Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education

Guidance on Continuing Professional Development

(CPD) for the Profession of Pharmacy
Author: Mike Rouse
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a specific model that fosters and
supports self-directed lifelong learning. Individuals who adopt the CPD approach accept
the responsibility to fully engage in and document their learning through reflecting on
their practice, assessing and identifying professional learning needs and opportunities,
developing and implementing a personal learning plan, and evaluating their learning
outcomes, all with the goal of enhancing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values
required for their pharmacy practice.

All professionals – regardless of their practice or work setting – should be committed to

lifelong learning and accept this as a professional responsibility. The CPD model
provides the “reason to learn” and the “way to learn” for pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians. There is clear evidence – based on numerous studies – that the CPD
approach offers distinct advantages over traditional approaches to continuing education
(CE).

The purpose of this document is to offer guidance on the components of the CPD model
as well as the skills and behaviors needed in self-directed lifelong learning.

Definitions:

Lifelong Learning: the ongoing process of active participation in formal and informal
learning and professional development activities that assists in maintaining and
enhancing competence, advancing professional practice, and supporting achievement of
career goals.

Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE): A structured educational activity designed or

intended to support the continuing development of pharmacists and/or pharmacy
technicians to maintain and enhance their competence. CPE should promote problem-
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solving and critical thinking and be applicable to the practice of pharmacy.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): A self-directed, ongoing, systematic

and outcomes-focused approach to lifelong learning that is applied into practice. CPD
involves the process of active participation in formal and informal learning activities that
assist in developing and maintaining competence, enhancing professional practice, and
supporting achievement of career goals. The CPD approach is cyclical in nature where
each stage of the process can be recorded in a personal learning portfolio.

Learning Portfolio (or CPD Portfolio): a collection of material that provides a record of
the learner’s reflection and self-assessment, learning activities and experiences, as well
as present and planned activities to achieve identified future learning needs. A portfolio
provides a mechanism for thinking about one’s professional development in a planned
and systematic way.

The Components of the CPD Approach (Refer to Figure 1)

REFLECT - Examining and considering personal knowledge skills, abilities, beliefs,

biases, motivation, preferences, emotions, and ambitions that could enhance or limit
performance, personal and professional growth. Reflection involves considering the
context for learning (personal factors, work environment, professional roles and
responsibilities, preferred learning methods, etc.), and self-assessment or self-appraisal
of professional competencies and organizational needs and goals. The act of self-
assessment involves observing, analyzing, and reflecting on performance, judging the
degree to which it meets expectations or standards, and determining strategies for
improvement.

PLAN - Designing a personal learning/development plan to include both formal and

informal learning activities to achieve intended outcomes. Planning includes creating
learning objectives; identifying learning activities, required resources and measures of
success; setting priorities; and [ideally] articulating the plan with colleagues to support
learning over an extended period of time.

LEARN - Putting the learning plan into action to meet identified needs and goals utilizing
an appropriate range of learning activities and methods.

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EVALUATE (applicable twice in the cycle) – Assessing the design and implementation
of the plan and achievement of its objectives by considering structure, process,
outcomes and impact of learning. Evaluation involves regular review of progress,
learning successes and challenges, evidence of achievement of objectives, such as,
changes in performance, and impact on patients and/or one’s organization.

APPLY – Bridging learning with the workplace. Application involves incorporating

learned knowledge, skills, attitudes and values into practice, thereby meeting patient,
organizational, and societal needs. Application of learning is key to sustained learning
and seeing impact from learning can be a strong motivator for future/additional learning.

RECORD & REVIEW (integral to all stages) - Documenting reflection and self-
assessment, learning needs and goals, specific learning objectives and plans aligned
with career goals, learning progress, successes and challenges, changes in
practice/performance, and the impact of the application of learning. The record and
review process facilitates identification and achievement of professional development
through describing, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating all stages of CPD with the
purpose of improving knowledge, skills and learning abilities and informing future
learning.

Figure 1: The CPD Cycle

Documentation of each stage of the CPD cycle in a personal portfolio can support
reflection and evaluation, and provide evidence of the work involved to others (e.g.,
employers, regulatory agencies, credentialing/certification bodies). The portfolio should
be simple to use, readily accessible, and developed over time into a comprehensive
record of learning experiences, which acts as an ongoing tool for review and self-

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evaluation. A portfolio should not be burdensome, thereby becoming a barrier to learning;
it should support and facilitate learning, in addition to providing evidence of learning and
its outcomes.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities:

A multitude of educational and learning activities exist in various formats and venues
which may benefit pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in their lifelong learning.
Types of activities undertaken should be identified and prioritized through the planning
process to address educational needs and goals, and gaps in practice.

Educational activities and learning opportunities which do not constitute

formal/structured CPE can also prove valuable as part of one’s continuing
professional development. Attributes of experiences beneficial in CPD involve selecting
learning opportunities in response to identified personal and professional needs and
goals which relate to daily practice or areas of professional interest/preference and
focus on specific learning objectives and associated outcomes. Unplanned learning -
especially opportunities for learning that arise in the workplace – is also valuable. The CPD
approach to self-directed lifelong learning allows for flexibility in selecting and
engaging in learning activities that are most beneficial to one’s particular practice,
e.g., patient care, administration, teaching, research, industry, etc.

When creating a learning plan for professional development, activity selection should be
based on the following criteria:

• The activity meets a defined or established educational need or career goal

(REFLECT);
• The activity aids in achieving a specific learning objective included in the
learning plan (PLAN);
• The activity links to meaningful professional development (LEARN); and
• Effectiveness of the activity is evaluated based on measurable outcomes and
impact in practice (EVALUATE and APPLY)

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Categories and Examples of CPD Activities:

Continuing Education
An individual’s professional learning needs and objectives may be addressed through
engagement in formal, structured accredited/approved educational activities. Such
activities are likely to be the “cornerstone” of meaningful lifelong learning. These may
include:
• Participating in CPE activities by accredited/approved providers (i.e. knowledge,
application, or practice-based activities)
• Participating in CE activities by accredited/approved providers from other
professions or disciplines (e.g., medicine, nursing)

Workplace Activities
Experiences in one’s workplace can present opportunities for learning and professional
development. Examples include:
• Engaging in point-of-care (PoC) learning, i.e., self-directed learning on topics
relevant to clinical practice
• In-service training to learn a new skill
• Job shadowing (e.g. observing experienced professional for a defined period of
time with assessment of impact on one’s professional role)
• Preparing for or participating in external review, accreditation, or certification
process
• Implementing performance improvement (PI) projects (e.g., current practice
assessment, implement PI changes, evaluate impact/change)
• Consultation with peers and healthcare experts to address a practice problem or
learning need or goal
• Serving on committees (e.g., self-study, institutional review boards, pharmacy and
therapeutics, medication safety, medication therapy management)

Professional/Community Service
Contributions and leadership in professional and community activities may be relevant to
the development of personal competence. Such opportunities should align with one’s
professional or career goals and may include:
• Serving on a committee, workgroup, or holding office in a professional association
• Active involvement in professional associations/organizations
• Training for or involvement in advocacy
• Volunteer experiences or special interest groups, e.g. emergency preparedness,
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 Red Cross/Red Crescent
• Developing inter-professional and/or outreach initiatives for health professionals
and students

Academic/Professional Study
Both structured education and unstructured autonomous learning activities may
enhance current competencies or instill new knowledge or skills to address an
identified need. These may include:
• Participating in conferences, workshops, retreats
• Undertaking academic coursework or postgraduate education
• Completing certification courses (e.g., advanced cardiac life support, certified
diabetes educator)
• Completing an independent study (e.g. directed study with defined objectives,
outcomes, assessment)
• Reading and reflecting on healthcare articles and literature
• Leading or participating in journal clubs

Teaching and Precepting

Active involvement in the education and training of others may support advancing one’s
expertise, the achievement of one’s career goals, and enhancement of professional
development. Such activities include:
• Developing, presenting, and/or authoring educational content (e.g. academic
course, seminar/webinar, publication)
• Teaching and precepting students, residents, or other healthcare professionals
• Peer coaching or mentoring programs (e.g., mentor or mentee)

Scholarly Activities
Generating and disseminating knowledge through scholarly activities may enhance
professional practice and support achievement of career goals. These may include:
• Conducting research in one’s professional field
• Preparing or writing grant proposals
• Presenting and/or publishing scholarly works
• Serving as content reviewer for publications, dissertation, or other scholarly works
• Test-item writing (e.g., high stakes examinations, peer-reviewed self-assessment
activities, or researching, drafting, and defending questions)

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In summary, when selecting CPD activities, consideration should be given to
incorporating a wide variety of learning formats and methods that can meet one’s
professional development needs and goals. Resources (e.g. expertise/access,
financial, technology, etc.) should also be considered when selecting an activity to
support professional development. The breadth of activities selected should meet
identified learning objectives and collectively address the competency areas relevant to
one’s practice.

Skills/Behaviors needed for Effective CPD:

Skills/Behaviors for REFLECT include:

• Demonstrating awareness of the importance of learning and commitment to
continuing personal and professional development
• Identifying personal learning styles and preferences
• Identifying competencies for performing work responsibilities and professional
needs
• Analyzing competency and/or performance gaps
• Identifying competency-based needs related to organizational goals and/or
personal development/career goals
• Incorporating peer/expert assessment and observations
• Identifying and describing instances of learning
• Identifying needs arising from an evolving health care system

Skills/Behaviors for PLAN include:

• Incorporating evidence from REFLECT (e.g., evaluations, surveys, feedback)
• Identifying specific, measurable goals and creating SMART Learning Objectives
in order to achieve them
• Establishing learning needs consistent with identified gaps
• Identifying the appropriate range of learning activities to meet objectives
• Surveying the environment to determine available learning resources
• Setting priorities and realistic time frames for achievement of objectives
• Reviewing and revising (if necessary) learning plan based on changed
circumstances
• Asking for and negotiating buy-in for the plan, if applicable

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Skills/Behaviors for LEARN include:
• Implementing a personal learning plan
• Actively synthesizing, analyzing, and assimilating information
• Personalizing learning for relevance to practice
• Engaging in cognitive processes reflective of taxonomies of learning
• Adapting to and using a wide variety of learning methods, appropriate to the
competency area (knowledge, skill, attitude/value)

Skills/Behaviors for EVALUATE include:

• Evaluating the structure, process and outcomes of learning to identify successes
and challenges, with a view to applying lessons learned to quality improve future
learning (e.g., more realistic learning objectives and timelines, identification of
additional learning resources and opportunities, etc.)
• Evaluating learning with the purpose of improving knowledge, skills and learning
abilities
• Regularly analyzing and interpreting the application and impact of learning on
performance and other relevant outcomes
• Regularly assessing opportunities for improvement in practice based on learning
(e.g., Commitment to Change)
• Engaging peers in review of learning plans and evidence of success, if applicable
• Articulating a future direction for learning, including specific goals that can be
refined and addressed in future learning plans

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