Abstract
There has been significant reform of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Irish pharmacists over the past five years. In 2015, a new system was established that includes quality assurance of practitioner engagement in CPD and quality assurance of practitioner competence. Pharmacists must now plan and document their learning activities in an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) and they must participate in an ePortfolio Review process once every five-year period. A random sample is chosen each year to participate in a review of their practice for pharmacists in patient-facing roles. This paper provides an overview of the development and implementation of these quality assurance processes and it considers the outcomes that were observed in the first four years of implementation. By April 2019, almost 3000 pharmacists had participated in the ePortfolio Review process over the preceding three years, of which 96.2% demonstrated appropriate engagement in CPD. In the preceding two years, almost 200 pharmacists had participated in Practice Review, of which 97.5% have demonstrated the required level of competence across four competencies. All of the pharmacists who did not demonstrate the required level of competence in one or more competency area during Practice Review had previously demonstrated appropriate engagement in CPD through the ePortfolio Review process. This raises interesting questions regarding the use of engagement in continuing education (CE) or CPD as a surrogate measure for competence by professions.
Highlights
Pharmacy practice requires a combination of clinical, technical, and social skills to deliver safe, effective, and efficient pharmaceutical care
The statutory instrument states that the contents of a pharmacist’s ePortfolio are under the “absolute control” of the pharmacist [11]. Another notable recommendation arising from the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) report (2010) was that a new system be established, which would verify the standards for CPD across the areas of provision, engagement, and overall competency of professionals
All of the registered pharmacists with patient-facing roles, such as those working in community or hospital sectors, are eligible to be randomly selected from the professional register by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) to participate in Practice Review
Summary
Pharmacy practice requires a combination of clinical, technical, and social skills to deliver safe, effective, and efficient pharmaceutical care Developing and maintaining these skills, behaviors and knowledge is challenging due to the evolving nature of drug development, the ever-expanding evidence base, and caring for patients with often complex medical needs [1]. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an ongoing process of learning that is reflective of the specific needs of the individual. Asserting a regulatory requirement for professionals to undertake CPD and for an ongoing review of the level of this engagement, responds to the fact that a single determination of professional knowledge, skill, and behavior, such as that undertaken during undergraduate education or initial registration with the regulator, is insufficient for guaranteeing competence throughout a professional career [2]. Information regarding the development and implementation of the accreditation processes (assurance of Provision) is not reported here
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