Revised CPD guidelines for five National Boards published today

24 Oct 2019

Five National Boards have today published advance copies of revised continuing professional development guidelines (CPD guidelines) before new CPD standards take effect.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice, Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic, Occupational Therapy and Optometry Boards have published advance copies of their revised CPD guidelines on their websites.

The CPD guidelines provide additional information for practitioners about how to meet revised CPD registration standards. It follows publication of advance copies of the revised CPD standards by the five National Boards on 31 July 2019.

The revised CPD standard and guidelines will apply to all registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners, chiropractors, occupational therapists and optometrists in Australia, except those with non-practising registration.

The guidelines will help practitioners become familiar with the new CPD standard which takes effect for four National Boards on 1 December 2019. The revised standard for optometrists will take effect on 1 December 2020. Practitioners do not have to have meet the revised CPD standard when they renew their registration this year.

Requirements of the revised CPD standard

The National Boards encourage all practitioners to read the revised CPD registration standard and guidelines to make sure that they are familiar with the updated requirements.

The professions have standardised the number of CPD hours with practitioners required to complete 20 hours of CPD in each registration year. The changes also introduce more flexible options for practitioners to meet the standard. Practitioners must develop learning goals, plan their CPD activities to meet those goals and reflect on how they will improve their practice based on what they have learned. Practitioners must keep a portfolio that records their learning goals, the CPD activities they undertake and their reflection on the effect the CPD has had on their practice.

Additional resources about the revised standards

The National Boards are currently developing additional guidance material to help practitioners understand and meet the revised CPD standard. Additional guidance to help practitioners meet the revised CPD standard will be published on the Boards’ websites in the coming months.

For further information

More information about the revised CPD registration standard and guidelines has been published on the Boards’ websites:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board CPD guidelines news item
• Chiropractic Board CPD guidelines news item
• Chinese Medicine Board CPD guidelines news item
• Occupational Therapy Board CPD guidelines news item
• Optometry Board CPD guidelines news item