PSI Core Competency Self-Assessment: Rate All 22

Quick answer

To self-assess against the PSI Core Competency Framework, first decide which of its 22 competencies apply to your role, then rate each one using the indicative behaviours and a recent example as evidence. Pick two or three low-rated, high-impact areas, and record at least one as a CPD cycle starting at Self-Appraisal, ticking the CCF option and describing how you found the need.

Key points

The framework in force is version 2 (December 2022): five domains, 22 competencies and 107 indicative behaviours written in the first person.
Rule 8(3) of the PSI CPD Rules 2015 requires you to self-assess your learning needs regularly, having regard to the framework.
For 2026/27 ePortfolio Review, at least one of your four cycles must come from a self-assessment against the CCF, the Code of Conduct or another competency framework, and your cycles must cover at least two CCF domains.
Ticking the CCF box is not enough on its own: you must also describe, in your own words, how you identified the need.
The behaviours are indicative, not a checklist. Where they do not fit your role, you can show the competency in other ways.
Pharmacists restoring after six months or more off the register upload a separate self-assessment using the PSI's restoration tool.

What is the PSI Core Competency Framework 2022?

The PSI first published a Core Competency Framework for pharmacists in 2013. That edition had six domains: Professional Practice, Personal Skills, Supply of Medicines, Safe and Rational Use of Medicines, Public Health, and Organisation and Management Skills. After a public consultation that ran from 21 July to 18 August 2022, a revised framework was approved by the PSI Council in December 2022.

The current document is labelled version 2 and dated December 2022. It is built in three layers: domains (broad areas of responsibility), competencies (activities or processes within each domain) and indicative behaviours, written as "I" statements that show how a competency may be demonstrated.

The five domains and 22 competencies of the 2022 framework
Domain	Competencies	Behaviours
1. Personal	1.1 Demonstrates leadership; 1.2 Confidently makes sound decisions and solves problems; 1.3 Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships; 1.4 Communicates effectively	21
2. Professional	2.1 Applies a 'person-centred' approach; 2.2 Practises legally and ethically; 2.3 Commits to lifelong learning and development; 2.4 Adapts to change and innovation; 2.5 Commits to evidence-based practice	22
3. Organisation and Management Skills	3.1 Manages self; 3.2 Manages within the workplace; 3.3 Manages resources and finance; 3.4 Contributes to continuous quality improvement and risk management	22
4. Pharmacy Care	4.1 Manufactures and compounds medicines; 4.2 Manages the medicines supply chain; 4.3 Dispenses, supplies and administers medicines; 4.4 Provides patient consultations and counselling; 4.5 Reviews and manages medicines; 4.6 Leads for safety; 4.7 Provides medicines information and education	35
5. Public Health	5.1 Participates in population health initiatives; 5.2 Engages in health promotion activities	7

The framework describes the competencies expected in the first 0 to 3 years of registration, but the PSI says it also guides CPD throughout a career. The consultation report confirms the behaviours are "indicative examples, rather than an exhaustive list", and notes new behaviours on environmental impact, personal wellbeing and antimicrobial stewardship.

Why do pharmacists have to self-assess against the CCF?

This is not optional good practice. Rule 8(3) of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2015 (S.I. No. 553 of 2015) says every pharmacist "shall on a regular basis carry out a self-assessment of his or her learning needs, having regard to the Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists". Rule 8(4) then requires a learning profile in your ePortfolio detailing the learning you identify. The Rules define the framework as the document "for the time being in force", so today that means the 2022 edition.

The Code of Conduct points the same way. Under Principle 6, "Maintain Competence", you must identify areas where you need to update your knowledge and skills, act on them, document this and apply the learning to your practice.

In practice, self-appraisal is the first of the five stages in the IIOP CPD cycle: self-appraisal, planning, action, documentation and evaluation. The 2026/27 ePortfolio Review Standards turn this into measurable minimums for the extract as a whole:

4CPD cycles created in the current review year

1+cycle from self-assessment against the CCF, Code or another framework

2different ways of identifying learning needs

2CCF domains addressed across your cycles

They also ask for one cycle started at Self-Appraisal, three learning resource types and two types of practice impact. For who must submit and the January 2027 dates, see our explainer on the PSI ePortfolio Review 2027. For the PSI's overall CPD model, start from our guide to PSI CPD requirements for pharmacists.

Step one: which competencies apply to your role?

Before rating, sort the 22 competencies by relevance. The framework tells you to read the indicative behaviours first, with three possible results:

(a) All relevant

Every behaviour fits your role or practice area. Use them as your evidence prompts.

(b) Some relevant

Use the behaviours that apply, and consider other ways you show the competency.

Look for other ways you demonstrate the competency in your work.

The PSI notes that some competencies may no longer apply as pharmacists move into diverse roles or specialise. The consultation report also accepts the framework still leans towards patient-facing practice, since most pharmacists work in those roles. So a pharmacist in regulatory affairs, academia or industry may mark much of Domain 4 as low relevance. That is a legitimate result, not a gap, as long as you can say why.

A change in role, a new service, a new guideline or a recent incident often moves a competency from "background" to "priority".

PSI core competency self-assessment grid: all five domains

The grid below covers all 22 competencies. The prompts are drawn from the framework's own indicative behaviours (numbers in brackets) so you rate against the PSI's wording, not ours. The rating scale is our suggestion. The PSI's 2022 framework does not set a scale, so treat it as a planning aid, not a PSI requirement.

Suggested rating scale

N/A not relevant to my role now · 1 a clear development need · 2 mostly confident, with gaps or weak evidence · 3 confident, and I can point to a recent example. Write the example next to every 2 or 3.

Domain 1: Personal

Competency	Ask yourself	Rate
1.1 Demonstrates leadership	Do I seek and act on two-way feedback (1.1.4)? When I delegate, do I check the scope is fully understood (1.1.6)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
1.2 Sound decisions and problem-solving	Do I know when to refer a decision to a higher level of authority (1.2.2)? Do I document decisions and their rationale (1.2.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
1.3 Collaborative working relationships	Are my handovers at care transitions effective (1.3.3)? Do I know and use appropriate referral pathways (1.3.5)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
1.4 Communicates effectively	Do I check understanding and adapt my style for people with different or additional needs (1.4.2)? Can I resolve conflicts through negotiation (1.4.5)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3

Domain 2: Professional

Competency	Ask yourself	Rate
2.1 Person-centred approach	When a patient declines advice or makes a choice I disagree with, do I still support and advocate for them (2.1.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
2.2 Practises legally and ethically	Am I current on Irish and EU pharmacy and medicines law for my role (2.2.1)? Do I reason through dilemmas in a structured way (2.2.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
2.3 Lifelong learning and development	Do I critically reflect to identify needs (2.3.1), and do I document my learning (2.3.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
2.4 Adapts to change and innovation	Is my digital competence keeping up with the systems and technology in my role (2.4.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
2.5 Evidence-based practice	Can I critically evaluate the reliability of research and literature (2.5.2)? Could I start an audit (2.5.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3

Domain 3: Organisation and Management Skills

Competency	Ask yourself	Rate
3.1 Manages self	Do I prioritise by importance and urgency (3.1.3)? Do I take steps to protect my own wellbeing and resilience (3.1.6)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
3.2 Manages within the workplace	Do I work effectively with supervising and superintendent pharmacists (3.2.3)? Do I mentor colleagues and students (3.2.6)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
3.3 Manages resources and finance	Do I understand how patients are entitled to medicines, including reimbursement schemes (3.3.2)? Do I consider my environmental impact (3.3.4)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
3.4 Quality improvement and risk management	Do I contribute to SOPs (3.4.3) and to audit, using complaint and audit feedback to improve services (3.4.4)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3

Domain 4: Pharmacy Care

Competency	Ask yourself	Rate
4.1 Manufactures and compounds	Am I confident and accurate in pharmaceutical calculations for my role (4.1.2)? Is my GMP knowledge current (4.1.1)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.2 Medicines supply chain	Do I follow procedures for shortages and recalls (4.2.2)? Do I know the extra requirements for exempt medicinal products (4.2.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.3 Dispenses, supplies and administers	Do I review prescriptions for legal validity and therapeutic appropriateness (4.3.2)? Am I trained for the vaccines and medicines I administer (4.3.5)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.4 Consultations and counselling	Do I use a structured consultation approach, mindful of privacy (4.4.2)? Could I give emergency care and first aid if needed (4.4.6)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.5 Reviews and manages medicines	Do I follow evidence-based protocols for medicines reconciliation and reviews (4.5.2)? Do I check any additional monitoring is in place (4.5.4)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.6 Leads for safety	Do I report and learn from near misses and errors (4.6.2)? Do I report suspected adverse reactions and quality defects (4.6.4)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
4.7 Medicines information and education	Do I use appropriate evidence-based sources (4.7.2) and check my audience understood (4.7.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3

Domain 5: Public Health

Competency	Ask yourself	Rate
5.1 Population health initiatives	Do I apply antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention principles and keep up with national guidelines (5.1.4)? Do I signpost to public health resources (5.1.3)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3
5.2 Health promotion	Do I spot and use opportunities for health promotion, and support national and local priorities (5.2.2)?	N/A · 1 · 2 · 3

The prompts sample one or two behaviours per competency. For any competency you rate 1 or 2, read every behaviour in the framework PDF.

How to turn self-assessment ratings into a CCF-based CPD cycle

A full grid will show more gaps than you can work on in a year. Choose two or three, using three questions:

Prioritising your 1s and 2s (our suggested approach)
Question	Higher priority if…
Patient impact	A gap could lead to harm, such as missed monitoring, unsafe handover or a calculation error
Frequency or change	You do it often, or a new role, service or guideline is about to make it routine
Domain spread	It covers a domain your other cycles do not, helping you reach the two-domain minimum

Then record the priority in your ePortfolio. The IIOP's guidance on the CCF standard is specific. Start the cycle at the Self-Appraisal stage. Tick at least one option, such as "Completing self-assessment against the Core Competency Framework". You must also describe how you identified the need in the text box. At the same stage you select the CCF domains and competencies involved. The later stages are Develop a Personal Plan, Action, Document your Learning and Evaluate Impact on Practice.

Illustrative example

A community pharmacist, two years registered, completes the grid. She rates 4.5 Reviews and manages medicines a 2: she does reconciliations but rarely checks that additional monitoring is in place (4.5.4). She rates 3.4 a 1: she has never contributed to an audit (3.4.4). A new service for older patients on multiple medicines is starting.

Her Self-Appraisal text reads: "Assessing myself against the PSI Core Competency Framework, I rated competency 4.5 as partly met. I complete reconciliations but do not consistently confirm monitoring for high-risk medicines, and this will matter more as our new service starts." She ticks the CCF and "change in my work" options and selects Pharmacy Care, 4.5. Her audit gap becomes a second cycle under Organisation and Management Skills, giving her two domains.

The IIOP's published sample cycles follow the same pattern. In one, a pharmacist notes health promotion as an area to focus on after self-assessing against the CCF and selects Public Health, 5.2. To write the remaining stages so they meet the manual review questions, follow our IIOP CPD cycle example with weak and strong entries. To turn a priority into a measurable plan with a supervisor or mentor, see clinical supervision and professional development planning. If a 4.5-type gap involves near misses or high-risk medicines, a course on medication safety and error prevention can be one action within that cycle.

Turning your grid into review-ready cycles?Our PSI ePortfolio course works through identifying needs, recording evidence, reflecting and showing impact on practice.

See what's covered

How often should pharmacists self-assess? An annual rhythm from 2027

ePortfolio Review is moving from a five-year cycle to an annual one, with first submissions under the new system due in January 2027. For 2026/27, the policy includes pharmacists registered before 1 January 2026. It also expands the requirement for self-evaluation having regard to the Core Competency Framework, other frameworks in force and/or the Code of Conduct.

Because cycles must be created in the current review year, a self-appraisal done once and filed away will not carry you. A simple annual rhythm works better:

Early in the year: full grid
Complete the grid, pick two or three priorities and open at least one cycle at Self-Appraisal straight away, while the reasoning is fresh.
Mid-year: quick re-check
Revisit your 1s and 2s. New incidents, feedback or role changes may add a priority or close one.
Autumn: count the standards
Check you have four cycles in progress, at least two domains and two ways of identifying needs. In the 2026/27 timeline, the IIOP contacts included pharmacists in October 2026.
January: submit
For 2027, invitations go out on 18 January and the first submission period closes on 31 January 2027. Remove anything patient-identifiable first: the policy says extracts with a breach will not be reviewed.

PSI restoration self-assessment: the Core Competency Tool

A separate self-assessment applies if you voluntarily cancelled your registration and are applying to restore. The PSI's requirements depend on how long you were off the register:

Time off the register	Self-assessment	Practical training / re-familiarisation
Less than 6 months	Not listed (provide 2 to 3 pieces of CPD from the last 12 to 24 months)	Not listed
6 months to 1 year	Required, uploaded as "Self-Assessment Document"	Not listed
1 to 3 years	Required	At least 2 weeks, unless exempt
More than 3 years	Required	At least 4 weeks, unless exempt

The restoration form is the PSI's "Core Competency Tool for the Purposes of Restoration to the Register". Each statement is rated on a five-point agreement scale from 1 (Strongly Agree) to 5 (Strongly Disagree). There is a Yes/No column for whether remedial action is needed and a column for an anticipated completion date.

Note the two different structures

At the time of review, the tool linked from the PSI restoration page is laid out in the six domains of the 2013 framework, not the five domains of the 2022 version. Complete the tool the PSI asks for. If you are unsure whether an updated tool exists, ask the PSI registration team before you upload. You can still use the 2022 grid above to plan your re-familiarisation learning.

Removal for non-payment follows a different route, with no self-assessment listed for restoration within six months of the fee due date. Our guide to annual registration renewal in Ireland compares how removal and restoration work for pharmacists and the other regulated professions.

Self-appraisal mistakes that weaken a CPD record

Ticking without telling. Selecting "self-assessment against the CCF" with no description of how you identified the need does not meet the IIOP's guidance.
Choosing the topic first. Picking a course and then naming a competency afterwards reads as retrofitted. Let the grid lead.
Every cycle in one domain. Four Pharmacy Care cycles leave you short of the two-domain minimum. Domains 1, 3 and 5 are often under-used.
Copying the behaviour as your description. Manual review asks for your own words. A behaviour number plus your specific situation is stronger than pasted framework text.
Reusing last year's grid. Duplicated cycles are disregarded, and needs change. Re-rate each year.
Including identifiable detail. Patient names, DPS numbers, prescriptions or photos in evidence can stop the extract being reviewed.

If your appraisal surfaces a gap in professional standards rather than clinical skill, such as documentation or handling errors, our course on professionalism and professional standards for pharmacists applies the seven Code principles to those situations. For a 3.4 gap, clinical audit and quality improvement training covers designing and re-running an audit. Where a self-assessment forms part of responding to a PSI concern, our guide to PSI remediation courses explains how structured learning and reflection fit that process.

Your self-appraisal checklist

I am using the 2022 framework (version 2, five domains)
I have marked each of the 22 competencies as relevant, partly relevant or not relevant, with a reason
Every 2 or 3 rating has a recent, specific example next to it
I have used at least one other lens, such as feedback, an issue at work or a change in role
I have chosen two or three priorities using patient impact, frequency and domain spread
At least one cycle starts at Self-Appraisal, with the CCF option ticked and a written description
My cycles together cover at least two CCF domains
No patient-identifiable information appears anywhere in my evidence
I have a date to re-rate next year

Once your priorities are set, you can filter our online CPD courses by regulator and topic to find learning that answers a need you have already described, rather than choosing a course first and fitting the need to it.

Learning that fits your appraisal priorities

Pick learning after you have rated yourself, so the course answers a need you can describe.

2 hrs est. learning

PSI ePortfolio: Evidence, Reflection and Review

Prepares your IIOP ePortfolio for annual review from 2027
Identifying needs, recording evidence and reflecting
Showing impact on practice; 20 questions

See what's covered

You may be able to record them as learning in your ePortfolio where the CPD rules allow; check with the IIOP or PSI if unsure.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Core Competency Framework still valid for CPD?

No. The CPD Rules refer to the framework "for the time being in force", which is the version approved by the PSI Council in December 2022. The one exception to watch is the restoration tool, which is still laid out in the 2013 six-domain structure.

Do pharmacists have to self-assess against all 22 competencies every year?

The Rules require a regular self-assessment of your learning needs having regard to the framework, and the framework lets you set aside competencies not relevant to your role. A quick annual pass over all 22, with a deeper look at relevant ones, is a sensible way to meet that.

Does the PSI give a rating scale for the 2022 framework?

The 2022 framework does not set a rating scale; the N/A to 3 scale in this guide is our suggestion. The restoration tool uses a five-point agreement scale from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

Can I use the Code of Conduct instead of the Core Competency Framework?

For the 2026/27 standard, yes. A cycle created after self-reflection on the PSI Code of Conduct, or after self-assessment against another competency framework, also counts. Only one such cycle is needed. You still need cycles covering at least two CCF domains overall.

I work outside patient-facing pharmacy. Does the framework still apply?

Yes, but you can mark competencies that do not fit your role as not relevant, and show others in different ways. The framework itself allows for this, and the PSI notes some competencies may not apply as pharmacists specialise.

Where do I record the domains I self-assessed against?

In the ePortfolio, at the Self-Appraisal stage you select the CCF domains and competencies. For cycles that do not start at Self-Appraisal, domains are identified at the Evaluate Impact on Practice stage.

Do I upload my self-appraisal grid to the ePortfolio?

The standards look at what your cycles say, not at a separate grid. What matters is the written description of how you identified the need. You can keep your grid as a private working document, and leave out any patient-identifiable details.

Does completing a CPD course meet a PSI competency?

A course is one learning resource in a cycle. The standards also look for a plan, what you learned and the impact on your practice. No course, including ours, guarantees a review outcome.

Official sources used in this guide (18)

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm current requirements with your regulator or scheme.

PSI Core Competency Framework Self-Assessment: How to Rate Yourself