GPhC CPD Record Examples: Planned and Unplanned Entries
How to write GPhC CPD entries that show learning and impact, with clearly illustrative planned, unplanned, peer discussion and reflective account examples.
A good GPhC CPD record is short, specific and written in the first person: what you learned, how you learned it, and how it helped the people who use your services. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians on the GPhC register (Great Britain) record four CPD entries a year, at least two of them planned. This post shows what those entries can look like. Every example below was written by Learnsignal for illustration only. They are not GPhC-approved or GPhC-endorsed, and you should not copy them. The GPhC publishes its own sector-by-sector examples, which are the better benchmark.
The rules themselves are covered in our guides to GPhC CPD requirements for pharmacists and peer discussion and revalidation changes. This post is about the writing.
What the GPhC asks you to record
According to the GPhC, revalidation each year means four CPD records, one peer discussion record and one reflective account. Its revalidation page also says that at least one of those six records must reflect on any annotation or specialist role you hold.
The GPhC does not set a number of CPD hours on the pages we checked. The unit of evidence is the entry. The GPhC revalidation framework (January 2018) says at least two of your four entries must be planned learning activities, and sets out the questions each type of entry answers.
- Planned entries ask what you planned to learn, how you planned to learn it, and for an example of how the learning has benefited the people using your services.
- Unplanned entries ask you to describe an unplanned event or activity that let you learn something new or refresh your knowledge or skills, and again to give an example of how it benefited the people using your services.
The GPhC also offers downloadable planned and unplanned learning record forms (the planned form is dated November 2024). The framework's question wording dates from 2018, so use the current form or the prompts in myGPhC as your guide if the wording differs.
The GPhC describes planned CPD as things like attending a training course or reading relevant resources, and unplanned CPD as learning that arises in everyday work, for example from a meeting or a patient query. You do not have to reflect against the nine standards in your CPD records. That is for the reflective account.
Weak versus strong: the difference is the example
Reviewers look at whether an entry shows learning and its effect on practice. The simplest way to improve an entry is to replace a topic with a concrete situation.
| Element | Weak entry | Stronger entry |
|---|---|---|
| What I planned to learn | Update on inhalers. | How to demonstrate a newly stocked inhaler device so patients can use it correctly first time. |
| How I learned it | Online course. | Watched the manufacturer's device demonstration, then practised with a training device and a colleague. |
| Benefit to people using the service | Better patient care. | When a patient collected the new device, I walked through each step, asked them to repeat it back, and noted they had been unsure about a step beforehand. |
Example 1: a planned entry (community pharmacist)
Illustrative example, not a GPhC-approved record.
- What did you plan to learn? I wanted to improve how I explain a newly stocked inhaler device, because several patients had told me they found the instructions leaflet confusing.
- How did you plan to learn it? I set aside an hour to watch the manufacturer's training video, read the patient information leaflet line by line, and practise a demonstration with a training device with a colleague acting as the patient.
- How has this benefited the people using your services? When a patient collected the device for the first time, I used a step-by-step demonstration and asked them to show me back. They corrected one step they would otherwise have missed, and I now use the same approach for other devices.
It names no patients and no pharmacy, and has no filler about "keeping up to date".
Example 2: a planned entry (pharmacy technician)
Illustrative example, not a GPhC-approved record.
- What did you plan to learn? How our dispensary logs and reviews near-miss incidents, because I had been recording them inconsistently.
- How did you plan to learn it? I read our near-miss standard operating procedure, asked the superintendent's team how the monthly review works, and sat in on one review meeting.
- How has this benefited the people using your services? I now record the same details every time. At the next review the team spotted two similar look-alike errors on one shelf, and we moved the stock apart.
Example 3: an unplanned entry
Illustrative example, not a GPhC-approved record.
- Describe an unplanned event or activity that enabled you to learn something new or refresh your knowledge. A patient asked whether they could take their regular medicines normally while travelling across time zones. I was not sure of the best advice, so I checked the product information and a reputable clinical reference, then rang the patient's prescriber's practice pharmacist for a second view.
- How did this benefit the people using your services? I gave the patient a written timing plan for the trip. I also added a note to our shared pharmacy folder so colleagues can find the same sources.
Unplanned entries work best when the trigger is real and recent. Jot it down the same week, while you still remember what you checked and what you changed.
Peer discussion and reflective account: what to record
The GPhC's peer discussion guide says you are not required to record the details of what was discussed. The record should focus on how the discussion changed your practice for the benefit of the people using your services, the suggestions you put into practice, and your peer's name, role, organisation and contact details, which needs their consent. Do not include identifiable patient information.
Illustrative peer discussion extract, not a GPhC-approved record: "My peer, a GP practice colleague, suggested I keep a short log of medicines queries from the surgery. Since then I have noticed three queries about the same repeat item and raised it with the practice, who changed the repeat template."
For the reflective account, the GPhC announced that from 1 January 2026 you can reflect against any of the nine standards for pharmacy professionals, and that this applies to accounts submitted on or after that date. The GPhC FAQs ask for a brief description of your work area and typical service users, plus real examples, without naming your workplace.
Illustrative reflective account extract, not a GPhC-approved record: "Standard 3 asks me to communicate effectively. In our pharmacy many patients collect several medicines at once. I realised I was giving everyone the same explanation, so I began asking what they already knew first. That shortened some conversations and uncovered gaps in others."
Habits that make records easier to write
- Note things as they happen. The GPhC says you can note revalidation activities throughout the year, in myGPhC or elsewhere, then transfer them.
- Write after you have applied the learning. The benefit line is the hardest part. If you have not yet used what you learned, wait.
- Use AI carefully. The GPhC's statement on AI in revalidation says AI can help with things like checking grammar or reviewing a record, but it is not appropriate to use AI to create full revalidation submissions. You remain accountable for what you submit, and misuse can lead to records failing or further action.
Quick reference
| Record | How many per year | What the GPhC asks you to cover |
|---|---|---|
| CPD (planned) | At least 2 of the 4 CPD records | What you planned to learn, how, and the benefit to people using your services |
| CPD (unplanned) | The other CPD records can be planned or unplanned | The unplanned event or activity and the benefit to people using your services |
| Peer discussion | 1 | How the discussion changed your practice, your peer's details |
| Reflective account | 1 | Your practice area and service users, with real examples, against any of the nine standards |
Frequently asked questions
How long should a CPD entry be?
The GPhC pages we checked do not set a word count or format. Aim for enough detail that someone who does not know your workplace could see what you learned and what changed.
Do I have to record CPD hours?
The GPhC's revalidation requirements are expressed as records, not hours, and the FAQs we checked do not mention a required number of hours.
Who reviews my records?
If your records are selected, the GPhC says a pharmacy professional and a lay reviewer assess anonymised copies together. Feedback can take up to six weeks, and if you meet the criteria your records will not be reviewed again for two years.
Can I write entries before the renewal window opens?
Yes. According to the GPhC, you can complete revalidation activities at any time during your registration year, and you can start next year's entries once your current records have been successfully submitted for review.
Where to go next
Treat the GPhC's own sector examples as your yardstick, and use the examples here only to see the shape of a good entry. For related guides, browse the Learnsignal CPD hub.
This article is general information, not regulatory, legal or compliance advice. Always check current requirements with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
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