A strong IIOP CPD cycle answers each stage's question in your own words and stays on one topic: how you identified the need, your plan (what, how, when, with what help), what you actually did, what you learned, and the impact on your practice, including next steps. A certificate on its own does not meet the standard, and patient-identifiable details stop an extract being reviewed.
Key points
- The IIOP ePortfolio records CPD in five stages, and a cycle can begin at Self-Appraisal, Develop a Personal Plan or Action.
- Manual reviewers check only the written content against six yes/no questions. They do not judge your clinical competence or whether your actions were clinically correct.
- For 2026/27 your extract needs at least four cycles created in 2026 (or up to the end of the submission period), and at least one must start from a self-assessment against the Core Competency Framework, the Code of Conduct or another competency framework.
- The counts for need-identification methods, resource types, impact types and CCF domains apply to the extract as a whole, so you plan the set of cycles, not each one in isolation.
- Weak entries are usually one-line actions, "I learned a lot" learning stages and impact stages that never say what changed.
- Patient or colleague-identifiable information means the cycle or extract will not be reviewed.
What are the five stages of the IIOP CPD cycle?
Pharmacists in Ireland do not collect CPD points. The PSI describes the model as portfolio-based and self-reflective, "not based on a traditional CPD points or accumulation of contact hours". The legal backbone is Rule 8(2) of the PSI CPD Rules 2015, which requires CPD to be "systematic, self-directed, needs-based and outcomes-focussed". The CPD cycle is how you show those four qualities in writing. Those rules sit under section 7 of the Pharmacy Act 2007, which gives the PSI the function of ensuring that pharmacists undertake appropriate CPD, and since the 2025 amendments a new Rule 10(3) requires every pharmacist to submit prescribed extracts of their ePortfolio for review annually, unless exempted by the Council due to extenuating circumstances.
Each cycle in the IIOP ePortfolio has a title, a start date (the date the learning took place) and up to five stages. In manual review, the reviewer asks one question per stage. Reviewers do not assess your competency, check clinical accuracy or validate whether an action was appropriate.
| Stage | What the ePortfolio asks you | Manual review question (must be "yes") |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Appraisal | How did you identify the need? Which CCF domains and competencies will you focus on? | Are the ways your learning needs were identified described? |
| Develop a Personal Plan | What actions will you take, how and when, and what resources or help will you need? | Is the plan for learning described? |
| Action | What did you do, including anything different from the plan? Which resources did you use? | Are the actions taken described? |
| Document your Learning | What did you learn, including new knowledge and skills? Supporting files are optional. | Is what was learned described? |
| Evaluate Impact on Practice | What did you learn about yourself and your practice, and what impact will it have? | Is the impact on practice described (which may include future actions)? |
A sixth question applies to the whole cycle: is the content of each stage relevant to the cycle's overall topic? All descriptions must be in your own words, and duplicated cycles are disregarded. The bar is clarity and relevance, not literary reflection or a perfect clinical outcome.
Which stage should a PSI CPD cycle start at?
When you create a cycle you pick a "Start at Stage" option: Self-Appraisal, Develop a Personal Plan or Action. The IIOP recommends starting at the first available stage and working through to the end.
Planned, needs-led learning
You spotted a gap first, from a framework self-assessment, an issue at work or a new role. Only this route can satisfy the framework-origin standard.
The need is already obvious
Useful when the need is a given, such as a new service your employer introduces. There is no Self-Appraisal stage to assess.
Unplanned learning
You attended a webinar or meeting and learned something worth recording. Two of the IIOP's five sample cycles start here, both built around an IIOP webinar.
Unplanned cycles are legitimate, but an extract made up only of them cannot meet the 2026/27 standards, because at least one cycle must start at Self-Appraisal following a framework self-assessment, and the count of different ways of identifying learning needs is taken from the Self-Appraisal stage. As a habit, start most cycles at Self-Appraisal and keep Action-start cycles for learning that genuinely arrived unannounced.
PSI CPD cycle example, stage by stage: weak vs strong
A hypothetical community pharmacist works through a planned cycle on near-miss dispensing errors. Each stage shows a weak entry (one that leaves a reviewer unable to answer "yes") and a stronger one, with notes. The strong versions are deliberately ordinary: real work, plain sentences.
Cycle title: Learning from near-miss dispensing errors in our pharmacy
Start at stage: Self-Appraisal · Pharmacist: hypothetical community pharmacist, not a real person or case
I want to improve my dispensing accuracy. Errors are very important for patient safety.
When I completed a self-assessment against the Core Competency Framework in March, I rated myself lowest on "Contributes to continuous quality improvement and risk management". Around the same time our team logged several near misses involving different strengths of the same medicine. We were recording them, but I could not say what we had changed because of them. I want to learn how to review near misses for patterns and turn them into practical changes.
Ticked: Completing self-assessment against the Core Competency Framework · Managing an issue which arose during my work. Domains: Organisation and Management Skills; Pharmacy Care.
- Says how the need was found, using two triggers, which also helps the extract-wide count of identification methods.
- Names a real CCF competency, so this cycle can count towards the framework-origin standard.
- No patient, prescription or colleague detail.
Do some reading and an online course.
Over the next eight weeks I will: complete an online course on medication safety by the end of April; reread our pharmacy's near-miss procedure and go through the last 12 weeks of our near-miss log looking for patterns; ask the supervising pharmacist for time at a team meeting to agree one change; and recheck the log a month after any change. I will need two protected hours away from the counter, access to the log, and my manager's agreement to raise it at the meeting.
- Covers the three elements the IIOP lists for this stage: the actions, how and when they will happen, and the resources or help needed.
- Builds in a later check for the Evaluate stage to report on.
Completed the course. Certificate attached.
In April I completed a three-hour online course on medication safety and error prevention. I then grouped the 12 weeks of near-miss entries by type; most involved selecting the wrong strength where two strengths sat side by side on the shelf. Different from my plan: rota changes meant there was no full team meeting, so I shared the findings in two short huddles instead. We agreed to separate the two strengths and add a shelf alert.
Learning: structured, but not accredited. Resources: Print/On-line Continuing Education program · Discussion with colleagues.
- Records what was done and what differed from the plan, which is exactly what the Action prompt asks.
- The IIOP states that a certificate or course agenda alone will not meet the standards, because it does not show your own reflection.
- Two resource types count towards the extract-wide minimum of three.
I learned a lot about errors and how to prevent them. Very useful course.
I learned that a near-miss log only reduces risk if someone regularly reviews it for patterns; until now we had used it as a record, not a tool. Sorting entries by type took under an hour and made a repeated problem visible that no single entry showed. I also learned something about myself: I had avoided raising the shelf layout because it felt like criticising colleagues. Framing it as a system issue rather than a personal one made the conversation easy.
- Specific learning (knowledge and a skill) rather than a verdict on the course.
- The self-insight is honest and modest.
This will improve patient safety in the pharmacy going forward.
Four weeks after the shelf change, the log showed no further near misses between those two strengths. The period is short, so I will keep checking. I now review the log at the end of each month and bring one pattern to the team, and I have shown two colleagues how to group entries. Next, I want to look at near misses at the hand-out stage, which I will plan as a separate cycle.
Impact: Modified existing practices · Shared information with colleagues.
- Describes an observable change and a future action, which the IIOP says this stage may include.
- Does not overclaim: a short-term result is reported with its limits.
- The next step seeds a new cycle instead of padding this one.
The strong version has no model headings, no word target and nothing that could identify anyone. The IIOP's own sample cycles vary widely in length, from a one-sentence Action stage to learning stages several sentences long, and the IIOP says they are not intended to be indicative or directive. Length is not the test; answering the question is. The samples, the standards and the step-by-step guides are all on the IIOP's ePortfolio support resources page. If near misses are a genuine need for you too, a course on medication safety and error prevention could serve as the Action stage, but only alongside your own review of your pharmacy's log.
Want structured practice before January?Our PSI ePortfolio course walks through identifying needs, recording evidence and showing impact, with prompts you can adapt to your own cycles.
See what's coveredUnplanned learning CPD cycle example: starting at Action
Action-start cycles have only three stages, so each carries more weight. The common failure is to describe the event and stop. Here is a hypothetical cycle after an unplanned webinar on health literacy.
| Stage | Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Watched a webinar on health literacy. | I joined a one-hour live webinar on health literacy that a colleague forwarded. Afterwards I tried the "teach-back" approach it described with three patients collecting new medicines that week. |
| Document your Learning | Interesting and relevant to practice. | I learned that asking "Do you have any questions?" may not surface a misunderstanding, whereas asking the patient to explain back how they will take the medicine does. I also realised I use terms such as "twice daily with food" that some people interpret differently. |
| Evaluate Impact on Practice | Will use this in future. | I now use teach-back for every new medicine I counsel on. In one of the three conversations it showed a patient planning to take a dose at the wrong time, which we corrected. Next, I want to rewrite our standard counselling phrases into plainer language with the team. |
Resources: Live Continuing Education program. Impact: Improved care for patient · Improved my confidence. Domain: Personal (Communicates effectively).
Every stage stays on one theme and the patient example carries no identifying detail. If you have a lot to say about why the topic mattered to you, the cycle probably belonged at Self-Appraisal. Where a webinar like this exposes a wider gap, you could follow it with a planned cycle built around patient-centred communication skills for healthcare professionals.
How many CPD cycles do you need in your ePortfolio extract?
Every submitted extract is first checked automatically by the ePortfolio against the System-Based Standards. For 2026/27 these require a minimum of four cycles, created in 2026 including up to the end of the submission period, with at least one originating from a self-assessment against the PSI Core Competency Framework, a self-reflection on the Code of Conduct or a self-assessment against another competency framework. The Standards also set a minimum number of cycles started at Self-Appraisal, which the Ready Reckoner checks for you.
The IIOP notes that these counts apply to the submitted extract as a whole, not to individual CPD cycles. So plan the four cycles together for variety. One way to do it:
| Cycle | Starts at | Need identified by | Resource types | Impact types | CCF domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Near-miss errors (above) | Self-Appraisal | CCF self-assessment; issue at work | Online CE programme; discussion with colleagues | Modified existing practices; shared information | Organisation and Management Skills; Pharmacy Care |
| 2. Being open with patients after an error | Self-Appraisal | Self-assessment against the Code of Conduct | Journal / articles | Improved my confidence | Professional |
| 3. New service in the pharmacy | Self-Appraisal | A change in my work | Live CE programme; attending meeting(s) | Improved care for patient | Pharmacy Care |
| 4. Health literacy webinar (above) | Action | Not applicable | Live CE programme | Improved care for patient; improved my confidence | Personal |
Across the set this gives four identification methods, four resource types, four impact types and four domains, with two framework-origin cycles, without stretching any single cycle. Before submitting, the Ready Reckoner on your ePortfolio Dashboard shows a green light for each standard you meet and a red light for any you do not. Only completed cycles can be submitted, so close each one with "Complete Cycle" well before the window.
Tick what is true, then write to match
Tick-boxes drive the system check; the text drives manual review. If you tick "Shared information with colleagues", say in the Evaluate stage what you shared.
How to link a CPD cycle to the Core Competency Framework and Code of Conduct
The Core Competency Framework was first published in 2013, and an updated version was approved by the PSI Council in December 2022. Version 2 has five domains (Personal, Professional, Organisation and Management Skills, Pharmacy Care and Public Health), 22 competencies and 107 indicative behaviours.
The Code of Conduct (Professional Principles, Standards and Ethics for Pharmacists) sets out seven principles: put the patient first, act professionally, communicate effectively, work with others, show leadership, maintain competence, and be open and honest. To create a framework-origin cycle, start at Self-Appraisal, tick the matching option for how you identified the need, and describe in the text box how the self-assessment pointed you to it.
Weak framework link
"I did the CCF self-assessment and chose Pharmacy Care." The domain is named, but nothing explains which competency or why it is a need for you.
Strong framework link
"Against 'Practises legally and ethically' I could not confidently explain how I would tell a patient about a dispensing error, which the 'be open and honest' principle expects. That became this cycle."
Doing the self-assessment itself well is a separate skill; our guide to PSI Core Competency Framework self-assessment works through the domains with rating prompts. For a Code of Conduct cycle like the strong example, ethics and ethical standards for pharmacists applies the Code's seven principles to dispensing errors, commercial pressure and confidentiality.
Common CPD cycle mistakes that fail manual review
Patient or colleague information
The policy lists examples of what must not appear: patient names, DPS numbers, prescription copies, receipts, vaccination records and photographs. An extract with a confidentiality breach will not be reviewed, and the IIOP warns this may lead to a Standard Not Met outcome. Describe the type of situation, never the person.
Leaving a certificate to speak for you
Upload certificates for your own records if you like, but a certificate or agenda alone does not show reflection. If you upload one and want to stay anonymous for review, the IIOP advises removing your name first.
Copying wording between cycles or colleagues
Descriptions must be in your own words and duplicated cycles are disregarded. The policy states that where similarities between cycles cannot be explained by shared learning, plagiarism will be suspected, and evidence of plagiarism must be reported to the PSI Registrar.
Drifting off topic between stages
A need about controlled drug records followed by learning from an unrelated vaccination course fails the relevance question, even with every stage filled in.
Writing the impact as a wish
"This will improve patient care" describes a hope, not an impact. Say what you now do differently, or what you plan to do and when.
If your reflection tends to stay at the descriptive level, our course on reflective writing using Gibbs, Rolfe and Johns covers those models. The IIOP does not require any model, but one can help you move from "what happened" to "so what". If a plagiarism or other CPD concern has already been referred to the PSI, our guide to PSI remediation courses for pharmacists explains where structured reflection fits.
What happens after you submit your ePortfolio extract?
For 2026/27 the first submission period opens on Monday 18 January 2027 and closes on 31 January 2027; extracts are then checked against the System-Based Standards, with feedback and a second window in February for anyone who falls short. Manual review of up to 5% of the cohort (capped at 450 extracts) follows the second window, and most outcomes are emailed in May 2027.
Reviewers do not see your name; extracts are identified by a review number, and the extract is not shared with the PSI. Your ePortfolio itself is private: the IIOP cannot see cycles until you submit them. The 2024/25 review involved 1,391 pharmacists, and 98% met the required standard.
Who must submit, exemptions and outcomes are covered in our guide to the PSI ePortfolio Review 2027, and the wider picture is on our PSI CPD requirements for pharmacists page. In short, the PSI says the Council can propose refusing an application for continued registration where a pharmacist does not engage in ePortfolio Review; our comparison of annual registration renewal in Ireland sets out how continued registration works for pharmacists and other professions.
CPD cycle checklist before you submit
These mirror the IIOP's own self-check questions, plus the confidentiality and extract-level points above.
Recording our courses honestly
The certificate is evidence for your records; the cycle text is what shows your learning. The same applies to any of our online CPD courses for pharmacists and other Irish health professionals.
Courses to build cycles from
Each can become the Action stage of a needs-led cycle, if it matches a need you identified.
PSI ePortfolio: Evidence, Reflection and Review
- Get your IIOP ePortfolio ready for annual review from 2027
- Identify needs, record evidence and reflect
- Show the impact on practice
Reflection for Fitness to Practise
- Write reflection that shows insight, not excuses
- Use Gibbs, Rolfe and Johns
- Build a reflective portfolio
Medication Safety and Error Prevention
- Safety checks from prescribing to monitoring
- Spot errors and near misses
- Report and reflect after an incident
Professionalism and Professional Standards for Pharmacists
- Apply the seven PSI Code principles
- Dispensing, errors, documentation and governance
- Includes reflection and a certificate
Check the current IIOP and PSI requirements before relying on any learning for ePortfolio Review.
The near-miss example above is the sort of cycle that a course such as Medication Safety and Error Prevention can support, but only as one action within a cycle you plan around your own practice. For a regulator-by-regulator view of CPD rules, see CPD courses for Irish health professionals.
Frequently asked questions
How long should each stage of an IIOP CPD cycle be?
The IIOP sets no word count. Its sample cycles range from a one-sentence Action stage to learning stages several sentences long, and it says the samples are not intended to be indicative or directive. Write enough to answer the stage's question clearly in your own words; for most stages that is a few specific sentences.
Can I submit CPD cycles I created before 2026?
Not towards the 2026/27 minimum. The 2026/27 System-Based Standards require at least four cycles created in the current year, 2026, including cycles created up until the end of the submission period. Older cycles stay in your ePortfolio as your own record.
Is a course certificate enough evidence for a PSI CPD cycle?
No. The IIOP states that attaching a certificate of completion or a course agenda alone will not meet the Manual Review Standards, because it does not show your own reflection. You can still upload certificates for your records, removing your name first if you want to stay anonymous for review.
Do I have to use a reflective model such as Gibbs in my cycles?
No. The IIOP's standards ask you to describe how you identified the need, your plan, your actions, your learning and the impact on practice. A reflective model can help you think, but headings from a model are not required and do not replace answering each stage's question.
Can I describe a patient case in a CPD cycle?
You can describe the type of situation, but nothing that identifies the patient or a colleague. The IIOP CPD Review Policy lists examples such as patient names, DPS numbers, prescription copies, receipts, vaccination records and photographs, and an extract with a confidentiality breach will not be reviewed.
Can a colleague and I write up the same course in the same way?
You can both record the same course, but each description must be in your own words. The policy says plagiarism will be suspected where similarities cannot be explained by shared learning experiences, and evidence of plagiarism must be reported to the PSI Registrar. Your learning and impact stages should reflect your own practice.
Will the reviewer judge whether my clinical decisions were right?
No. The IIOP states that manual reviewers check only the written content against the Manual Review Standards. They do not assess competency, check clinical accuracy or validate whether an action was appropriate.
Can I edit an IIOP CPD cycle after marking it complete?
Yes. The IIOP Guide to the ePortfolio says completed cycles can be reopened, and cycles can also be abandoned or reactivated. Only completed cycles can be submitted for ePortfolio Review, so make sure any reopened cycle is completed again before you submit.
Official sources used in this guide (20)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, CPD Review Policy for Pharmacists 2026-27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, ePortfolio Review Standards 2026/27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, How to Meet the Manual Review Standards 2026-27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, How to Meet the CCF, Code of Conduct and Other Competency Framework Standard 2026-27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a New CPD Cycle (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, Sample CPD Cycles (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, A Guide to the IIOP ePortfolio (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, ePortfolio Review Timeline 2026-27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, What is ePortfolio Review? 2026-27 (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, ePortfolio Review Glossary of Terms (2026)
- Irish Institute of Pharmacy, ePortfolio and ePortfolio Review support resources (2026)
- Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 553/2015 Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2015 (2015)
- Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 508/2025 Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) (Amendment) Rules 2025 (2025)
- Law Reform Commission, Pharmacy Act 2007 section 7, revised (current)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, About CPD for Pharmacists (2026)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, ePortfolio Review Process (2026)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, Core Competency Framework (2026)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists, Version 2 (2022)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, Code of Conduct: Professional Principles, Standards and Ethics for Pharmacists (2019)
- RCSI, Annual Report 2024-25: Irish Institute of Pharmacy (2025)
Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm current requirements with your regulator or scheme.