Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Programme for Registered Pharmacists

Background

The purpose of the Continuing Pharmacy Education (“CPE”) Programme for registered pharmacists is to encourage pharmacists to keep themselves up-to-date about the current development of professional knowledge and skills in various areas of practice with an aim to upkeep their professional standard at all times. The Postgraduate Pharmacy and Training Development Committee (“the Committee”) has been appointed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (“the Board”) to implement the CPE Programme for registered pharmacists.

Principles of CPE Activities

The accredited CPE activities should be relevant to the practising knowledge and skills in the pharmacy profession. Meanwhile, activities which are not directly related to pharmacy professional knowledge but could facilitate the practice of pharmacists, e.g. knowledge on relevant laws, information technology relating to the pharmacy profession as well as interpersonal communication skills, may also be recognised as CPE activities for earning CPE points.

Duration of the CPE Cycle

The duration of CPE cycle is one year and will start on 1 June each year and end on 31 May of the following year.

Target Participants

All registered pharmacists are welcomed to enrol in the CPE Programme.

Enrolment by Registered Pharmacists

The College of Pharmacy Practice (CPP) is a CPE Administrator accredited by the Board. A pharmacist should enrol with only one CPE Administrator accredited by the Board at any one time, unless otherwise justified. Pharmacists who have already enrolled in the CPE Programme of the previous cycle are not required to enrol again. However, should they decide not to participate in the CPE Programme or wish to change to another CPE Administrator, they should inform their existing CPE Administrator so that necessary arrangement can be made. The pharmacist shall declare whether he/she has applied for accreditation of CPE activities with his/her previous CPE Administrator when he/she elects to register with a new CPE Administrator.

Credit Point System

The CPE Programme is based on a “credit point system” with CPE points awarded for participation in recognised CPE activities offered by CPE Programme Providers accredited by the CPE Administrators or CPE activities recognised by the CPE Administrators. CPE points will be awarded for CPE activities completed during the cycle. The CPE points accumulated within one CPE cycle cannot be carried forward to the next cycle. Besides, multiple attendance of a CPE activity on the same topic at the same level within a CPE cycle will not be counted for additional CPE points. If a CPE course straddles across two CPE cycles, the calculation of CPE points for the pharmacist concerned should be based on the “approved hours of attendance” attained in the respective CPE cycles.

Award of Certification Upon Satisfactory Completion of CPE Assessment

Participation in the CPE Programme is currently voluntary. The Board will award CPE certificates to pharmacists who have satisfactorily accumulated 15 CPE points within a CPE cycle as a recognition of their continuous pursuit of professional knowledge and participation in the CPE Programme.

Reference: Voluntary Continuing Pharmacy Education Programme for Registered Pharmacists. Accessed at: https://www.ppbhk.org.hk/eng/vcpep_registered_pharmacist/index.html on 1 June 2024."