develops medical service.

Accreditation of training center will guarantee all clinical and medical facilities in the center will be utilized for training purpose. Also, consultants and specialists in the center are qualified enough and can participate in the training program. Thus will develop medical level given to patients and create suitable educational environment for trainees, enabling them in professional practice with out obstacles

Definitions

• Training Center

It is the specialized health establishment eligible to contribute in training programs accredited by the Council and referred to hereafter as “Center”

• Training Council

They are consultants, specialists, and technicians effectively at work in training centers, and eligible to perform health training and educating in the specialty field.

• Training Supervisor

Is the specialized consultant who supervises a training program in a training center.

• The Council

The Saudi Council for Health Specialties

Main Terms

• A training center is committed to all martial and human training made as well as the accreditation terms. 
• A training council should be obliged by the training center to perform the training program approved by the Council. 

The Requirements

·        Training Center:

1.      Number of beds should not be less than two hundred.  

2.      If the center is specialized, the number of bed should be specified by a specialized scientific board.

3.      The training council in a center and its facilities should meet the accreditation terms.

·        Training Council:

1.      Provision of capable trainers according to the standards of a Specialized Scientific Board.

2.      The training council must be given enough time at least half a day weekly, in order to   perform the training tasks and associated administrative responsibilities. 

·        Services: 

The following major services should be provided according to the specialty:

- Main specialties

- Emergency services 

- Outpatient clinics 

- Operation rooms 

- Intensive care 

- Diagnosis services 

- Pharmacy

- Nutrition

- Medical records 

·        Educational and Training Assisting Means:

1.      The Library which should contains:

- Latest editions of major books

- Recent editions of medical glossary 

- Medical magazines and periodicals

- Electronic library 

- Librarian

2.      sufficient recent educational means should be provided.  

·        Educational locations:   

Enough numbers of lecture halls equipped with relevant educational means should be provided

·        Other Requirements:

1.      Equipped and sufficient rooms for on calls.

2.      Dietary facilities. 

3.      Communications means (electronic paging).

Educational Activities and Supervision

A training council adheres to educational activities and supervision according to the  following:

1. Performing the educational activities such as patients’ rounds, lectures, special lessons, seminars, etc, and arranging the mentioned activities according to the specialty
2. Supervising the trainees by the training council’s members to guarantee the trainees’ participation in the educational activities
3. Assigning a supervisor for the training in the center for each program
4. Notifying the program supervisor regularly regarding the trainee’s performance, attendance and constancy
5. The program supervisor in the center should work closely with the chairman of local committee of training and he should be a member in this committee
6. Submitting Quarterly evaluation reports of the trainees’ performance
7. Guiding the trainees to work in different units by virtue of what is specified by the training program and approved by the local committee of training
8. Forming a schedule specifying the program for each trainee and the units that he/she will work in 12 months at least and this schedule should be announced for the trainees and concerned units as well

Quality Assurance

1.      Application of the program should be reviewed instantly by a Specialized Scientific Board. 

2.      Centers must be reevaluated every four years or less to maintain the accreditation

Accreditation Procedures

1. Accreditation committees shall perform circular visits to evaluate the training centers during the first quarter of a training year. However, first visit for accreditation or emergency visits may be at any time
2. A general committee, nominated by the Assistant Secretary General for Professional Affairs, shall visit the training centers that request an accreditation for the first time
3. The training center, after been notified by the Council of its general accreditation, shall submit the accreditation requests for each specialty needed. Then, the accreditation committees in the related boards visit the center to evaluate and accredit each specialty separately

Accreditation Withdrawal Stages

In case that there are any remarks or breaching any of accreditation terms of the training center, the Council has the right to withdraw the accreditation gradually in accordance with the following stages:

1. Accreditation Freezing Warning: 

The Secretary General of the Council, according to the concerned Scientific Board Chairman recommendation, will address a written warning of freezing the accreditation to the training center administration showing the defaults that should be fulfilled. A copy will be sent  to; (the Scientific Board Chairman, Assistant Secretary General for Professional Affairs, Director of Training and Examinations, and Director of the concerned department) and if a failure occurs in applying the training or a default that does not breach the accreditation terms. The duration of this warning is six months, and the defaults must be accomplished by the center within this period. Then, the assigned scientific board will reevaluate the center in order to drop the warning and remain the accreditation or to freeze the accreditation. 

1. Freezing the Accreditation:

In case the warning period is over without fulfilling the defaults or in case there are necessity to freeze the accreditation directly, accrediting the center will be frozen. The Scientific Board will specify the reasons that lead to freeze the accreditation from the accreditation terms. 

Freezing the accreditation in the center means no new trainees will be accepted, whereas current trainees continue training at the center. The freezing period will last until the end of the same training year. The assigned scientific board will reevaluate the center to reaccredit or withdraw it before beginning the next training year.

The reasons for freezing must be modifiable during short period of time, and they shouldn’t be basics according to the accreditation terms.

1. Accreditation Withdrawal: 

- In case the freezing period is over without fulfilling the defaults, the accreditation will be withdrawn from the center. The scientific board will specify the reasons that led to withdraw according to the accreditation terms.

- Withdrawing the accreditation from the center means no new trainees will be accepted, and all the current ones are transferred to other training centers.  

- Visit to hospital for reaccreditations can not be done until the hospital administration inform in writing that the mentioned reasons have been prevented and request for reaccreditations.

- The accreditation can not be withdrawn immediately unless there is serious malfunction in the center that may prejudice the training procedures and can not be modified during short notice.

Centers Accreditation Terms for each Specialty

1. Each scientific board shall pass accreditation terms for its program needed to be accredited.
2. The board shall specify the terms that breaching them leads to receive a warning, freezing, or withdrawing the accreditation from the center.