Practice, and regulatory staff must be completely
aware of and work within all aspects across the
regulatory and legal framework.
The medical profession is incorporating CPD
into plans for demonstrating continuing compe-
tency to practise, based on annual appraisals and,
for example in the United Kingdom, a proposed 5-
yearly assessment for revalidation in order for a
practitioner to remain on the general medical reg-
ister and be certified to practise. Everyone should
undertake a professional and ethical obligation to
remain up to datewith best practice standards in the
role that they perform.
Apart from direct observation, which must also
be undertaken, the sponsor company management,
sponsor company auditors and external inspection
units can only be sure of correct adherence to
formal training requirements by correct and meti-
culous record keeping. All training and develop-
ment in the pharmaceutical industry must be
recorded and maintained.
The responsibility for keeping the training logs
of staff vary from company to company, being held
either by the human resources or training depart-
ments or by the manager of the department to
which the individual belongs. However, it is
recommended that each individual keeps a copy
of their own records where they can; this can form
part of their personal CPD plan and is inherently
part of the information supporting their curriculum
vitae. It is important to be able to verify the effec-
tiveness of the training undertaken. The simplest
form of record, which details title, date and atten-
dees, does not inform an inspector, of any kind,
whether the training was of value or not.
The most usual way of tracking value is by
comparing the training data against the actual per-
formance changes at appraisal. Again, this may be
viewed as purely a top-level assessment and can
raise more questions than it answers. It is recom-
mended to introduce a direct competency measure-
ment to the evaluation of training. Here, a manager,
coach or trainer will identify the training need prior
to training, and through witnessing, the trainees
‘put into practice’ what they have learnt, be able
to verify through dated signature the success or
failure of the training. It is important, however,
that the training records are not made too complex,
leading to a maze of information, which serves to
confuse rather than to clarify.Training sources
Whether self-supporting or with the aid of a
‘training-aware’ sponsor company, the ambitious
trainee has a number of options available in order
to satisfy the identified training needs. Most of
the larger sponsor companies will run consolidated
in-house courses covering a vast array of topics
from specific skills training, for example GXPs,
therapy areas, IT to challenging transferable skills,
for example problem solving, time management,
cultural communication.
In addition, their training programmes will be
indexed to competency measurement and apprai-
sal. In smaller companies and as individuals, such
in-house programmes may not be available. This
need not be a disadvantage. A greater spectrum of
training experience may give greater value to a
personal portfolio and offer a wider outlook of
the bigger picture. The marketplace offering com-
mercial courses to support any of the training needs
for all of the disciplines within pharmaceutical
medicine is huge.
Commercialcoursesarenotusuallyinexpensive,
and a considered decision must be made based on
previous experience or advice from another source
when applying to become a delegate.
As has been highlighted, networking in the
industry is essential. Training may be competitive
between the commercial companies themselves,
but information on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ courses is
usually shared across sponsor companies. Human
resources or heads of specific departments are good
sources of relevant information. The most effective
commercial training companies are often those that
can tailor their training material to the needs of the
trainees, and this material can be customized to
specific sponsor company requirements when a
group or team is involved. Clearly, the best source
of specific training comes from the professional
bodies supporting pharmaceutical medicine. In the
majority of cases, their primary objective is educa-
tion based in order to maintain the highest possible
standards for their profession.2.3 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 19