It's elementary, my dear pharmacist...

I know I can't have been the only pharmacy student to think ‘what on Earth?' on first hearing of the RPSGB's ruling on continuing professional development. A compulsory requirement of practising pharmacists? Nine whole pieces a year? More to the point, what exactly IS continuing professional development? Now in my second year of the MPharm course, I'm beginning to see the benefits of this obligatory requirement of pharmacists in the United Kingdom.

"Develop your professional knowledge and competence", being one of the seven principles of the RPSGB's Code of Ethics, orders registrants to the Society to maintain evidence of CPD in order to renew their annual registration as a pharmacist. Part of the Code of Conduct for pharmacy students states that students should ensure they are "aware of the continuing professional development requirements for pharmacists"; so, naturally, we at the University of Manchester's School of Pharmacy are required to submit two pieces of CPD and one set of answers to given reflective questions each semester. Naïvely, I thought that completing these tedious, time-consuming tasks was all that CPD was about. How wrong I was!

Being a member of the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) opened my eyes to the great potential for students in the world of pharmacy. The official student organisation of the RPSGB, the BPSA endorses CPD and, dare I say it, makes it a fun thing to do. From entering competitions, to attending RPSGB local branch meetings, to completing assessments in Future Pharmacist magazine, there are many ways to gain a Professional Development Point, five of which, with satisfactory evidence, culminate in a certificate, gold dust for pharmacy students these days as a way to impress would-be employers in an increasingly competitive market.

As if that wasn't enough, it gives you something to do, as well as travel the length and breadth of Great Britain and the world, rather than just dwell in the seemingly endless cycle of work, revision, exams and sleep... What better way to increase our knowledge of the ever-changing pharmacy profession, in order to show our commitment to our learning and, once practising, to deliver the best pharmaceutical care to the public?

I also unquestioningly thought that this CPD I'd got to grips with was unique to the pharmacy profession. Again, wrong. Teachers, nurses, dental care professionals, solicitors, accountants and even tax advisors are all required to participate in mandatory CPD, although the requirements are different for each profession.

So, in conclusion, Huey Lewis still wants a new drug and it's up to pharmacists to ensure they remain up to date with the latest happenings and renew and evaluate their skills in order for patient care to be of high quality and for new drugs to keep being discovered and brought to market.