With summer over and autumn marching on, now is a good time to take stock of developments in both continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing fitness to practise (CFtP), as boundaries between these two areas have now become blurred. 

CPD has been embedded in the membership of many professions for some time, and for many years there has been growing public demand for health professionals to be more accountable and for a system that is more responsive to their needs. This includes the idea that members of professional bodies (registrants) are checked regularly to determine whether they are fit to practise and serve the community and not, as previously, checked only at the point of registration.

What is CPD?

As CPD has been around for quite a long while now, it may seem strange to ask what it is, but with so many changes afoot, it’s worth considering the question. In 2009, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) was formed as a new pharmacy regulator and professional body. The GPhC describes CPD as “a continual process of lifelong learning”. It is also understood that CPD ensures that registrants are equipped to undertake their role both safely and effectively. 

The importance of CPD is well recognised and most pharmacy professionals will do CPD regularly. However, this may be superficial. How many professionals are engaged and motivated enough to take a co-ordinated approach, reflect on where there are gaps in their knowledge and record the training they do?