ACPE-accredited online training

Interpret media fill and GFT samples with confidence

Train personnel to identify contamination, count CFUs and make consistent competency decisions.

Build the knowledge and practical skills required to evaluate media fill tests, interpret gloved fingertip samples and document defensible personnel competency decisions.

Buy course $345 CAD
2.5 contact hours
Fully online and self-paced
First retake included
Immediate results

In collaboration with

Media fill sample
Competency decision Determine whether the sample passes or fails

Competency one

Interpret media fill results consistently

Learn how media selection, incubation conditions and visible microbial growth affect the interpretation of personnel aseptic technique assessments.

Differentiate contaminated and non-contaminated samples

Apply media and incubation requirements

Document a clear competency decision

Training and assessment help support more consistent personnel qualification decisions.

Why interpretation matters

One interpretation can determine whether personnel pass or fail

Media fill and gloved fingertip results affect personnel qualification decisions. A structured interpretation process helps reduce avoidable errors and inconsistency.

Interpretation risk

When contamination is missed

Qualification risk

A contaminated sample that is incorrectly interpreted as acceptable may result in personnel being qualified despite evidence of an aseptic technique failure.

Observation Visible growth is overlooked
Interpretation Sample is considered acceptable
Competency decision Personnel incorrectly pass
What can go wrong

Potential consequences

Potential aseptic technique weakness is not addressed

Retraining or investigation may not occur

Qualification records may not reflect actual competency

How training helps

A more consistent process

Practice with contaminated and non-contaminated examples

Apply a structured review process

Document clear and consistent decisions

Key takeaway

Accurate interpretation helps ensure personnel qualification decisions reflect the sample result.

Consistent interpretation supports stronger personnel qualification decisions, clearer documentation and a more defensible quality process.

Course learning objectives

Build the knowledge behind every sample decision

Move from media fundamentals to practical sample interpretation through four focused learning objectives.

Understand how nutrient media supports microbial growth and why it is used during personnel competency testing.

Practical application

Connect the media to the test purpose

Recognize how media characteristics affect the ability to detect microbial growth after incubation.

Define nutrient media

Understand its role in competency testing

Recognize visible microbial growth

Understand how the sample type and testing objective influence the selection of suitable culture media.

Practical application

Match the media with the assessment

Connect media selection with media fill testing, gloved fingertip sampling and the intended evaluation.

Identify common media types

Relate media to sample purpose

Support reliable result interpretation

Understand how incubation time, temperature and sequence affect microbial recovery and sample interpretation.

Practical application

Protect the reliability of the result

Apply the required incubation conditions before reviewing samples for growth.

Understand incubation conditions

Recognize why timing matters

Avoid premature interpretation

Bring the complete process together by identifying contamination, recognizing colony morphology and counting CFUs.

Practical application

Turn observations into a competency decision

Use visible sample evidence to support a consistent and documented pass-or-fail outcome.

Differentiate contaminated and clear samples

Recognize colony morphology

Count and document CFUs

Ready to build competency?

Train your team to interpret samples more consistently

Complete the training online and demonstrate competency through theoretical and practical assessments.

Immediate online access Enroll in the course

Course details and enrollment

Everything you need to build and demonstrate competency

Review the course format, accreditation information, completion requirements and enrollment options.

Program overview

Course specifications

Online home study

This application-based program combines theoretical instruction, realistic media fill examples, gloved fingertip plate interpretation and practical competency assessment.

Activity type Application-based activity

Designed to build and assess applied interpretation skills.

Delivery format Online home study

Fully online, self-paced and available without shipping.

Intended audience Pharmacy professionals

For technicians, pharmacists, designated persons and quality managers.

Contact hours 2.5 contact hours

Includes training, practice and competency assessment.

Accreditation ACPE-accredited

Includes pharmacist and pharmacy technician activity numbers.

Course dates March 30, 2026–2029

Review the accreditation details below for complete dates.

Continuing education Accreditation and activity information

Pharmacist UAN: 0692-0000-26-003-H07-P

Pharmacy technician UAN: 0692-0000-26-003-H07-T

Release date: March 30, 2026
Expiration date: March 30, 2029

Successful completion Passing and completion requirements

Learners must complete the required training activities, achieve at least 80% on the theoretical assessment and provide practical assessment responses that meet the expert-defined acceptance criteria.

Successful participants receive a statement of completion and immediate online results.

Before beginning System and equipment requirements
  • Reliable internet connection
  • Current web browser
  • Computer or tablet with audio
  • Ability to view images and training videos
  • No laboratory equipment or shipping required

Course completion supports personnel training and competency documentation but does not, by itself, guarantee compliance with every applicable standard or organizational procedure.

Compare your options

Find the course that fits your role and needs

Compare course focus, contact hours, learning objectives, pricing and assessment requirements.

Select a course to compare

Course comparison
Best option if you are
This course focuses on
Contact hours
Initial training fee
Learning objectives
Retake policy
Multi-user discount
Subsequent annual assessment fee
01

Interpreting Culture Media & Performing Colony Counts

Staff assessment and viable sampling

Best option if you are Handling environmental monitoring and aseptic technique assessment samples and media fill.
This course focuses on Staff assessment and viable sampling
Contact hours 3.5
Initial training fee $395 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Define nutrient media
  2. Select the appropriate media
  3. Apply incubation requirements
  4. Interpret and analyze results
  5. Differentiate contaminated and non-contaminated samples
  6. Explain colony-forming units
  7. Differentiate CFUs by morphology
  8. Accurately count CFUs on agar plates
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $395 CAD
Learn more
Current course
02 Selected program

Interpreting Media Fill & GFT Samples

Aseptic technique assessment

Best option if you are Handling aseptic technique assessment, GFT samples and media fill.
This course focuses on Staff assessment
Contact hours 2.5
Initial training fee $345 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Define nutrient media
  2. Select the appropriate media
  3. Apply incubation requirements for media fill and GFT samples
  4. Interpret and analyze results
  5. Differentiate contaminated and non-contaminated samples
  6. Explain colony-forming units
  7. Differentiate CFUs by morphology
  8. Accurately count CFUs on agar plates
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $345 CAD
Buy now
03

Colony Count Training & ConFirm coUnt™

Validated colony count competency

Best option if you are Performing colony counting for environmental monitoring.
This course focuses on Viable sampling
Contact hours 1.0
Initial training fee $295 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Describe how colony-forming units are formed
  2. Identify CFUs based on morphology
  3. Demonstrate how to count CFUs on agar plates
  4. Analyze and interpret results
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $295 CAD
Learn more

Need help choosing the right program for your role or team? Contact us for guidance.

Contact our team

Course evaluation results

What participants reported

260+ participants
Based on post-training survey responses (n = 260+ participants since 2024) most participants agreed or strongly agreed that:

Learner perspective

What learners appreciated

“The examples and practicing the counting before the assessment were very helpful.”
Course participant Pharmacy professional Verified learner
Immediate online access Start your training now

Built by specialists

Training expertise meets microbiology expertise

The program combines pharmacy training, quality compliance and microbiology expertise to create a practical and defensible competency assessment.

Microbiology laboratory partner

U.S. Micro Solutions inc.

Expert validation

U.S. Micro Solutions inc. contributes microbiology expertise, practical agar plate evaluation and expert-defined colony count acceptance ranges.

Microbiology subject-matter expertise

Expert colony count validation

Practical assessment development

Contributing specialists

Meet the experts

Select a profile to learn more
K.F. Kelly Faulisi, CQIA President
B.M. Becky Moran Operations & Technical Manager
Learn More

Course content and competency criteria are developed through collaboration between training and microbiology specialists.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before enrolling

Review common questions about course access, assessments, completion requirements and team training.

For a single user, you can purchase online using a credit card for immediate access. For teams of 5 users or more, volume discounts apply ($25 off per user). You may also contact us for invoicing options and to have a discount code created for your organization.

Yes, for 5 or more users, get $25 off per user.

You'll begin with a theoretical and practical pretest. The practical portion includes:

  • Media fill videos to assess contamination
  • Real-world plates (GFT and viable sampling) to count CFUs

You'll then complete the training and a theoretical assessment (minimum 80% to pass; retakes allowed).

Finally, you'll complete a practical assessment requiring 100% of responses to meet expert-defined criteria, including correct contamination assessment (yes/no) and CFU counts within an expert-validated acceptance range.

No. Each user receives a unique combination of agar plates (ranging from easy to complex) that reflect real-world conditions.

Our system includes over 3,675 possible combinations, ensuring fairness, variability, and assessment integrity across users.

Yes. This program is designed to support compliance with USP <797> by providing documented, objective evidence of personnel competency in interpreting environmental monitoring results, GFT samples, and media fill assessments.

Yes. Upon successful completion, participants receive a statement of completion demonstrating their competency. Managers can also track certification status and expiry through the LMS. Contact us to learn more.

The course can typically be completed in 2.5 hours, depending on the user's experience and pace. It is designed to be flexible and self-paced.

Participants must achieve:

  • 80% on the theoretical assessment
  • 100% within the expert-validated range on the practical assessment

If a retake is needed, we do include the 1st retake attempt for free (no additional cost). A second retake may be completed for a $50 fee. If you need assistance, our team of experts is here to support you. Contact us to learn more.

Results are available immediately upon completion of each assessment component. This eliminates delays associated with manual review or physical submissions.

No. This is a fully online, web-based program. There is:

  • No shipping
  • No physical materials
  • No delays

You can start immediately after purchase.

Yes. The platform is designed for team deployment and includes:

  • Manager dashboards
  • Training progress tracking
  • Certificate expiry notifications
  • Centralized oversight

This removes the need for manual tracking (e.g., spreadsheets). Contact us to learn more.

Best practice is to complete competency testing:

  • Annually, or
  • During onboarding of new staff

Some organizations perform testing more frequently based on inspection history or internal quality standards.

Still have questions? Speak with our training team Get help with course selection, organizational enrollment or competency requirements. Contact our team