The quality assurance of pharmacy training is influenced by a variety of internal and external factors. First of all, China experienced a college enrollment surge from 1999 onwards. The year 2021 witnessed the popularization of higher education, which was considered a privilege. The far-reaching growth raises concerns about the quality of higher education [7] . Second, in the past few years, various academic institutions in China, especially non-pharmaceutical ones, contributed to a remarkable expansion of pharmacy programs. Nonetheless, these new programs lack the long-standing professional education traditions or academic attitudes such as benevolence, rigour, and truthfulness, which are essential for maintaining quality. Third, since the entry of China into the World Trade Organization, the Chinese education system, including pharmacy education, is subject to competition from international and world-class universities. Fourth, the global academic community values quality assurance frameworks. For instance, the United States of America continues improving its quality assurance system, mainly consisting of accreditation and academic ranking. Accreditation of pharmacy schools and programs is regarded as an essential component of the quality assurance system [8] . Since then, China gradually realizes the importance of enhancing its competitive advantage in international education through quality assurance. The existing internal quality assurance system of pharmacy education, built upon traditional perception, cultural self-awareness and teaching by example, is challenged, thereby necessitating the introduction of new external quality assurance and quality control with unified standards.

Since the beginning of the century, the Chinese pharmacy education community propose and implement quality assurance measures. Considering several key milestones, the process of establishing a pharmacy accreditation system can be roughly divided into four phases (Table 1).

The pharmacy education accreditation in China noticeably develops characteristics in terms of board members, standards, procedures, and systems.

Despite the expansion of pharmacy accreditation, the amount of accreditation remains limited. By the end of 2022, 27 accredited pharmacy science programs and 8 accredited professional pharmacy programs account for merely approximately 6% of pharmacy science programs and 15% of professional pharmacy programs receptively. As of March 2023, 141 Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in the United States, and one institution was granted candidate accreditation, with another school granted precandidate status [15] . For the first round of medical education accreditation in China, 123 (about 75%) schools are accredited for Doctor of Medicine programs by May 2021 [16] . High-quality development necessitates the simultaneous progression of quality, structure, magnitude, effectiveness, and outcome. Therefore it is recommended to promote accreditation, motivate institutions to become involved in the accreditation and expedite the recruitment of board members to provide workforce support. Further research and improvement of the accreditation standards and procedures are beneficial for continuous quality improvement. In addition to structure optimization, accreditation coverage is advanced based upon a plan of educational modernization and the construction of a world-class program. The importance of accreditation can be augmented by correlating the accreditation result to other education assessments.

High-quality development values content and quality. The ACPE accreditation standards comprise three sections, three appendices, and one guidance document. The appendices outline compulsory components of the didactic Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, terminology related to experiential learning, expectations of the curriculum, necessary documentation for standards and essential elements. The guidance documents present detailed recommendations for satisfying the mandatory requirements, as well as examples of accepted evidence and other critical information [3] . The current Chinese accreditation standards comprise one section and one guidance, which provides clarification for each criterion and the corresponding required supporting documents, however, the clarification remains non-specific. Comparatively, abundant annotation and interpretations are identified in the accreditation standards for Doctor of Medicine programs. For example, the commentary elucidates the meaning of teaching methods in medical education. In the definition, teaching method covers both teaching and learning. Medical training is distinct from other professional education because it incorporates specific teaching strategies, for instance, didactic lectures, group discussions, problem- or case-based learning, peer learning, experiments, experiential training, bedside demonstration, clinical skills training, community practice and online teaching. Therefore, several approaches can be incorporated to promote the evolution of accreditation [17] . First, the pharmacy accreditation standard criteria can be refined via investigation, interpretation, and explanations of specific teaching inquiries. Second, guidance is provided on curriculum reform in addition to the introduction of main course list and core teaching content of individual courses. Third, refinement of criteria can be further achieved via clarification of terminology and provision of guidance for implementation.

Future places emphasis on the establishment of a higher education system with balanced development between humanism and science in the cultivate college students with both humanistic and scientific qualities. The recent advances in technology and industrialization result in environmental, ecological, and ethical issues, such as the lack of spiritual beliefs or crisis of ethical judgment [18] . The typical limitation of pure scientism is its tendency to focus on things rather than people, which is reflected in the field of pharmacy education where drugs are given precedence over patients. Although the Chinese accreditation standards set criteria for professionalism, ethics, and communication competencies, the course framework only stipulates one humanities course (Pharmacy Management) alongside the Liberal Arts courses [19] . The ACPE standards stipulate 11 general education courses (involving humanities, behavioural sciences, social sciences, and communication skills), for example, Cultural Awareness, Ethics, Pharmacy History, Jurisprudence and Regulatory Affairs, and Pharmacoeconomics [3] . The medicine accreditation standards stipulate that humanities and social sciences, which include medical ethics, jurisprudence, medical psychology, medical sociology and health management, are included in the field of professional education, with the content and weight of humanities and social sciences being adjusted and optimized [17] . Consequently, pharmacy accreditation standards should reflect the humanistic spirit [20] . For example, training objectives emphasize the knowledge of ideology, values, humanities, society and behaviour. The curriculum should optimize the content and credits of both the general education courses and pharmacy liberal art courses. Furthermore, the appraisal of school and program culture can be integrated into on-site visits. The advancement of pharmacy education requires support from the comprehensive integration of medicine and pharmacy and the specification of the teaching requirements for clinical science courses to familiarize pharmacy students with practice.

Meta-evaluation is a process of assessing and analyzing educational assessment based on theoretical framework and value criteria. In short, it evaluates the accreditation itself [21] . Examining the accreditation bodies worldwide constitutes an essential method to guarantee the quality of accreditation. For example, the U.S. Department of Education reviews accreditors on a cycle of 5 years. CHEA accreditors are normally reviewed on a 10-year cycle with two interim reports [22] . The accreditation board must adhere to the requirements of meta-evaluation to strengthen self-construction, self-assessment and sustained improvement. At present, due to the lack of quality evaluation and supervision of accreditation bodies and standards, many accreditation bodies in China rely on internal self-awareness and motivation to guarantee and improve quality, with little external evidence, stimulation or monitoring of quality. This may result in inaction, low effectiveness, or even unrestrained power from accreditation. Going forward, it could be a priority for the national educational assessment and monitoring body to take the initiative to create a periodic and consistent evaluation system for various accreditation organizations.

There are currently three types of foreign participation in the quality assurance of higher education, each of which is compatible with one another. To begin with, international specialists are invited to carry out an accreditation appraisal in line with global regulations and protocols. After 2018, 16 of the certified organizations invited foreign specialists to join site inspections in the clinical medicine program accreditation [6] . Establishing a joint accreditation system between China and other nations is another step forward. As an example, in 2015, the Accreditation Cooperation Memorandum was signed between China and Russia, creating a long-lasting cooperation structure. Through this agreement, accredited programs can obtain accreditation certificates from both countries [23] . Third, China’s accreditation is recognized by international authority organizations and accords. In 2016, China became the 18th member of the Washington Accord, and the Working Committee on Accreditation of Clinical Medicine programs was officially recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education in 2020 as a body for accreditation.

Some aspects of the accreditation of the pharmacy program in China are built upon internationally recongnized standards and processes, with international experts rarely involved in accreditation, and the system of accreditation has rarely been demonstrated at international levels. It is suggested to expedite the accreditation of pharmacy education to the international arena by bringing in foreign pharmacy specialists or engaging in joint accreditation between other countries and China. Under these circumstances, accreditation of pharmacy education may eventually achieve the same international recognition as engineering and medicine education.

The standards of accreditation are based on the needs of the society and the development of the individual. The accreditation standards must not only include domestic and global advanced training concepts for the development of talent but should also include the latest information of the industry, integrate local characteristics, and take into account the demands for employment [24] . Accreditation exams compatibility between professional training goals and requirements. Integration of industry and education serves as an external drive to promote accreditation with a focus on the revision of training plans, the achievement of the requirements for graduation, the improvement of the system, the evaluation of quality, the allocation of resources, etc. Practicum site visits during accreditation are leveraged to advance the relationship between industry and education, and to assess the compatibility of training objectives and curriculum maps [25] . Through these site visits, the technology, resources, platforms, and capability of graduates are measured against accreditation standards to propel continuous growth of professional instruction. This professional talent training program is consistent with accreditation criteria, consequently progressing the integration of industry and education. Schools and enterprises examine the professional skills and knowledge of competent experts, develop a curriculum map so that the graduates can fully integrate theoretical knowledge and practical application in order to fully satisfy the training purpose in accordance with community and enterprise needs.