Review of the CPD Model for Pharmacists 2022/2023

Under the strategic objective in our Corporate Strategy 2021-2024, Advancing the Role of Pharmacy and Pharmacists in the Future Integrated Healthcare System, we committed to reviewing our current model of CPD to ensure it supports future pharmacist practice in all settings, that it is agile, adaptive and sustainable, and that it delivers value for money.

The review was carried out with the independent, external support of Mazars, and by seeking the input and experience of our registrants and others. The focus of the project was:

To identify the key drivers that will inform the future development of the CPD model and the setting of our key objectives and responsibilities in the further development of the system;
To examine and evaluate the effectiveness of the current CPD governance and management structures in the performance and delivery of the CPD system;
To make recommendations about how the current CPD model can be adapted, changed or improved;
Examine the viability, resourcing, and sustainability of any proposed model, with consideration to the size of the register of pharmacists and the size of the register of retail pharmacy businesses.

The culmination of the review was a report on the Review of the CPD Model for Pharmacists (The Mazar's Report) which sets out the outcome and recommendations from the review process. At the PSI Council meeting of 14 December 2023, the Council accepted the findings of the Mazars Report and approved the recommendations therein. The following are the recommendations within the report:

	Recommendations
	Key Drivers
Recommendation 1	Investigate opportunities to incorporate intra and inter-profession collaboration into the CPD Model.
	Systems for CPD Review
Recommendation 2	Reduce the CPD review cycle period from 5 years, in line with international practice, including also removal of the restriction on the eligibility period during which newly qualified pharmacists become subject to the defined requirements.
Recommendation 3	Remove the Practice Review element from the CPD Model.
	Governance & Management Arrangements
Recommendation 4	Update the scope of the CPD model desired based on the information in this and related reports. The mechanism by which that scope is best delivered should then be considered.
	Risk Assessment
Recommendation 5	Incorporate enhanced risk-based approaches to the sampling of practitioners for CPD review processes.
Recommendation 6	Develop a flexible, administrative process to couple annual registration with satisfactory CPD compliance.
	Self-Reflection
Recommendation 7	Incorporate peer feedback – or discussion – into the self-reflection process.

Next Steps

During 2024, a process of implementing the recommendations within the Mazars report will begin, including any legislative changes that will be needed to underpin the changes to the model. There will be a number of opportunities for interested stakeholders to provide their input as the changes to the model are being progressed, including the opportunity to provide feedback on the public consultation which will be undertaken as part of changes to the CPD and/or registration rules.

Progress on the implementation of the recommendations will be updated on this webpage, as well as being communicated widely with our registrants through the PSI Newsletter and direct email communications to registrants, as appropriate.