CPD for GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists

General Practitioners

CPR is a high-level requirement of the RACGP CPD Program: specialist GPs must complete a CPR course once every triennium. The current triennium runs 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. This is an RACGP requirement rather than something mandated by the Medical Board of Australia.

The RACGP requires a CPR course of at least one hour that meets Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines. Our HLTAID009 CPR course runs 1.5 hours, includes defibrillator (AED) training and is consistent with current ARC guidelines.

CPD is no longer measured in points. Since 1 January 2023, under the Medical Board of Australia's CPD registration standard, it is measured in hours, and CPR courses count towards the Educational Activities CPD type — so you log the hours you spend on the course there.

The annual requirement

50 hours a year, made up of:

• 12.5 hours of educational activities
• 25 hours reviewing performance and measuring outcomes, with a minimum of 5 hours of each
• 12.5 hours of your own choosing

You also need a Professional Development Plan, and the time spent preparing and reviewing it counts towards the 50 hours.

You self-record through your CPD home — for most GPs that is the RACGP's MyCPD. The CPR high-level requirement is reported in the final year of the triennium. There is no unit that allocates points for you, so keep your statement of attainment as your own evidence.

Nurses and Midwives

The NMBA does not specifically mandate first aid or CPR for registration, but many employers require current CPR or basic life support as a condition of the role — and the training counts towards your CPD either way. Check your employer's policy for what they require and how often.

You need a minimum of 20 hours of CPD per registration period. If you have held registration for less than 12 months, pro rata hours apply.

CPD for nurses and midwives is self-directed and self-recorded: you log the hours yourself against your own CPD record, with a short reflection on how the learning applies to your practice. Your statement of attainment is the supporting evidence.

No association allocates PD points to nurses. The obligation to record CPD is yours, and the framework is measured in hours rather than points. If your professional association provides a CPD log you are welcome to use it as a tool, but recording remains your responsibility.

The NMBA recommends keeping evidence of your CPD for five years, in case you are audited.

Pharmacists

Our courses are nationally recognised units of competency and are formally assessed, which places them in Group 2 — knowledge or skills improved with assessment, at 2 credits per hour. The online workbook forms part of the same assessed unit as the practical session, so the whole course attracts Group 2 credits, not just the time in the room.

You need a minimum of 40 CPD credits each CPD period, with at least 20 of those credits coming from Group 2 or Group 3 activities. The CPD year runs 1 October to 30 September.

• Group 1 — information accessed without assessment — 1 credit per hour, capped at 50% of your annual total
• Group 2 — knowledge or skills improved with assessment — 2 credits per hour
• Group 3 — quality or practice improvement facilitated — 3 credits per hour

You record and track your own CPD. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia explains how at psa.org.au/cpd/about-cpd.

Which course should I do?

• CPR — HLTAID009, 1.5 hours, $45
• Provide First Aid — HLTAID011, 3 hours, $95
• Childcare First Aid — HLTAID012, 3.5 hours, $115

Provide First Aid (HLTAID011) includes the CPR unit, so you do not need to book both. A short online learning component is completed in your own time, then one hands-on practical session at Level 5, 8 Quay Street (Prince Centre), Haymarket NSW 2000. Your nationally recognised statement of attainment is issued the same day you attend.

CPD requirements are set by your registration and can change. Check the current requirements with your board or CPD home — the details above are a guide, not advice.

Common questions