Pharmacy education company Mediapharm has entered into an exclusive partnership with Edvantage group to offer pharmaceutical companies a simple way of delivering training and communications directly to pharmacists through a new online portal, CPD Easy.
CPD Easy is available to all pharmacists working in both the independent or multiples sector to help them drive sales and develop new professional services. As well as pharmaceutical training, the portal also hosts accredited courses, supports staff training, provides healthcare briefings and a range of training resources. A CPD recording facility that is compatible with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) requirements is also included – it’s pharmacists’ one stop shop for pharmacy CPD.
Paul Lowndes, Managing Director of Mediapharm explains, ‘‘This is an exciting opportunity for the pharmaceutical sector. Pharmacists want to be contract compliant and be able to access the right information and training all in one place. For the first time they will be able to do this anywhere, anytime using the latest SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) technology on a trusted platform.”
Edvantage group’s UK Sales Director, Mike Newton, highlighted some of the added benefits that CPD Easy offers, ‘‘Not only does this provide easy access to a whole collection of useful material but the system reports on user and/or course activity and creates surveys or knowledge tests using the in-built functionality of the Learning Management System.’’
Sue Jones, clinical pharmacy lecturer at King’s College London who is also a CPD facilitator for the RPSGB and regional tutor for the Centre for Postgraduate Pharmacy Education, thinks there is value in the site being independent and in helping pharmacists with self-directed individual learning. She adds, ‘‘With CPD now mandatory and PCTs wanting evidence of support staff training, pharmacists want this facility because it is easy and hassle-free and demonstrates they are fulfilling their professional obligation. It also helps pharmacists with signposting.’’
Stephen Foster is the Pharmacy Superintendent at Pierremont Pharmacy in Broadstairs, Kent; a board member of the Independent Pharmacists’ Federation; and head of Elite Pharmacy Group. Stephen says, ‘‘CPD Easy is a key professional and business asset that will enable me to drive the development of new services in my pharmacy, and help me to work more closely with our industry partners in a trusted environment.’’
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