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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
1. What is a Contact Hour?
A unit of measurement that describes 60 minutes of organized learning
activity.
2. What is a CEU?
CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit and is the accreditation
value assigned to an accredited learning activity. In most situations 1 CEU is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Learning activities that have been
submitted to organizations such as the Canadian Council on Continuing
Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP) for accreditation have a panel of practicing
pharmacists review the program to determine an appropriate CEU value, the
program’s relevancy to Canadian pharmacy practice and the value of the
learning experience. Once the CEU
value for the accredited learning activity has been assigned, it is not
possible to adjust that value depending on the length of time a pharmacist
actually spends on the learning activity.
LEARNING PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS
1. Why are pharmacists required to
complete a Learning Portfolio?
As valuable health
professionals, pharmacists are accountable to the patients they care for by
ensuring their knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date and they remain
competent to practice. One of the
ways, pharmacists, like other professionals, ensure their competence to
practice is by being involved in continuing professional development
(CPD). A learning portfolio is simply
a tool to support pharmacists as they plan, record and reflect on their learning
activities.
This model for CPD has been adopted by
pharmacists across this country, in the U.S. and U.K. and in many other
countries in the world as an effective system to support pharmacists as they
are involved in CPD. Many other
professions such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, accounting and engineering
have also adopted learning portfolios to support their CPD.
The MPhA Learning Portfolio does not
measure a pharmacist’s competence, it is a system to support pharmacists as
they are engaged in CPD. The MPhA
Learning Portfolio also provides the public with necessary documentation of
the pharmacist’s involvement in CPD in an effort to maintain their competence
to practice.
2. What documents do I need to submit for my
Learning Portfolio?
At licence renewal, pharmacists submit:
- Their Learning Portfolio Summary, and
- Professional Development Log (PDL)
Every January, approximately 20% of practicing licensed pharmacists
will be randomly chosen for review of their PDLs. These pharmacists will be asked to submit the CEU certificates
and/or other supporting documents for the accredited learning activities
listed on their PDLs.
3. Do I have to use the editable files available online to submit my
learning activities?
No. These are available as a template. Pharmacists are welcome to provide
the SAME information in a format that they find convenient.
4. Can a pharmacist complete all the reading materials for an online
accredited Continuing Education Program and not take the post-test?
A pharmacist who does not complete the post-test and therefore, does
not receive the CEU certificate cannot claim the program as an
accredited learning activity. They
can, however, document this activity as a non-accredited learning
activity.
5. I participated in an accredited continuing education program that was
accredited for 2.0 CEU’s. I actually spent 4 hours on the program. Should
I document 4 hours or 4 CEUs in my Professional Development Log?
No. Since the program was
accredited for 2 CEUs this is the maximum number of CEUs that may be
documented on your PDL regardless of the actual time you spent on the program.
6. I completed a Learning Project Record. Should I submit this with my
license application?
No. The Learning Project Record is for the personal use of
pharmacists to help organize and focus learning in a particular area. Only the individual learning activities
which comprise the Learning Project should be documented on your Professional
Development Log, which is then submitted with your license application.
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PRECEPTORSHIP
PROGRAM
1. Can hours towards pharmacy student preceptorship be counted as an
accredited learning activity for the Professional Development Log?
Yes. Pharmacists
participating as a preceptor for a recognized Canadian Faculty of Pharmacy
may document their significant learning experiences gained through
involvement in the preceptorship as an accredited learning activity on their
Professional Development Log. One
contact hour of the pharmacist’s significant learning experience is
equivalent to one CEU.
2. How is my preceptorship documented?
Each type or year of pharmacy student preceptorship has been
assigned a unique MPhA File Accreditation Number and corresponding
accreditation or CEU certificate.
Each significant learning experience for the preceptor pharmacist,
during the course of the preceptorship, is documented as an accredited
learning activity on their PDL referencing the corresponding MphA File
Accreditation Number. At the
completion of the preceptorship, pharmacists may calculate the total number
of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) obtained by adding up the time spent in
all individual accredited learning activities designated as occurring within
that preceptorship. The corresponding
CEU value may then be entered in on accreditation certificate for that
preceptorship.
3. How do I obtain my accreditation certificate?
Right here on the web page: CLICK HERE
OR by calling Kathy Cobb at the MPhA office: 233-1411
4. I am interested in becoming a preceptor. Who can I contact for more
information?
Contact the University of Manitoba Structured Practice Experiential
Program Coordinator & Instructor, Kelly Brink, at (204) 474-6282 or brink@cc.umanitoba.ca. Alternatively,
you may contact the Pharmacy Practice Liaison, Nancy Kleiman, at (204)
474-6692 or kleimann@cc.umanitoba.ca.
LIVE PROGRAMS:
1. How do I sign up for live PD programs?
For live programs sponsored by MPhA, call the MPhA office: 233-1411.
2. If I can't attend the live presentation, can I view the program at a
later date?
The MPhA attempts to record all live programs it sponsors. These videos
or DVD's can be borrowed free-of-charge from the MPhA office by calling Kathy
at 233-1411 or by email at kcobb@mpha.mb.ca.
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Last
updated: June 2006
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