Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
ERUDIO PRO VITA || EDUCATION FOR LIFE
In order to provide the best patient care, health professionals should invest in educational opportunities that give them up to date knowledge and skills. To be most effective, health professionals at every stage of their careers must continue learning about advances in research and treatment in their fields (and related fields) in order to obtain and maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills in caring for their patients.
In the United States of America, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and several other countries private agencies provide CPD programs for qualified pharmacists to give the practicing professional an opportunity to learn. For example PAOFarmacie in the Netherlands stimulates professional development of pharmacists by providing different CPD courses in a year. There is the need to ensure that pharmacists in Ghana also have the avenue and unlimited access to continuing education no matter the time of year or type of residence.
The CPD programme proposes a series of modules in different competencies of the profession which will be run throughout the year with the appropriate regulatory body, and also mandating a minimum hours of study for re-licensure. In the wake of this, a yearly forum to assess the training needs of healthcare professionals will be held in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in order to develop comprehensive but relevant courses of study for the healthcare professional.