We’ve all felt it, that sense of being stuck, unsure of what’s next.
Maybe it hit you in school during a tough pharmaceutical chemistry lecture. Maybe it crept in when you had to choose a place for your student internship or decide which area of pharmacy to specialize in.
You might even be feeling it right now: that foggy in-between space where everything feels uncertain and no clear direction stands out.
Here’s the hard truth: it won’t sort itself out. The pharmacy profession is evolving, fast. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it here in Nigeria, new roles, technologies, and specializations are shaping pharmacy into something more dynamic than we are used to. And if you want to stay relevant, confident, and fulfilled in your career, you need to keep learning, consistently and intentionally.
And that’s exactly what this post is here to help you with, a practical guide to CPD for pharmacists in Nigeria.
Understanding CPD: The Right Approach to Lifelong Learning
The best way to stay relevant in today’s fast-moving world, and to stop that feeling of drifting without direction, is by committing to deliberate learning. That’s what Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is all about.
It’s not just a requirement for license renewal; it’s a mindset. A habit. A way of building a career that evolves with the times.
In simple terms, CPD is how pharmacists stay sharp. It means continuously updating your knowledge and skills so that you’re not stuck relying only on what you learned in school (which, let’s be honest, won’t be enough for long).
Whether it’s new drug therapies, tech in healthcare, or expanding patient care roles, things change, and CPD helps you keep up.
The CPD Cycle Explained: Reflect, Plan, Learn, Evaluate, Apply
CPD isn’t just about attending a random seminar once a year and calling it a day. To actually benefit from it, there’s a simple but powerful cycle:
- Reflect – Where are you right now? What are your knowledge gaps? What do you need to get better at?
- Plan – What do you want to achieve? Choose relevant goals and learning opportunities.
- Learn – Take action. Attend that training, read that guideline, take that course.
- Evaluate – What did you learn? Did it meet your goals?
- Apply – Put your new knowledge or skill to work in real life. That’s where growth happens.
Traditional CPD vs. a More Practical Approach
Too many pharmacists treat CPD like a formality, something to just get out of the way so they can renew their license. That’s the traditional approach, and it doesn’t do much for your actual development.
A more practical and honestly, smarter approach is to make CPD personal and intentional. Choose activities that actually improve your ability to do your job, solve real problems, and open up new career options. It’s about using CPD to build competence, not just fulfill compliance.
How to Achieve CPD Properly: Staying on the Right Track
Now that you get what CPD is and why it matters, let’s talk about how to actually do it, without the stress or confusion.
The Traditional Route: Structured CPD for Pharmacists
You’ve probably heard of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) program by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).
It’s the one most pharmacists engage with because it’s required for license renewal. But here’s the thing; it doesn’t have to be “just another box to tick.” If you approach it with intention, you can actually gain something useful from it.
Don’t sleep on smaller, more focused opportunities either. Workshops, clinical updates, or hospital trainings, especially those organized by Young Pharmacists Group (YPG) or even your own workplace—can give you practical, hands-on learning that applies directly to what you do daily.
Beyond Pharmacy: Exploring Other Skills & Interests
Here’s where things get interesting.
CPD doesn’t have to be limited to traditional pharmacy topics.
What if you’re curious about public health, regulatory affairs, or health tech? What if you’ve got an interest in medical writing, pharmaceutical marketing, or even entrepreneurship?
That’s all valid CPD.
Let’s say you take an online course in digital health tools, or you start learning how to use data analysis in patient care, or maybe you begin writing health-related content. That counts, as long as it’s helping you grow professionally and apply those skills.
CPD can open doors beyond just community or hospital practice. You’re not boxed in. Think big.
Take Ownership of Your Growth
CPD isn’t just something you have to do, it’s how you take control of your career. Whether you’re sticking with clinical pharmacy or exploring new paths, growth depends on learning. Pick one CPD resource today and get started. Your future self will thank you.
What do you think about this blog post, let me know your thoughts in the comment below. You can also comment on something you’d like to read in the future.
The writer of this article is a Lagos YP; Samuel Odifa.