GPhC confirms changes to how it reviews pharmacists’ CPD records

Reforms that mean pharmacists will be randomly selected to provide a record of their continuing professional development (CPD) by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) will be introduced in 2017, the regulator has confirmed.

On 19 December 2016, the GPhC announced that it will push ahead with its CPD proposals, which were supported by 82% of the 2,242 individuals and 22 organisations that responded to its consultation on the planned changes.

However, following concerns raised about the original plans, which said pharmacists could be selected to submit their records every other year, the regulator has amended the new system to guarantee that any pharmacists selected at random will be excluded from selection for the following two years.

The GPhC has also revealed more details about the number of pharmacist records it proposes to call in annually; it confirmed that the random sample will be a minimum 2.5% of the eligible names on the register, but it will retain the freedom to select a higher percentage of records if necessary.

The percentage and number of records it plans to select will be detailed on the GPhC website in advance, it confirmed.

It also intends to call in the records of any pharmacist who has faced repeated attempts to fulfil their CPD requirements — known as remediation — as well as those pharmacists who have recently been restored to the register.

Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, says: “CPD remains a core professional responsibility and we hope that listening to our registrants on how to make CPD more meaningful will encourage them to continue to demonstrate their professionalism by reflecting regularly on learning and development activities.”

The GPhC consulted on its plans for sampling CPD records for review from 19 September 2016 to 31 October 2016. It received 2,264 written responses to the consultation.