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CPD Organisers

AMTRA encourages third parties to provide CPD for SQPs – but all CPD must be accredited by AMTRA in advance in order for it to be counted against the CPD requirements for individual SQPs.

Frequently Asked Questions for CPD organisers

(See also the FAQ for SQPs.)

AMTRA encourages third parties to provide CPD for SQPs – but all CPD must be accredited by AMTRA in advance in order for it to be counted against the CPD requirements for individual SQPs.

1. What has changed in the new CPD period?

  1. The scope of what can be accredited by AMTRA as CPD has been broadened: training or learning that is of benefit to an SQP in the performance of their duties will generally be accredited. CPD that matches the “old” criteria will be awarded 8 points per hour; other relevant CPD will be awarded 4 points per hour.
  2. Distance learning is more actively encouraged. In addition to webinars and the like (which are regarded as seminars in the same way as physical events), greater credit is given to distance learning written or audiovisual material, tested by multiple choice questions. There is now no maximum number of points that may be counted from distance learning (though a minimum of 15 points must be gained from seminars).
  3. Passing relevant Further Education or Higher Education courses will be allowed to contribute towards an SQP’s points target at the rate of 1 point per educational credit.
  4. Points targets are adjusted:
     
    R-SQP: 80 points [up from 70]
    G and K-SQPs: 60 points [up from 50]
    E and L-SQPs: 50 points [no change for E-SQPs; up from 30 for L-SQPs]
    J and C-SQPs 30 points
     
  5. Veterinary nurses and pharmacy professionals who are also SQPs may meet 50% of their AMTRA CPD target through certified attendance at non-AMTRA-accredited events which are CPD for their other profession and which the individual asserts as relevant to their SQP role.

2. How does the process work?

  1. You apply for accreditation in advance on the accreditation application form (May 2011 or subsequent).
  2. If the seminar or distance learning is accredited, then AMTRA will advise you of the number of points awarded and a reference number which you should quote in future correspondence with AMTRA.
  3. You must advise AMTRA at least 14 days in advance of the first occurrence of a seminar (location, date and time), and continue to advise AMTRA of further occurrences at least 14 days in advance.
  4. After the event(s), you provide AMTRA with the details of SQPs who attended

3. What if my seminar or distance learning has already been accredited in the previous CPD period?

Any content you have had accredited for the CPD period to June 2011 which you’d like to continue using, must be reaccredited for the next period from July 2011. This should normally be a formality as anything meeting the old criteria would be accredited under the new rules, though consideration should be given to whether any material needs to be updated. However, the points awarded may differ, and we will confirm a title for your content and a reference number which we will ask you to quote when you correspond with AMTRA.

4. How do I apply for accreditation?

Send AMTRA a completed accreditation application form – please use the new form dated May 2011 (or subsequent). Since AMTRA must be notified at least two weeks in advance of any accredited events, then an application must be submitted an absolute minimum of two weeks in advance.

However, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit much earlier. Some applications are rejected and later accepted following amendments – it is therefore sensible to allow time for that process, otherwise a planned event may not be accredited. SQPs planning to attend will want to be confident that AMTRA accreditation has been gained, and may also ask how many CPD points will be awarded. Since accreditation typically takes one to three weeks, applicants are encouraged to apply six weeks in advance.

Brief additional guidance on completion of the application form is provided in "Notes for CPD Providers".

5. What content will be accredited?

The AMTRA CPD Accreditation Panel will be looking for quality seminars relevant to the role of the SQP.

CPD will normally be awarded either 8 or 4 points per hour, or where a longer event includes a number of sections, a mixture of the two ratings may be applied. Some events may have sections which are not regarded as accreditable CPD – points will then normally be awarded for the remainder of the event.

CPD achieving at least a “good” rating on at least two of the following five criteria, considered in the context of an SQP’s role, will be awarded 8 points per hour.

  • Veterinary medicines legislation and controls
  • Life cycles, prevalence and effects of parasites and pathogens
  • Control of disease by management, treatment and advice
  • Active ingredients and dosages of medication
  • Resistance or pharmacovigilance

Other quality CPD relevant to the role of the SQP will be awarded 4 points per hour.

Material which is overtly promotional, or judged by the AMTRA Accreditation Panel not to be of the nature of CPD or in other ways not appropriate will not be awarded points. The decision of AMTRA is final, but applicants may submit an amended application.

Information on particular veterinary medicines may be included where relevant and educational. Normally overview of the full range of options available, including non-medicinal options, should be included. Interpretation of this paragraph will depend on the context, including the number of medicines available in a relevant market segment. (Companies may, of course, accompany accredited CPD with non-accredited content.)

6. What about webinars or other remote access seminars?

AMTRA will accredit webinars or other means of accessing seminar-like content in the same way as a conventional seminar provided that appropriate processes are in place to offer reasonable assurance that those claiming attendance did participate throughout.

7. What about distance learning?

Distance learning is accredited where supported by multiple-choice questions (“quizzes”).

Normally each block of ten multiple-choice questions will be accredited with 1 CPD point.

There should normally be at least three answers per question (except for occasional true/false questions); questions/answers should not be deliberately misleading; and answers must require some thought and effort by the reader – the reader must learn from the article, it should not simply be a ‘tick box’ exercise.

Additionally, an extra point may be awarded for relevant text of between 1000 and 2000 words, or 2 extra points for 2000-4000 words or 3 extra points for 4000-6000 words. Material longer than this should include additional multiple-choice questions.

Where supportive material is audiovisual or interactive, then the applicant should estimate and justify the duration of the learning.

SQPs must gain at least 80% in the multiple choice questions to be awarded the CPD points. The CPD organiser will be expected to mark the questions and submit the CPD points achieved to AMTRA on the standard Excel spreadsheet also used for seminars.

8. Do I need to have settled on precise content when I apply?

No. First, it is not AMTRA’s intention to try to evaluate the detail of what you intend to present, merely that your seminar is appropriate for accreditation.

Second, while we encourage provision of as much detail as possible at the time of application, you may submit written material and presentations etc. within a week after the event. In such circumstances, the accreditation and points award is provisional pending receipt of such documents.

There is therefore benefit in including presentations at the time of application because it gives certainty to the accreditation award, but it is not essential.

9. Why do I need to advise AMTRA 14 days in advance?

All CPD seminars (including webinars) must be open to random visits from an AMTRA CPD Assessor. AMTRA must therefore be advised at least 14 days in advance of any accredited event taking place. Such visits or participation are not charged by AMTRA, and must be facilitated free of charge to AMTRA.

Should any concerns arise from such visits, then AMTRA will discuss them with the CPD provider. The AMTRA Council has agreed that only in exceptional circumstances will an unsatisfactory audit result in points not being allocated to SQPs for the seminar in question, but rather that the provider’s accreditation for future events (including those in the very near future) may be withdrawn pending further consideration.

10. How do I advise AMTRA of dates of seminars?

Please send:

  • Agreed name of seminar including AMTRA reference number
  • Location
  • Date and time

to info@amtra.org.uk as soon as possible and in any case 14 days before the event.

11. How do the points from attending get onto the SQP’s record?

Seminar providers must submit information on those attending, including their name and SQP number, to AMTRA in the standard AMTRA format. Provision of the information in this format is a condition of accreditation.

Details of the standard format are provided in the "Notes for CPD Providers".

Providers are strongly advised to keep a signed attendance register in case of any queries about who attended, and to retain this for two years after the event.

Providers should provide AMTRA with information on attendees or completers of distance learning as soon as possible. If information is missing after a month, AMTRA will direct enquiries from SQPs back to the CPD provider in question.

12. Will AMTRA promote my seminar or quiz?

AMTRA is very keen to make SQPs aware of as many CPD options as possible.

CPD organisers may ask AMTRA to include their seminar(s) or provide information about their distance learning on the AMTRA website once accredited.

AMTRA may also, at the request of the CPD provider, provide information about seminars or quizzes to SQPs via email (which can include subsets such as geographically or type of SQP qualification). AMTRA will also look favourably on requests to circulate printed material (at cost) on behalf of CPD providers.

13. Can AMTRA help in any other way?

AMTRA will provide on request information to help CPD providers target their activities, such as information on numbers of SQPs in particular areas, and numbers of SQPs of the various types who have not yet met their CPD minimum targets or who have yet to attend a seminar.

AMTRA will not provide names and addresses of SQPs to CPD providers, but as described above we are happy to communicate on your behalf to SQPs.

This page last updated 15/11/2011