Professional Development

Professional Development Requirements

As per the Pharmacy Act, 2024, every pharmacist and pharmacy technician must participate in continuing professional development (PD). The College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador has a legislative responsibility to ensure that pharmacy professionals remain competent throughout their careers to provide safe and effective care. With changes in the scope of practice, along with newly emerging medications and therapies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must engage in continuous learning and improvement of existing skills and knowledge.

Minimum Requirements

Complete a minimum of 15 hours of learning during each PD cycle.
Of the minimum 15 hours of learning, a minimum of 5 hours of learning must be accredited learning activities.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who register with the College in the same year they receive Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification will be exempted from the PD requirements in their first year of registration.

Accredited Learning Activities

Formal activities that have been reviewed by an accredited body and assigned a “CEU” or “credit” value approximately equal to the number of hours the program takes to complete.

CEUs should be documents as assigned by the accrediting organization.

Accepted Activities
Formally accredited activities accredited by the following organizations
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE); Note: 0.1 ACPE CEU = 1.0 CEU
Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP)
College of Family Physicians of Canada (Mainpro+)
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (MOC)
Provincial accrediting bodies (e.g., Dalhousie University or University of Saskatchewan)
A course or program delivered by an accredited university or college that is relevant to pharmacy practice, to a maximum of 5 CEUs per course.
Supporting Documentation
Certificate, record, or statement of completion.
Transcript indicating course completion or diploma indicating graduation (for coursework or postgraduate studies).

Non-Accredited Learning Activities

A learning activity that has not been formally reviewed by an accrediting body or approved by the College but still meets certain minimum requirements.

CEUs should be assigned in increments of 0.25 CEUs with one hour of relevant and meaningful learning being equivalent to 1 CEU, with limits set on the number of CEUs that can be assigned in certain circumstances.

Accepted Activities
Academic / Professional Study
Non-accredited certification programs (e.g. certified diabetes educator)
Non-accredited professional conferences, workshops, retreats
Group courses such as CPR or First Aid courses; Note: up to 3 CEUs per year.
Scholarly Activities
Participating in pharmacy-related research; Note: up to 3 CEUs per year.
Presenting and/or publishing scholarly works; Note: up to 3 CEUs per presentation/publication.
Serving as content reviewer for publications, dissertations, or other scholarly works; Note: up to 2 CEUs per publication.
Teaching and Precepting
Developing, presenting, and/or authoring educational content (e.g. academic course, seminar/webinar, publication); Note: up to 3 CEUs per presentation/publication.
Teaching, precepting, or mentoring students, intern, or residents; Note: 0.5 CEUs per week to a maximum of 6 CEUs per year.
Workplace Activities
Participating in in-service training to learn a new skill.
Engaging in self-directed learning on topics relevant to practice (e.g. to prepare to assess a prescription for or to counsel a patient on a new or unfamiliar medication or formulation; to investigate a solution to a patient’s drug-related problem; management-specific training for pharmacists-in-charge).
Supporting Documentation
For academic or professional study – certificate, transcript, or diploma.
For scholarly activities and teaching-related learning – research letters, copies of publications, presentations, lectures, etc.
For teaching, precepting, or mentoring students, interns, or residents – completed Documentation of Credits for Service as a Preceptor form.
Open-ended self-directed learning – consider the most appropriate documentation depending on the situation. Contact the College for advice as required.

Assessing Learning Needs

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are encouraged to conduct an informal self-assessment early in the PD cycle to aid in identifying learning needs for the upcoming year. While formal documentation of learning needs is not required, it may be helpful to document a list of learning needs or topics to focus on during the PD cycle.

Factors to consider
Have there been any changes to scope of practice which have resulted in new learning needs?
Have there been any recent changes to legislation, regulations, or standards of practice that may impact pharmacy practice?
Are there any new documents from external bodies / stakeholders (e.g., CAMH, ISMP) to review?
Are there any new guidelines, treatments, or technologies designed to improve quality of patient care that may warrant exploration?
Are there any observations from performance reviews or peer feedback that may identify learning needs?

Choosing Learning Activities

Before completing a learning activity, pharmacy professionals should assess its quality and, if non-accredited, ensure that the learning is appropriate for a healthcare professional and not intended for the general public.

Factors to consider
Is the activity related to the practice of pharmacy?
Is the activity appropriate to your scope of practice (i.e. pharmacist, pharmacy technician)?
Does the activity enhance your skills as a health professional?
Does the activity provide well-defined learning objectives?
Are the authors or presenters of the activity qualified and experiences in the subject matter?
Has the activity been reviewed by subject matter experts or peers to ensure accuracy and relevance?
Are the references current and based on credible sources?
Does there seem to be any potential conflict of interest with the authors, presenters, provider, or sponsor that are not disclosed?

Documenting Learning Activities

Once completed, both accredited and non-accredited learning activities must be documented, including the program title or activity description; the date the activity was completed; whether the activity is accredited or non-accredited; the accreditation number and who the program is accredited by, if applicable; number of CEUs or hours of learning; a brief description of the learning will benefit the pharmacy professional’s practice; and supporting documentation. Follow the steps below to document the learning activity in the CPNL Registrant Portal.

Click Registrant Portal in the Portal Login menu at the top right of the webpage.
Log into your account.
Click the Professional Development link on the side menu.
Click the View button next to the current open PD Period.
Click the + Add New Records link under the Learning Activities table.
Complete the form and click the Save & Back button.

The CPNL Registrant Portal includes a 30-minute inactivity log-out security feature. Accounts will automatically be logged out after 30 minutes of inactivity and the system does not recognize typing as an activity. Please save your progress every 30 minutes to avoid loss of information.

Tips for Submitting Learning Activities
Save supporting documents in a dedicated location on your device so they are easy to find when you are ready to upload files.
Have your notes on hand when recording learning activities in the CPNL Registrant Portal.
Make notes in a document on your computer so you can copy and paste the information into the online form.
When creating a new record, first upload the supporting document, then enter the program title and insert placeholder text (i.e. TBD) into all required fields, and click the Save & Back button to ensure a new record is successfully created. You can update the record again at any time before submitting your renewal.
Make sure the description of the learning’s benefit to practice is concise.

FAQ

Minimum Requirements

When does the PD period begin and end each year?

The PD period begins on December 1st and ends on November 30th each year. Only learning activities completed within these dates can be recorded during the PD period.

When is documentation of professional development activities due?

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are required to record all professional development activities in the CPNL Registrant Portal no later than November 30th of each year to be eligible to renew their registration for the following year.

Can all 15 hours of required learning be from one program?

Yes, there is no restriction to prevent all required hours of learning from being completed with one program as long as the program is accredited. Pharmacy professionals are encouraged to obtain professional development from a variety of sources, but it is not mandatory to do so. If you have completed one course or program that fulfills the full requirement, you may record it as such.

Documentation

What should I document in the Integration into Practice section?

In the Integration into Practice section, pharmacy professionals should indicate any learnings that were gained from the activity that can be integrated into their practice and how they intend to incorporate the learning into their practice. If the pharmacy professional feels the activity was not necessarily applicable to their practice, they are still expected to indicate what benefit was gained by completing the activity. For example, “This program was very relevant as we are planning to implement injection services at our pharmacy in the near future.” or, “While this program was not particularly relevant to my current practice, it was a great overview and update of this practice area.” Pharmacy professionals should ensure they are concise when completing this section, as the CPNL Registrant Portal allows a maximum of 250 characters.

How do I document my service as a preceptor?

Pharmacy professionals can self-assign 0.5 CEUs per week up to a maximum of 6 CEUs per year for service as a preceptor. When documenting these CEUs, pharmacy professionals should complete the Documentation of Credits for Service as a Preceptor form (linked under Additional Resources below) and upload it as supporting documentation. A separate entry and form must be used if acting as a preceptor to more than one intern in a given PD year.

Please refer to the information below for documenting these CEUs in the CPNL Registrant Portal:

Program Title / Description of Activity: “Service as a Preceptor”
PD Category: “Non-Accredited Learning”
Program Accredited By: “Non-accredited”
Number of CEUs / Hours of Learning: Document appropriately according to the completed Documentation of Credits for Service as a Preceptor form
Date of Completion: End date of intern’s practical training rotation
Integration into Practice: Document what you learned from the experience and how you will integrate it into your practice.
Supporting Documentation: Completed Documentation of Credits for Service as a Preceptor form.
How many credits can I claim for taking a First Aid or CPR course?

Pharmacy professionals may self-assign up to 3 CEUs per year for completing First Aid or CPR courses.

I wrote the PEBC Qualifying Exam this year. Do I still need to record the 15 CEUs?

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who register with the College in the same year that they received Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification are exempted from the continuing professional development requirements in their first year of registration and are not required to document learning activities during that PD period in order to renew their registration for the following year.

Additional Resources

Professional Development Requirements for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
Documentation of Credits for Service as a Preceptor
Online Professional Development Sources
Canadian Healthcare Network eCortex
Health eLearning
MDBriefcase
Power-Pak CE

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