Registered pharmacists are required to complete continuing professional development (CPD) every year.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), defines continuing professional development as "how health practitioners maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop the personal and professional qualities required throughout their professional lives." Education to support a pharmacist's continuing professional development journey must be relevant to pharmacist practice, factually accurate, extensively researched, delivered free of bias. It must have a clear needs analysis supporting the development and add to the existing body of pharmacist education. In most circumstances, CPD activities do not include product oriented training or lists of product benefits.
Accrediting an educational activity enables education providers to offer CPD credits for the registered pharmacists undertaking the activity. The CPD credits offered can be attributed towards the 40 CPD credits to be accrued between 1 October and 30 September each year. Accreditation helps pharmacists to identify opportunities that best address their own continuing professional development plan.
As authorised by the Australian Pharmacy Council, the Australasian College of Pharmacy may accredit continuing professional development activities for pharmacists for recognition of continuing competence. Accreditation assures pharmacists that the activity has been reviewed for educational quality and relevance to practice.
Frequently asked questions about CPD accreditation
What is the process for accreditation?+
Education providers applying for accreditation are required to complete an application form, which can be accessed via the link below.
The application form asks about:
- the people involved in development and delivery of the CPD activity
- the reasons why pharmacists should undertake the CPD activity (needs assessment)
- the CPD activity content and how it was developed
- how the activity maps to the 2016 National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia
- how the CPD activity will be assessed and evaluated
- how participant data will be used and stored.
Education providers are encouraged to supply as much information as possible in the application. Once the accreditation application is received, the College team reviews the application. The College team will be in contact with the applicant should the application require more information or clarification.
Who should be involved in developing CPD content?+
The APC Accreditation Standards for CPD Activities (Standard 2.1) requires that there must be significant pharmacists and/or subject matter expert (SME) involvement in the development of the activity. Pharmacists and SMEs involved in activity development must be able to demonstrate they are suitably qualified and/or experienced. The College does not consider a medical writer to be an SME unless they can demonstrate their expertise in the subject matter. We highly recommend that applicants involve a pharmacist in the development of the CPD activity to ensure that the content is applicable to pharmacist practice. All parties involved in developing and delivering content for CPD accreditation will need to complete a declaration including associations to sponsors and any conflicts of interest.
Can my accredited CPD activity be sponsored or supported?+
Yes, development and delivery of accredited CPD activities can be supported by education grants and other forms of support. These arrangements must be disclosed in the application. Educations grants can be restricted or unrestricted in nature. The supporting organisation must not unduely influence the educational activity such as requiring favourable treatment of a certain product or service or influence the planning, content, or execution of the activity. Refer to the College CPD Accreditation Guidelines for more information about support for CPD.
The APC Accreditation Standards for CPD Activities (standard 3.3) requires that accredited CPD activities must be free of commercial bias. The College does not consider product information to be accreditable for CPD.
How long does CPD accreditation last?+
The College can accredit CPD activities for a maximum of 2 years. Some activities cannot be accredited for the maximum period e.g. if the content is likely to be outdated before then. Therefore, the College reserves the right to determine the accreditation period. Providers of an accredited CPD activity can re-apply for accreditation of their activity at the end of the accreditation expiry period.
Who assesses CPD applications and accredits activities for CPD?+
The College contracts pharmacists who are trained as CPD accreditors to assess applications for CPD accreditation. We have a robust quality improvement approach to our accreditation procedures. Our aim is to help applicants achieve the best outcomes for the participants of their accredited CPD activities. Accreditors must declare their conflict/s of interest before assessing an application for accreditation and are obliged to treat submitted materials in confidence as per our Confidentialy and Intellectual Property Policy and Conflict of Interest Policy.
How long does it take to accredit an activity for CPD?+
The College aims to have CPD activities accredited within 10 working days of receiving the completed application. This will depend on our current workload, the length of the activity to be accredited and the standard of the content. We have a fast track process for applicants requireing accreditation more quickly. This will incur an additional fast track fee. Please contact the College via the email query below for more information about our current accreditation timelines.
How much does accreditation cost?+
The accreditation fee is dependent on the length of the activity and other services required from the College.
The College can provide other accreditation service for a fee:
- help you with your application for CPD accreditation
- provide you with space on our learning management system for your CPD assessment
- issue pharmacists with CPD certificates on your behalf.
Please visit the link below to see the CPD Accreditation Fees.
What do I receive if my activity is accredited for pharmacist CPD?+
The College will provide you with feedback on your application, including the content and assessment requirements. Where applicable, we will provide you with insights on how to deliver a successful accredited CPD activity for pharmacists.
If your application is approved, the College will issue you with a unique accreditation number, and a number of CPD credits that pharmacists can record on their CPD record (if they successfully complete any assessment requirements of the activity). You will also receive the Australian Pharmacy Council CPD logo to use on your promotional materials relating to the accredited activity. The APC logo helps pharmacists identify that the activity has been accredited for CPD.
How do I apply for CPD accreditation?+
To apply for CPD accreditation, please click the button below to complete the web application form. If you would prefer a PDF version of the application, please submit an accreditation enquiry to the CPD accreditation team below.
Can I appeal an accreditation outcome?+
Yes. The College has an appeals process for applicants if required.
Can I provide feedback or make a complaint to the College?+
What do I do if I have a question about CPD accreditation?+
Should you have a question about accreditation that is not listed on this page, please contact the College via the button below.