The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7429 p671
2 December 2006

Society summary

CPD helpdesk withdraws out-of-hours service

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is to withdraw the out-of-hours service provided on a trial basis by the continuing professional development telephone helpdesk.

The decision was made by the Council’s Education Committee at its 22 November meeting. The committee agreed that the decision would be reviewed when CPD becomes statutory and the out-of-hours reinstated if there is a need for it.

The committee heard that for 12 weeks the Society had added evening and weekend slots to the helpdesk’s core opening hours of 9.30am to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday.

However, during the trial only 94 calls were received — at a cost per call of nearly £60 — and 90 of the 94 users said that they would use the service during the core hours if necessary.