The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is reminding all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians of the ongoing requirement to undertake and record continuing professional development (CPD) activities, as it sets out its next steps to improve the CPD call and review process.

The next steps of the review include: modifying and simplifying the recording requirements for CPD entries; improving the online recording tool to make it more accessible and user-friendly and consulting next year on specific proposals to introduce a random sampling approach.

The changes follow on from an independent review of the GPhC’s CPD arrangements, published in June, which suggested a number of potential improvements to the CPD call and review process, including randomly sampling the register to encourage registrants to record their CPD more frequently.

The update fits in with the GPhC’s wider work in developing a new process by which pharmacy professionals can demonstrate their ability to meet standards over the course of their careers, of which CPD will be one element alongside peer discussion and evidence from professional practice.

Commenting on the next steps, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC said: “We believe that the changes we are planning will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the CPD call and review process as well as the experience of registrants recording their CPD.”

However, he stressed the importance of continuing to practise and record CPD in the meantime, as it “provides an important assurance to patients and the public that pharmacy professionals are keeping their knowledge and skills up to date and reflecting on their practice”.