What is CPD?
9/30/2009What is CPD?
Susan Pfoertner, PharmD*
Continuing professional development (CPD), a lifelong learning approach, is being explored as
an enhancement to the current pharmacist continuing education (CE) system in the United
States.1 CPD is defined as “a self-directed, ongoing, systematic and outcomes-focused approach
to learning and professional development.”2 Evidence is mounting that current mandatory CE
methods do not ensure practitioner competency nor improve healthcare outcomes. The Institute
of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that the education and training of health care professionals is
in need of a major overhaul and that both pre-service and lifelong education and training need to
be competency based.3 The ongoing, cyclical process of CPD can be used by pharmacists to
maintain and enhance their professional competence.4
The CPD approach is currently used by pharmacists in Great Britain, Canada and New Zealand.5
A five-state (Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin) CPD pilot program was
launched in 2006 and ended in October 2007. The program, which was organized by several
state pharmacy associations, sought to develop and evaluate a process for accomplishing CPD
that could be used by pharmacists in the United States. A secondary purpose of the pilot project
was to gather information about the effectiveness of CPD as a learning model compared to the
standard CE process. Findings from the five-state pilot project are projected to be published in
the second half of 2008. (Personal communication, Jennifer Moulton, February 4, 2008.)
CPD is self-directed and practitioner-centered, practice-based, and outcomes-oriented. Its goal is
to ensure pharmacists enhance the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required for their
specific area of practice and ultimately to achieve improved patient outcomes. CPD is usually
described as a four-stage cyclical process, comprising the stages of reflection, planning, action,
and evaluation.6 Each stage of the process can be recorded in the pharmacist’s personal portfolio,
which develops over time into a comprehensive record of learning experiences and acts as an
ongoing tool for review and self-evaluation.7 A detailed look at each individual step in the CPD
cycle follows.
The reflection stage requires pharmacists to reflect on their personal and professional lives and
self-assess their learning needs and opportunities. Areas requiring professional development
should be identified. It is important to pinpoint exactly what you need to know or want to be able
to do. Conducting an accurate self-assessment can be challenging.8 Peer assessment can offer
valuable insights and can assist a pharmacist in identifying true learning needs. An internet based
self-assessment tool, the Pharmacist Self-Assessment Mechanism® (PSAM®), is also available.
PSAM® was developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to provide
a more objective viewpoint of pharmacist’s learning needs.9 At the conclusion of the selfappraisal
process, the pharmacist can record identified learning needs in a personal portfolio.
The planning stage involves formulating a personal action plan to accomplish the identified
learning needs. The pharmacist should develop a set of discrete learning objectives that will meet
personal learning goals. It is important to set SMART objectives (SMART: Specific;
Measurable; Achievable; Relevant; Timed).10 Each learning need should be prioritized based on
importance and urgency. This will guide development of a plan timeline specifying both short9/
30/2009 term (one-year) and long-term (3-5 year) goals. Activities and resources should be selected that
will enable the pharmacist to meet their stated learning needs.
When selecting activities, each individual should consider their preferred learning style and
choose activities that support it. Learning goals can include the acquisition of skills, values, and
attitudes in addition to the knowledge outcomes provided by traditional continuing education
programs. In the CPD model, the pharmacist is not limited to ACPE-accredited educational
programs, but may find relevant learning activities from other sources, such as academic
programs, or specialized training courses. The action plan is recorded in the portfolio and should
be reviewed at least annually. The plan is not static-- it should be updated and modified as
required.
In the action stage, the pharmacist implements the personal action plan and actual learning
occurs. Activities selected should be outcomes-driven to meet the identified learning objectives.
A wide variety of learning activities and methods should be utilized. The pharmacist records
each activity, what was learned from it, and how it will be applied in practice in their personal
portfolio.
In the evaluation stage, the pharmacist assesses how successful their personal plan has been in
meeting their stated learning needs. It is important to consider the effectiveness of the plan in
terms of meeting the stated learning objectives. Educational activities should be evaluated for
appropriateness and their impact on learning new knowledge and skills. If learning needs were
not fully met, then it may be possible to identify further development needs at this stage.
Activities that resulted in personal practice changes or beneficial patient outcomes are analyzed.
Personal evaluation leads to reflection, which continues the ongoing cyclical process of CPD.
Documentation of each stage in the CPD cycle in a personal portfolio can support reflection and
evaluation, and provide evidence of the work involved to others, such as employers, professors,
or regulatory agencies. The portfolio can be used as a tool to support pharmacists as they plan,
act, record and reflect on their learning activities. The portfolio should be simple to use and
readily accessible. Either a paper or electronic based format can be utilized to maintain records
of professional activities.
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is encouraging the adoption of
continuing professional development as a lifelong learning approach by the inclusion of CPD in
the revised PharmD standards implemented July 1, 2007 and by disseminating information about
the process. The revised PharmD standards state that schools of pharmacy must provide a
continuing professional development program for all faculty and staff, including non-paid faculty
and that students should use portfolios to document achievement of competencies over the period
of their academic careers.11 In addition, the new Accreditation Standards for Continuing
Pharmacy Education: Effective January 1, 2009, place a greater emphasis on measurable
outcomes achieved from learning and the ability to put into practice the knowledge and skills
gained from CE programs. 12 ACPE will support efforts to implement the CPD process in the
lifelong education of pharmacists.
9/30/2009
Re-evaluation of the existing continuing education system in pharmacy is currently underway.
The CPD framework appears to offer an improved model for pharmacist lifelong learning and
professional development.
For pharmacists interested in learning more about CPD, the Council on Credentialing in
Pharmacy website ( (http://www.pharmacycredentialing.org/ccp/) is recommended.
*This article was written in partial fulfillment of requirements for the nontraditional, distance
delivery Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Colorado Denver School of
Pharmacy, December 2007.
(http://www.pharmacycredentialing.org/ccp/)
References
1. Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy. Resource document: continuing professional
development in pharmacy. Available at: www.pharmacycredentialing.org/ccp/Files/cpdprimer.pdf.
Accessed December 12, 2007.
2. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Continuing Professional Development
(CPD). Available at: www.acpe-accredit.org/ceproviders/CPD.asp. Accessed December 12,
2007.
3. National Academy of Sciences. Health professions education: a bridge to quality. Available
at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10681#toc. Accessed December 12, 2007.
4. International Pharmaceutical Federation. Statement of Professional Standards Continuing
Professional Development. The Hague, The Netherlands. Available at:
http://www.fip.org/www2/uploads/database_file.php?id=221&table_id= .Accessed
December 12, 2007.
5. Driesen A, Verbeke K, Simoens S, Laekeman G. International trends in lifelong learning for
pharmacists. Am J Pharm Educ. 2007; 71(3): Article 52.
6. Rouse MJ. Continuing professional development in pharmacy. Am J Health-Syst Pharm.
2004; 61: 2069-76.
7. Swallow V, Clarke C, Iles S, Harden J. Work based, lifelong learning through professional
portfolios: challenge or reward? Pharmacy Education. 2006; 6(2): 77-89.
8. Dunning D, Heath C, Suls JM. Flawed self-assessment. Psychol Psi.2004; 5(3): 69-106.
9. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Pharmacist Self-Assessment Mechanism®
(PSAM®). Available at: www.nabp.net/index.html?target=/Psam/index.asp& . Accessed
December 12, 2007.
10. Attewell J, Blenkinsopp A, Black P. Pharmacy and continuing professional development.
Work Based Learning in Primary Care. 2006; 4: 347-54.
11. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Accreditation Standards and Guidelines for
the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree: Effective
July 1, 2007. Available from: http://www.acpeaccredit.
org/pdf/ACPE_Revised_PharmD_Standards_Adopted_Jan152006.pdf. Accessed
February 4, 2008.
12. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Accreditation Standards for Continuing
Pharmacy Education: Effective January 1, 2009. Available from: http://www.acpeaccredit.
org/pdf/CPE_Standards_Final_092107.pdf . Accessed February 18, 2008.
Last updated: 10/01/09