Continuing Stability in Continuing Education Numbers

The popularity of online professional development courses remains strong, a trend solidified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Armin Hoffmann, President of the Federal Chamber of Pharmacists, recently communicated that the educational offerings from pharmacy chambers and associations continue to see consistent participation, which reflects their high quality.

In 2024, pharmacy chambers organized a total of 2,188 continuing education events, supplemented by 416 additional sessions from pharmacy associations. Together, these efforts reached approximately 202,000 participants, marking a 3.5% increase compared to 2023. This figure represents the third highest attendance recorded, following 223,000 participants in 2021 and 219,000 in 2022.

Additionally, the Federal Chamber of Pharmacists assessed participation in around 1,850 courses offered by external providers, with 43% of these programs accredited in advance by the chamber. This includes the complimentary educational offerings provided by the Pharmaceutical Journal's PZ Academy. Notably, there has been an increase of 26% in accreditation applications compared to the previous year.

These statistics highlight the commitment of pharmacists to their professional development, a requirement mandated by their professional regulations. Recently, the German Society for Pharmacy and the Foundation for Drug Safety jointly urged pharmacy chambers to enforce continuing education requirements more rigorously.