What is CPD?Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the process by which Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians keep up-to-date through learning. It includes everything you learn that enables you to do a better job. We all learn from experience at work as well as from formal education activities. CPD includes both learning from work and learning from continuing education (CE). CPD enables pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to develop as professionals and demonstrate that they are competent in their area(s) of practice.
Who should undertake CPD?
All practising Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB / Society) must undertake and record CPD.
What are the CPD requirements?
The Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians states that you must develop your professional knowledge and competence. In meeting this principle Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are expected to undertake and maintain up to date evidence of CPD relevant to their field of practice.
In order to comply with the requirements of the code of ethics you must:
- Keep a record of your CPD that is legible – this can be either electronically online at the Society’s website www.uptodate.org.uk, on a computer or as hardcopy on paper and in a format published or approved by the Society and carrying the RPSGB CPD approved logo.
- Make a minimum of nine CPD entries per year – these should reflect the context or scope of your practice as a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician.
- Keep a CPD record that complies with the good practice criteria for CPD recording published in the Plan and Record by the Society.
- Record how your CPD has contributed to the quality or development of your practice using the Society’s CPD Framework.
- Submit your CPD record to the Society on request.
In addition to the mandatory professional standards above you should also maintain a learning portfolio with records of attendance and key learning points from continuing education and notes of other learning e.g. through work. This may be requested by the Society in certain circumstances, for example if there is a complaint made against you or if there are any issues relating to the authenticity of the submitted CPD records.
The CPD requirements apply equally to all practising Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians registered with the RPSGB – these apply regardless of the number of working hours or position within your organisation.
What happens if the standards are not met?
In addition to the mandatory professional standards above you should also maintain a learning portfolio with records of attendance and key learning points from continuing education and notes of other learning e.g. through work. This may be requested by the Society in certain circumstances, for example if there is a complaint made against you or if there are any issues relating to the authenticity of the submitted CPD records.
The CPD requirements apply equally to all practising Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians registered with the RPSGB – these apply regardless of the number of working hours or position within your organisation.
What happens if the standards are not met?
Under the Code of Ethics you must comply with the CPD Standards which came into effect on the 1st March 2009. If you accept the allegation of non-compliance you will be sent a letter from the Chief Inspector and a note of this will be made in your record which will remain for five years. If you do not accept the allegation you will be referred to the Investigating Committee.
Top tips for recording CPD
If you are struggling with CPD – don’t panic! The following top-tips will help you get started and support you with compiling your CPD records:
o Learning events you have attended or undertaken e.g. meetings, PCT training
sessions on EHC, smoking cessation, training sessions on the implementation
of the new contract, multi-professional training sessions / meetings,
o Queries’ from patients or other health care professionals that you have “looked
into” resulting in undertaking a learning activity.
- Identify your learning and development needs – consider any areas of your practice that you would like to learn more about e.g. a clinical condition or new therapy
- You can start at any point of the CPD cycle when recording CPD (reflection, planning, action, evaluation). The Society states that some of your entries must start at reflection.
- Using a small notebook or your diary make a note to yourself whilst you are busy at work of any CPD ideas that you come across to avoid forgetting when you write up your CPD record.
- Initially keep your CPD records simple – you can always add more detail at a later date if you wish.
- Discuss your CPD with colleagues and peers this will provide a broader range of ideas for CPD records. If recording online, you can provide others with permission to view your CPD records.
- Record as many CPD records as possible - when you are requested to submit your CPD records to the Society, you can select which entries you wish to submit and you can also edit them before submission.
CPD Records to Illustrate the CPD Cycle
Each stage of the learning cycle is identified by an aspect of the way in which we learn.
- Reflection on practice – (scheduled learning) there is a specific need or issue that you wish to address about your professional practice
- Planning – (scheduled learning) – this is when you have no specific need; however you have decided to increase you knowledge or understanding of an area relating to your professional practice.
- Action – (unscheduled learning) this is where an occasion or circumstance requires an action resulting in a new thing being learnt
- Evaluation – (unscheduled learning) – this is incidental learning, where through your professional or personal life you apply a new skill or knowledge that is the by-product of some other activity.
In the majority of cases you will find that you enter the learning cycle at either “reflection on practice” or the “action” stage of the learning cycle. Below are two CPD records, one starting at reflection on practice and the second starting at action to illustrate the above.
What is available from the NPA?
There are a number of training packs and material published by the NPA that may be used towards fulfilling members CPD needs. Please review the NPA Education & Training prospectus. Additionally look out for training materials with the NPA Training Seal – this is a seal of approval awarded by the NPA to materials that we consider constitute good training. Manufacturers submit their materials to us; our expert team from the NPA review the materials and if it meets our high standards, we award the training material the NPA Training Seal.
Where can I get further information about CPD?