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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Additional Resources

Professional Development Requirements for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

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