ROBERT DEWDNEY, head of education, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, replies:

Priority for roll-out of the Society’s CPD system is being given to those pharmacists resident in Great Britain. That phase of roll out will be completed towards the end of 2004. With respect to pharmacists overseas, the Council has provisionally decided that the same principles should apply but has yet to address how those principles will be put into practice for this group. Attention will be given to this matter shortly after the Government publishes its proposals for a Health Act Section 60 Order for pharmacy, an Order that will make CPD mandatory in due course. Overseas members can be assured that there will be a clear position and communication from the Society ahead of anything substantive applying to them.