CARY, N.C. — The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) has opened a state-of-the-art simulated cleanroom suite at its new headquarters in Cary, N.C., reinforcing its commitment to setting the standard for pharmacy accreditation through world-class education.
Designed to bring sterile compounding training out of the classroom and into a controlled practice environment, the facility allows pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to apply USP <797> and USP <800> requirements, validate competency through hands-on assessment and strengthen the skills needed to deliver safe, high-quality patient care.
As THE Standard for Modern Accreditation, ACHC believes accreditation should do more than measure compliance. It should help healthcare organizations continuously improve through education, practical application, and partnership.
“Sterile compounding is one of the most technically demanding areas of pharmacy practice, and the stakes for patients are high,” said Caroline Girardeau, ACHC Pharmacy Program Director. “By giving practitioners a realistic environment to validate their skills, we are helping them build confidence, strengthen competency and elevate the quality of care they provide every day.”
The Sterile Compounding Training Lab consists of a fully functioning simulation anteroom, and hazardous and non-hazardous buffer rooms. Both buffer rooms are equipped to replicate conditions under which daily compounding activities are performed. The space is intended for both internal and external educational use.
ACHC Pharmacy and Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) surveyors have used the space to train onsite. Training in an environment that mirrors the conditions they assess in the field, ensures consistency in how compounding practices are evaluated against accreditation standards.
In June 2026, ACHC hosted its first in-person Sterile Compounding Certification Programs in the lab. Unlike traditional accreditation education programs focused primarily on reviewing standards, ACHC’s approach emphasizes demonstrated proficiency through hands-on application.
Using a combination of pre-course learning and immersive in-person training, participants apply USP <797> and USP <800> requirements in the simulated cleanroom, working through aseptic technique validation, environmental monitoring, and real-world procedures under direct assessment.
“This cleanroom is about helping pharmacy professionals gain the practical experience and confidence needed to meet today’s increasingly complex standards of care,” added Girardeau. “Education is one of the most powerful tools for improving patient safety and operational excellence. By investing in this environment, we are investing in the success of the organizations we serve and the patients who depend on them.”
The investment in the cleanroom suite reflects ACHC's belief that accreditation should be a catalyst for continuous improvement. This immersive training resource is designed to better prepare compounding professionals for the operational, regulatory and patient safety challenges they face in practice.
