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General information on CPD
What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?
CPD is ongoing learning during your working life that helps you to:
- Improve your service to patients and public and your professional ability
- Develop and improve job related skills, knowledge and behaviour
- Keep up-to-date with the latest developments in pharmacy.
What is the learning cycle?
The learning cycle is essentially the CPD process. Whether you start the cycle at any of the four stages reflection, planning, action or evaluation, the key element in the CPD cycle is the evaluation of what you have learnt and the impact on your day to day work as a pharmacist what ever your scope of practice. By using the CPD cycle you are more likely to create a record that is satisfactory for the regulator as they will be looking to see that you have identified some learning and reflected on its impact. For more detail, visit the CPD website.
Why should I do CPD and record it?
As a pharmacist you have a responsibility to keep your professional skills, knowledge and competency up to date.
The Society’s CPD standards which came into effect on 1 March 2009 require you to keep a legible record of CPD, make a minimum of nine entries per year, reflect on and record how the CPD task has helped you to improve the quality of your practice. CPD records have been called in for review since summer 2009.
CPD will be a statutory requirement under the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
What types of activity are classed as CPD?
There are a huge number of possibilities but here are a few examples:
- Finding new knowledge or learning a new skill relevant to your job
- Changing the way you do things or adopting a new behaviour
- Anything where you learnt from your actions and improved your performance e.g. setting up a new service, recognised courses, discussion with colleagues.
What support and resources are currently available from the Society to help me with my CPD?
- Telephone helpline from the CPD helpdesk for 1:1 advice and individual support
- CPD technical helpline
- Sector specific CPD webinars
- CPD Materials and guides
- Local CPD facilitators who can present at branch meetings and other local events
- Articles in Learning and Development pages of The PJ and Clinical Pharmacist
- The Society’s Library stocks a variety of CPD resources in different formats for use by RPSGB members
Is there anything else I need to know about CPD?
In the future, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, like all other healthcare professionals, will need to be revalidated on a regular basis. It is anticipated that CPD will form a major part of the revalidation process.
CPD Plan and Record Complete Guidance
If you would like dispatch of a hard copy CPD pack, there will be a £15 charge from 1st January 2010 to cover administration and postage costs. Please email CPD@rpsgb.org for a hard copy.
FREE Download - Plan and Record Version 1.4 Complete Guidance Pack
Contact telephone numbers and emails
Telephone CPD helpdesk: 020 7572 2540
Technical help desk: 01225 383 663
General CPD queries: CPD@rpsgb.org
Record submission queries: CPDsubmissions@rpsgb.org
Technical help desk: helpdesk@coacs.com
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Support from the PLB
What support will be available in the future from the PLB?
In addition to all the services you currently receive from the Society, the PLB will be offering a range of other services exclusively to its members. See below:
Access to enhanced functionality on the online recording system
- Advanced help desk support
- CPD workshops at Local Practice Forums
- Self-service CPD
- Free CPD review service
- Express CPD review service
- Multiple entry CPD review service
- Prepare CPD records for submission service
- Access to virtual CPD events
- Accreditation service (available late 2010)
- Content to start your CPD records
- Future CPD support for revalidation and return to practice (available from 2011)
Click here to read more about these services.
What if I am not a member of the PLB, what services will be available to me?
As a non-member you will continue to have access to the CPD recording system at no extra charge. However you will not have access to any of the additional features offered to PLB members.
When can I start using the free review service from the PLB?
The free review of service of 1-5 CPD entries per year with feedback will be provided from 1st April 2010 which is the proposed date of the Society’s de-merger.
Is there some way of getting my entries reviewed for acceptability without having to submit them to the regulator during call and review?
In addition to the free review service the PLB will also be offering other chargeable review services: a) an express review service with a guaranteed two week turn around time; b) a multiple entry review service of 6-50 CPD entries per year. c) There will also be a pilot of services to convert your paper/electronic information into a personal online CPD account.
Are future Webinar events planned for the same time (12 noon to 1:30pm) of the day?
We will be analysing the information we receive from the current webinar feedback survey and will ensure that future webinars meet the needs of the members.
Will this webinar be available to download and playback at a later time?
A copy of the recordings will be available after the webinars on the society webex site https://rpsgb.webex.com/ You can access these by clicking on “View event recordings” over to the right hand side of page.
How do I become a CPD facilitator/reviewer for the PLB?
As vacancies come up we will be posting these on the PLB website.
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