Accredited versus non-accredited CPD
This page explains the difference between accredited and non-accredited continuing professional development, how accreditation occurs, and pharmacists’ responsibilities for recording non-accredited CPD.
What is accredited CPD?
An accredited CPD activity has undergone a quality assurance review for its educational quality and its relevance to pharmacists’ practice.
Accredited CPD activities will show the Australian Pharmacy Council CPD logo and an accreditation number.
Organisations which can accredit CPD
Under the auspices of the Council, certain organisations may accredit CPD which complies with the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s guidelines.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, and the Australian College of Pharmacy are all authorised to accredit CPD activities for pharmacists. All use a similar review process.
Membership of accrediting organisations
It is not necessary to be a member of the organisation which provides accredited CPD in order to claim credits for it. However, as a member you may be able to attend activities which are exclusively for members of that organisation and enjoy benefits such as reduced fees or automatic recording in a member CPD record.
Non-accredited CPD
The Pharmacy Board recognises that in some areas of pharmacy practice, pharmacists may not have access to accredited CPD.
Where a pharmacist undertakes non-accredited CPD, he or she is responsible for reviewing the educational quality of the learning activity.
Record keeping
The Board also accepts self-directed CPD as part of a structured learning plan.
It advises pharmacists who undertake non-accredited activities to maintain verifiable records of CPD activities. It is the responsibility of each pharmacist to ensure that their CPD record is accurate and complete, regardless of whether the activities are accredited or non-accredited.
Further information
Many other pharmacy organisations are active in the CPD area and have helpful materials or learning activities.
- Australian College of Pharmacy: http://www.acp.edu.au
- Pharmacy Guild of Australia: http://www.guild.org.au/guildpharmacyacademy
- Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia: http://cpd.shpa.org.au
- Australian Pharmacy Council: http://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au
- Pharmacy Board of Australia: http://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx and http://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines.aspx