Program Certification
Standards for CPD Providers
As a provincial chapter of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the ACFP is responsible for managing program applications for CPD activities delivered in the province of Alberta. This role also includes performing ethical reviews on sessions offered in the province.
Why Mainpro+ Certification?
- The Mainpro+ certification’s peer-review process ensures all content is relevant to family physicians.
- A Mainpro+ certification demonstrates the provider’s commitment to quality educational programming.
- More than 42,000 family physicians across Canada require Mainpro+ credits to maintain their CFPC membership.
How does Mainpro+ certification work?
All submitted programs are reviewed by one or more family physicians to ensure that they adhere to established criteria and standards, and that their content is relevant to family physicians.
Depending on the activity and the type of certification sought, programs might also be subject to ethical review (self-study online programs, and programs funded without for-profit financial or in-kind support are currently exempt from this step). This secondary evaluation ensures that each time a CPD program is offered, it is conducted according to ethical standards and guidelines as established by the CFPC, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), and Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Innovative Medicines formerly known as Rx&D).
How do I apply for Mainpro+ certification?
Applications must be submitted via our online certification program, CERT+. Paper-based applications will not be accepted.
CERT+ Online Certification
CERT+ allows you to:
- Submit all application materials electronically (slide presentations, evaluations, etc.)
- Pay administrative fees online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express
- Receive application status updates by email
- Respond quickly to reviewer feedback and questions online
- Track application progress online
- Complete ethical review submissions online
Ready to Submit an Application
Program Application
Purpose:
Mainpro+® (Maintenance of Proficiency) is the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) program designed to support and promote continuing professional development (CPD) for family physicians.
Resources:
Program review commences once all CFPC scientific planning members have confirmed their involvement in the program’s development. Payment of the application fee does not guarantee Mainpro+ certification.
Applications should be submitted at least 6 weeks before the program date.
Documents Required:
Depending on the application type, the required documents may vary.
- Completed conflict of interest forms for all scientific planning committee members and speakers known at the time of the application
- Completed CFPC conflict of interest slides
- Program brochure and/or invitation and/or agenda
- Full program content (slide decks, workbooks, tools, resources, etc.), when applicable
- Needs assessment tools and results
- Evaluation format/forms
- Previous evaluation results (when applicable)
- Speaker communication template (when applicable)
- If the program has for-profit financial support, copies of the sponsor product and corporate branding are required
Ethical Review
Purpose:
Ethical review ensures compliance of the following with CFPC certification standards and guidelines for ethical conduct as outlined by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry (2007) and the Innovative Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices (2018).
When is it required: Programs applications that have received certification from either the National or Provincial certifying body and have disclosed for-profit sponsorship.
After receiving notification from the CFPC of program approval, but before you offer an approved Mainpro+ program to physicians, you must complete and submit the ethical review form along with ethical review fee payment using the CERT+ platform.
Note: Ethical Reviews must be submitted at least 10 business days before the session date.
Documents Required:
- Conflict of Interest Forms
- Conflict of Interest Slides
- Certificate of Attendance
- Evaluation Form
- Invitation