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FAQ

For Pharmacists interested in CPD

Why do I need to subscribe to MortarKnowledge?
All pharmacists are fairly diligent when it comes to staying abreast of the latest developments in pharmacy. The South African Pharmacy Council however, has shown their need for us to comply with this life-long learning activity through the promulgation of a new Regulation relating to Continued Professional Development of Pharmacists. So whether you want to do it yourself, or use MortarKnowledge, it still remains the law with which you as a pharmacist need to comply.

MortarKnowledge acts as your sophisticated recording tool more than anything else. It saves you time typing up all the prerequisites as defined within the Regulation pertaining to CPD, without taking away your autonomy.


What makes MortarKnowledge different from other CPD programmes?
MortarKnowledge is a hybrid between an electronic database of all your completed CPD activities, and a durable, aesthetically pleasing and professionally designed Portfolio file wherein you can file all your documentation you need to print after each activity has been completed. In this way, you have a very professional, up-to-date CPD Portfolio when Council knocks on your door and request you to provide your Portfolio of evidence of CPD.

What happens when my Portfolio gets lost?
The MortarKnowledge Team will at an additional fee, compile your entire Portfolio for you from the first, to the most recent activity you have completed and courier it to you within five working days. We provide you with complete peace of mind.

Why do I have to spend time on CPD at all?
On the 6th May 2011, Regulations to the Pharmacy Act, Act 53 of 1974, were published relating to Continuing Professional Development for Public Comment. Since no amendments have been published since, the Regulations are now enacted, which means that it is law for a pharmacist to conduct CPD in a certain manner as required by the SAPC, and produce evidence thereof when so requested by the Council to be assessed.  

Most of us are also tutors and during the time your learners complete their course, your tutorship may expire, or your training facility registration might expire, requiring you to re-register which involves a pharmacy inspection among other requirements. A prerequisite of such inspection is the presentation of evidence of CPD activities conducted by the tutor. Not all pharmacists may know this, but tutors could be disciplined by the SAPC if the Council has found that the tutor has been negligent with his/her re-registration by not keeping evidence of regular CPD activity and as a result thereof, has cost their learners additional time before they are allowed to register as Basic- or Post-Basic Pharmacist's Assistant.


How long will an activity take me to complete?
If your are diligent, scrutinise the planning phase, speed read the article and focus on the synopsis provided, you will have retained adequate knowledge to be able to complete the multiple questionnaires. Alternatively, you could search for your own research material pertaining to your specific scope of practice, study it and write a synopsis thereof as proof of what material has been studied, evaluate yourself on your knowledge gained, and reflect on your experience, whilst having to record, in other words, writing and reporting on each step you have taken. MortarKnowledge assists in all of these steps and saves you the effort of physically writing reports to record your activity. You have therefore done the essential part of obtaining and assimilating knowledge and critically evaluating it. The Reports are produced by your interventions on the MortarKnowledge system.

You decide which alternative will take the most effort and time...

Can I fail the competency test?
No. At present Council is interested only in compliance. Competence may follow in due course. However, there is such a thing as professional pride...

Will the SAPC allow this? Is this programme accredited?
Each step of the four phases of record keeping the SAPC required from a pharmacist to execute in order to be compliant with the process of CPD for a pharmacist, is incorporated into MortarKnowledge. Some of the fields are pre-populated, but with each step total freedom is given to the pharmacist to de-select any statement made and insert whatever statement he / she feels is necessary to be included.

With regards to accreditation, MortarKnowledge is a CPD tool. Think of it as your Windows Word™ processor to write a letter with additional templates you can choose.

How do I know that MortarKnowledge's CPD's is on par clinically or academically?
The developers of these activities, although all highly qualified with years of training experience, have opted to select relevant and interesting topics that us mere mortals as pharmacists also can understand and enjoy at the same time.

What do I do if I have attended a CPD session?
The Planning Phase has been modified slightly so that you can complete your own CPD session and after answering a few simple questions, an Activity Report is printed together with the necessary other documentation and most important of all, it is stored in our data repository, so that seven years down the line, we can still produce the information for you.

What will it cost me?
R 2 000 per month. S Buys Wholesale Customers qualify for discount. Discount is also available for employer groups enrolling more than 10 people annually.


For potential e-learners

How do I subscribe to MortarKnowledge?
Close cooperation between your employer and partners of the e-Learning platform of MortarKnowledge will identify areas of development and develop a course for you to complete. You will be kept informed via Email of all developments and important dates well beforehand.

If you have come across this service and wish to take part in its courses, simply pre-register and a representative of MortaKnowledge will be in contact shortly to initiate the process. MortarKnowledge primarily focuses on the worlds of Supply Chain Management and Pharmacy related training including a dispensing course for healthcare professionals. We will tailor-make a training course for you within these spheres, wherever you are, as your training will be guided through the e-Learning platform. What are you waiting for? Pre-register!     

What happens when I fail my first test?
Not reaching the minimum required competency level (70%), you will simply be requested to re-do a new multiple choice questionnaire. This will carry on until you have reached the minimum required level of competency. Once reached, the system will allow you to commence to the following learning module.

Can I choose which Learning Module to do first?
Yes you may, if your course consists of more than one module.

Am I going to write a final exam once I have completed all the e-Learning
Modules?

Yes. It is called a summative assessment and will include questions from all the modules you have completed. The level of difficulty remains the same.

The same requirement of 70% competence will be required of you in order to successfully complete your course. You may repeat your summative assessment multiple-question test as many times as needed to reach the required 70% standard.
  
Finally, once you have successfully completed your summative assessment, you will receive an official certificate from MortarKnowledge for the e-Learning course you have successfully completed. It is a certificate to be cherished as it represents all the effort and hours you have put into completing the modules of the course, which are all on a standard internationally recognisable by other educational institutions.

What will this e-Learning cost me?
Before you start with the course, MortarKnowledge and your employer will have already negotiated the costs involved and MortarKnowledge will be paid by an organization other than yourself. Additional prerequisites negotiated between you and your Employer for the privilege to complete this course, is of no concern to MortarKnowledge, nor will we ever get involved in such matters.

How long will this course take me?
Before you start your course, the course lay-out, its content and modules will be communicated through to you. A fair time period will be allowed, which will be determined by the MortarKnowledge Team beforehand, taking the amount of modules which defines the contents of your course, into account.

What will happen to me if I do not complete the Module in the allowed timeframe?
MortarKnowledge reserves its right to  terminate your access to the e-Learning platform and inform your employer as agreed to, or alternatively at its absolute discretion allow an additional time period in exceptional circumstances, and also then only if your Employer also agrees with MortarKnowledge in this regard. 

If I don't understand a concept, how can I get assistance from MortarKnowledge?
You may either send an Email from the MortarKnowledge Site containing your question for clarity on a certain aspect, or directly Email your question or request to info@mortarknowledge.co.za directly.

Alternatively, you may phone one of the MortarKnowledge Assessors during its business hours which are from 08:00AM - 16:00PM CAT.

The telephone numbers to be used are:

+27 18 788 2102/2103 


Where can I post an official document for the attention of MortarKnowledge  to?
You can mail any document to the following postal address:

S Buys Business Park
New S Buys Group Head Office
Private Bag X2057
Carletonville
2500
South Africa