The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7175 p744
24 November 2001

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How I envisage continuing professional development for the self-employed

By John Wilson

There is currently much discussion about continuing professional development (CPD) and contrasting it with continuing education (CE).^1–3 The Royal Pharmaceutical Society seems to have decided that mandatory CPD is the way forward for the profession. Indeed, the message that is being sent to practising pharmacists, at least according to some observers,⁴ is that eventually it will be a case of "undertake CPD or you're out". Thus, taking part in CPD will not be optional. However, many writers seem to assume that a pharmacist will be able to discuss their CPD or CE needs with their employer or with colleagues. Douglas Hancox⁵ wrote recently that "the challenge for NHS trusts and other employers is to provide support and to create a learning culture within the organisation". Fawz Farhan⁴ states that "employees will be looking with greater scrutiny at the commitment that employers show to training and personal development". These sentiments are fine, for the employed pharmacist, but what of the self-employed locum? Or, indeed, the self-employed proprietor pharmacist (there are still a few out there). What are those of us in one or other of these positions to do about our personal continuing education and continuing professional development? To whom could the self-employed turn for advice or support? The Royal Pharmaceutical Society? Dream on.

Many of the articles about CPD in the various journals talk in general, rather theoretical, terms about the cyclical nature of personal development planning. No doubt this is quite appropriate. However, a busy, practising pharmacist needs more than theory in order to get started. One problem, especially for the more experienced pharmacist, is how to identify gaps in our knowledge. All too often we know a bit about a great many subjects. The challenge is to find out which bit we know and where that bit fits in with everything else on that particular subject (especially with the bits that we do not know). Many pharmacists will need some guidance on this, if only to prevent the wasting of time on trying to "do it right" when another approach would be more successful.

May I offer a couple of suggestions on how we might get started?

The portfolio It has been proposed that all pharmacists should keep a portfolio for their CPD. Examples of ready-to-use portfolios include that available from the College of Pharmacy Practice. However, the College's portfolio costs £30. The CPD portfolio is not, of course, unique to pharmacy: a number of business training organisations offer them and some of the larger pharmacy multiples have introduced CPD portfolios for their employees.

I suggest, however, that it would be relatively easy to develop one's own. All that is needed is an A4 size ring binder and some plastic wallets to fit. One can then store one's notes and also articles from journals. Some pharmacy journals, for instance Chemist and Druggist and The Pharmaceutical Journal, do publish regular continuing education articles. However, not all such articles are suitable for filing, since the pages are sometimes backed by advertisements and are not always easy to abstract neatly from one's copy of the journal. All journals offering continuing education sections could put them at the centre of the journal as a supplement, so that they can easily be pulled out and filed for future use and reference. Some journals already do so — PJ editor please note! Some journals also offer marking and feedback on the assignments and questionnaires that follow their continuing education articles. The CPD portfolio can also include notes on papers from journals that one has read. Incidentally, the little booklet provided by the Society in which to record one's CE and CPD, complete with holes to fit in a Filofax or similar, is in my opinion completely useless as it gives nowhere near enough room to write anything down. If the Society wants to save money, it could do worse than to review the use of this item by members and abandon it if, as I think likely, few find it of much help.

Contact with others Study alone is possible, but is likely to be less effective than if experiences are shared. I suggest that we investigate the possibility of setting up what I would call "study circles". I am sure that this is by no means a new concept, but I do not recall such a suggestion before in pharmacy. A study circle would be a small group of pharmacists (perhaps no more than 12 or so) who undertook to meet at intervals to share experiences and to study together. Some of the activities of a study circle could take the form of a journal club. The group would examine two or three recently published papers at a meeting. Over the course of, say, a year, each member of the circle would review at least one paper and lead a discussion on that paper in the circle. Meetings would not need to be too often — perhaps six times a year — and could be in members' homes if a suitable venue cannot be identified. A study circle would need an enthusiast to lead and organise it. There is the question of accreditation of the work of members of a study circle, but this need not be insuperable. Perhaps the activities of such circles could be overseen by the local Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education tutors. With study circles, self-employed pharmacists would be able to develop a learning culture for themselves but with the help and support of others in a similar position.

The inevitable cost of such a venture will need to be faced: for instance, papers for discussion would need to be photocopied. However, this need not be an insurmountable obstacle. Perhaps some lateral thinking on branch funds is needed. Alternatively, pharmaceutical company representatives might be prepared to assist. Innovative solutions to problems can usually be found if we try hard enough. Perhaps we need a few adventurous pharmacists to set up study circles, run them for a while and report back to the membership.

The Society plans to set up a voluntary CPD scheme by the end of 2002, with perhaps 5,000 or so pharmacists to "volunteer" to act as guinea-pigs.4 The CPD implementation committee will, apparently, decide on who the first 5,000 are to be. May I suggest that they need to have a truly representative cross-section of practising members in order to assess the CPD scheme properly. This cross-section should include self-employed members, both proprietors and freelance locums. If the 5,000 are selected only from among those pharmacists who are employees, then the biggest obstacle to effective CPD for the self-employed pharmacist — professional isolation — will not be addressed adequately.

John Wilson is a pharmacist, based in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, who is semi-retired and works part-time