The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7346 p490-491
23 April 2005

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· Council election (10)
· Statutory Committee (2)
· Herbal medicines
· Technicians (2)
· Obesity
· GlaxoSmithKline
· CPD (2)
· The profession
· Registration fees (2)

Letters to the Editor

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Compulsory CPD should be postponed for two years

From Mrs S. G. H. Smith, MRPharmS

Well done, Malcolm Almond (PJ, 9 April, p420)! The Royal Pharmaceutical Society seems to have no idea how many older pharmacists (and therefore locums) are about to be lost. Most of us “oldies” do not need to work. We come out only to oblige old friends or for a bit of companionship.

I have always taken pride in keeping up to date. I am all in favour of continuing professional development but in its present form it is totally impractical, not only for locums but also for hard-working, full-time pharmacists. Where are they going to find the time?

I suggest that compulsory CPD be postponed for at least two years while a proper programme of study is installed. This need not include the ridiculous, in-depth “school projects” which are now required. Surely all that is needed is a simple journal listing work done together with some sort of proof.

The Pharmaceutical Journal produces excellent articles most weeks. These only need to be followed by a simple questionnaire of the true or false variety in order to prove that one has actually read and absorbed the subject. This would provide 50-odd hours of study per year and this, plus evidence of any seminars or distance learning packs, should be more than sufficient.

Sonia Smith
Newport, Gwent

Maintenance of records is not too onerous

From Mr M. A. C. Field, MRPharmS

I was surprised at Noel Baumber’s letter (PJ, 16 April, p452). I have to declare an interest as both a tutor for the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education and a continuing professional development facilitator for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. In my experience, which is backed up by the evidence of validation forms, most pharmacists find that CPPE workshops and CPD workshops are much better than average in terms of content and learning outcomes. From the point of view of the CPD presentations, it is difficult to make a presentation that will suit everyone so I always make sure that my e-mail address is available to all those attending so that they can have their specific concerns addressed. A few do take me up on this offer and I hope I am able to reassure them that maintenance of a CPD record is both worthwhile and not too onerous.

To Mr Baumber, I would say that there is no requirement to maintain web-based or computer-based records. In my opinion they are actually much easier to use than paper but I recognise that not everyone shares my enjoyment of technology.

With regard to the “reflection, planning, action, evaluation” approach, I find that this is actually how most people do develop; I certainly do. In my case it is usually due to a question from the public or fellow professional that I realise that I cannot answer (reflection), followed by a frantic search for sources or training that might give me an answer (planning), followed by reading or completing appropriate training (action) which leads me to be able to provide a solution to the initial problem and, hopefully, get a pat on the back (evaluation). However, mindful that many others are more knowledgeable than me, the Society also allows for learning that starts with “action”, which may be the more appropriate starting point for Mr Baumber.

Mike Field
Blandford Forum, Dorset

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