Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a system of ongoing education and qualification enhancement for healthcare professionals throughout their entire careers. The accumulation of CPD credits confirms that a specialist regularly updates their knowledge, participates in training, conferences, workshops, courses, and other educational activities.

Below is a detailed overview of CPD credit requirements for different categories of healthcare professionals.

FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

(physicians, pharmacists, and other university-educated healthcare specialists)

🔹 Minimum annual CPD credits

Healthcare professionals are required to earn at least 50 CPD credits per year. This means that during the year, a specialist must participate in educational activities that allow them to accumulate the required number of credits.

🔹 Qualification validation from 2029

Starting from 2029, to confirm the professional qualification stated in:

• a specialist certificate, or
• a higher education diploma (for professions without residency or specialization requirements),

a total of at least 250 CPD credits over the certification period will be required.

🔹 Advancement in qualification level

If a professional standard includes multiple qualification levels, progression to the next level may require more than 250 CPD credits.

📅 Transitional period (2026–2028)

If certification is resumed during this period, temporary requirements will apply.

For healthcare professionals (except physicians):

• 2026 — at least 100 CPD credits
• 2027 — at least 150 CPD credits
• 2028 — at least 200 CPD credits

For physicians:
During 2026–2028, a total of at least 250 CPD credits over the certification period is required.

FOR MID-LEVEL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

(nurses, paramedics, and other specialists with professional junior or technical higher education)

🔹 Minimum annual CPD credits

This category must earn at least 30 CPD credits per year.

🔹 Requirements from 2029

Starting from 2029, to confirm the qualification stated in:

• a specialization completion certificate, or
• a professional junior or higher education diploma,

a total of at least 150 CPD credits over the certification period is required.

Professional standards may also require more than 150 CPD credits to obtain a higher qualification level.

📅 Transitional requirements (2026–2028)

If certification is resumed, the minimum CPD credits will be:

• 2026 — 60 credits
• 2027 — 90 credits
• 2028 — 120 credits

⏱️ Early certification option

If a healthcare professional accumulates the required CPD credits earlier, they are eligible to apply for certification for the next qualification level before the standard 5-year period.

However, there is a limitation:
applications cannot be submitted earlier than 3 years after the assignment of the previous qualification or level.

📌 Conclusion

The CPD system is aimed at the continuous updating of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and skills. Regular accumulation of credits helps maintain professional competence, confirm qualifications, and supports career development within the healthcare sector.