Your last chance to score CPD credits

Industry
By
Chloe Hava
-
CPD

The most informative ways to meet your continuing professional development requirements before the CPD year ends on 30 September.

The countdown to the end of the CPD year is always a mad rush, with pharmacists needing to earn 40 (60 if you’re accredited) CPD credits to remain registered.

Australian Pharmacist has created a guide to help pharmacists prepare for this deadline. With scope of practice changing rapidly, these resources will also help to ensure pharmacists don’t miss out on upskilling opportunities.

1. Scope of practice changes are coming – be prepared

Scope of practice changes continue to roll in across the country – from urinary tract infection trials and programs, to an expanded range of immunisations and injectable medicines that pharmacists can administer. PSA courses on offer to keep scope-of-practice knowledge up to date include:

The Deadly pharmacists foundation training course, also free for PSA members, helps pharmacists upskill for scope of practice changes said PSA Manager – Practice Support, Claire Antrobus MPS.

The Medical Services Advisory Committee’s decision to support funding for embedding pharmacists in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island primary health services is another reason for pharmacists wanting a role in this sector to undertake the course. 

So is the whopping 14 Group 2 CPD credits to be accrued upon successful completion.

2. Keep on top of new regulations and trends

Keep on top of the latest regulatory changes and trends by completing AP CPDs, worth between 1–2 Group 2 CPD credits,  such as:

‘A lot of pharmacists are also getting scripts for medicinal cannabis, so the Cannabis drug interactions CPD can help to inform those seeking more knowledge’ said Ms Antrobus.

3. Rack up last-minute credits with Essential CPEs

The essential CPEs, each worth up to 10 Group 2 CPD credits, provide the ultimate point scorer. There are currently four live Essential CPEs that pharmacists can undertake, including:

‘There’s also an Essential CPE on allergy and anaphylaxis that will be released in September,’ said Ms Antrobus. ‘For those offering an expanded range of vaccinations, this CPE is a great refresher on anaphylaxis.’

4. Go for gold with PSA’s annual questionnaire

Another way to score a significant amount of CPD credits is by undertaking the Annual Gold Questionnaire 2022. Not only can up to 10 Group 2 CPD credits be accrued for answering 25 questions, it also provides an opportunity to think outside the usual box.

‘Rather than reading an article and answering questions in a standard CPD, the Annual Gold Questionnaire involves a bit of searching to find the answers,’ said Ms Antrobus. ‘The case-based questions cover a wide variety of practice areas, so it’s a really good activity to do.’

5. Get the most from the completely redesigned Professional Practice Standards

The Professional Practice Standards (PPS) 2023 webinar on 20 September will help pharmacists elevate their professional excellence with the reimagined PPS. 

Professor Lisa Nissen FPS from the University of Queensland will lead this webinar to discuss how the new PPS can be used to assess and improve professional practice. The interactive PPS self-assessment and quality improvement program will also be introduced.

6. Watch and learn to keep your practice knowledge fresh

PSA has a range of recorded webinars to inform pharmacists unable to attend live sessions about scope of practice updates. 

If you still need help understanding the changes to the Opioid Dependence Treatment program, these webinars – each worth 1.5 Group 1 credits – will bring you up to speed:

‘Even though the webinars were designed for NSW and Victoria, there is still information applicable to other states,’ added Ms Antrobus.

If you are new to vaccinating young children, the Immunising children with confidence webinar is another helpful resource, plus it’s worth a generous 3 Group 2 CPD credits.

There are also a couple of live webinars to choose from, including:

7. Collect your conference assessments before it’s too late

Haven’t had time to complete multiple choice questions (MCQs) from PSA23 attendance? Now is the time to collect your credits.

‘The MCQs are up for a year, so if you haven’t answered them yet, you have the opportunity to do so before the end of the CPD year,’ said Ms Antrobus.

Those who attended the NSW and VIC/TAS Annual Therapeutic Update (ATU) conferences can similarly accrue credits.

If you’re based up north, the QLD ATU takes place soon – on Saturday 23 September. Pharmacists can gain up to 11.5 Group 2 credits while attending scope of practice sessions on:

  • Medicine Safety with injectables – quality delivery of services
  • Prescribing
  • Providing a first-class travel health service.

The next day, pharmacists can pop over to the 81st International Pharmaceutical Federation World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FIP Brisbane) from 24–28 September. 

‘At the very minimum, you can gain Group 1 CPD credits for attending FIP sessions while participating in a once-in-a-lifetime event,’ said Ms Antrobus.