The CPD Law: A Commitment to Life Long Learning for Medical Professionals

Authors: Claire Marie Reyes-Habito, MD, FPDS

Abstract

A physician’s career path is a never-ending track full of trainings, lectures and certifications. Technologic advances in medicine progress at such a fast pace and medical professionals need to stay up-to-date with the latest treatments and management guidelines. The government recognizes the relevance of continuing medical education for professionals to further enhance nation building and sustained development. Hence, the Republic Act 10912 or the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 was passed and lapsed into law. Beginning July 2017, all Filipino medical professionals licensed and registered under the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) are required to submit Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units prior to renewing their licenses.

The PRC CPD Council for Medicine was created to comprehensively monitor and supervise the CPD providers and their CPD programs, as well as to validate self-directed learning activities submitted by physicians. CPD evaluation and monitoring are important to 1) promote and upgrade the practice of professions, 2) to check whether individual doctors update their knowledge and skills by attending accredited CPD courses, 3) to continuously improve the competence of the professionals in accordance with international standards, through evaluation feedbacks, 4) to check if measures that continuously improve the competence of the professionals are in place, 5) to improve the competence of doctors in making judgement in cases they encounter in their profession by improving knowledge and skills, and 6) to decrease the occurrence of medicolegal suits.

The CPD providers are accredited based on their capability to train and develop professionals as well as to sustain and provide CPD programs. CPD providers may be individual proprietors, corporations/firms, or government institutions. Currently, there are 191 accredited CPD Providers for Medicine. The Philippine Dermatological Society is one of the active accredited CPD providers offering several CPD programs throughout the year.
The CPD programs can be formal, non-formal, informal, self-directed or online learning. Formal learning refers to educational arrangements or curricula of recognized training institutions granting diploma and certification. Informal learning refers to learning in daily life but assessed, validated and given certification or qualification. Non-formal learning refers to learning that has been acquired in addition to formal learning which may be more flexible according to training arrangements. Self-directed learning refers to online trainings, non-degree courses, seminars and training programs which did not undergo CPD accreditation but may be applied for CPD units.

The CPD programs i.e. conferences, lectures or meetings are submitted by the CPD providers to the CPD Council not less than 45 days before the program date. Table 1 shows the requirements for accreditation of a CPD Program.2,5 Once approved, a Certificate of Accreditation of Program (CoAP) with CPD units is issued. Each 1-hour lecture is equivalent to 1 CPD unit.

 

Citation

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Keywords

CPD, Caree, Law, Professionals

  1. Professional Regulations Commission. Updated Notice: Compliance with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016. July 24, 2017. www.prc.gov.ph//news?id=7597
  2. Maano, Clarita C. In Focus: The CPD Law. Lecture at the Philippine Dermatological Society Monthly CME Meeting. March 22, 2017.
  3. Professional Regulations Commission. CPD Accredited Providers for Medicine. August 2, 2017. http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/MEDICINE_CPDprovider_v3.pdf
  4. Congress of the Philippines. CPD Law Republic Act 10912. Senate Bill No. 2581, House No. 6423. August 2, 2017. http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/mCPDLaw.pdf
  5. Professional Regulations Commission. Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 10912, known as the “Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016. Professional Regulation Commission Resolution Number 1032, Series of 2017. August 2, 2017. http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/CPD_IRR_p.pdf

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