What is the difference between Category 1 and Category 2 for pharmacists?

Under DOH and MOHAP, at least 50% of your 20 annual hours (i.e., 10 hrs) must be Category 1 (formal/accredited activities such as accredited pharmacy CPD courses, conferences, or workshops carrying a DOH accreditation number). The remaining up to 50% can be Category 2 (non-formal: journal reading, peer review, self-study). DHA and SHA do not enforce a formal Cat 1/Cat 2 split.

Why is DHCC different for pharmacists?

DHCC (Dubai Healthcare City) does not have a separate pharmacist CPD category. Instead, pharmacists practicing in DHCC are classified under the Allied Health Professional group. This means DHCC pharmacists follow the allied health biennial CPD requirements (30/2yr for senior grade; 20/2yr for junior grade) rather than a separate pharmacist framework. This is a DHCC-specific classification — DOH, DHA, SHA, and MOHAP all have explicit pharmacist CPD categories.

What CPD activities count specifically for pharmacists?

Category 1 activities for pharmacists include: accredited pharmacy conferences and workshops (with DOH accreditation number), pharmacy-specific certified courses (drug safety, clinical pharmacy, pharmacovigilance), residency or structured professional development programmes. Category 2 activities include: reading pharmacy/clinical journals, peer review of manuscripts, authoring pharmacy publications (10 credits per publication), unaccredited workshops, and health promotion activities relevant to pharmaceutical practice.

Are BLS and ACLS mandatory for pharmacists?

BLS (Basic Life Support) is a mandatory competency prerequisite for pharmacist licensure under DOH and MOHAP. Like all mandatory life support competencies, BLS does NOT count toward your CPD hour total — it is a zero-credit mandatory prerequisite maintained separately from CPD. DHA also requires BLS for pharmacists in their licensing framework.

Can online CPD courses count toward pharmacist CPD?

Yes. Under DHA, 100% of CPD hours can come from online programmes if they are pharmacy-relevant. Under DOH and MOHAP, online courses can be Category 1 if accredited. DHCC caps online CPD at 50% of the 2-year cycle total. SHA has not published a specific online cap.

Do CPD hours carry over to the next year for pharmacists?

No. Under all UAE authorities, CPD hours must be earned within the specific licensure cycle and cannot be carried forward. DHA explicitly prohibits carry-over in §18.8 of their CPD manual. DHCC’s biennial cycle accumulation resets at the start of each 2-year period.

How do I submit CPD evidence as a pharmacist?

Submission portals differ by authority: DOH pharmacists submit through the TAMM platform (tamm.abudhabi.ae); DHA pharmacists use the Sheryan portal (sheryan.dha.gov.ae); SHA pharmacists use the SHA portal (sha.shj.ae); MOHAP pharmacists use the MOHAP portal (mohap.gov.ae); DHCC pharmacists (classified as Allied Health) submit through the MASAAR portal (dhcc.ae). Provsure stores all your certificates centrally so you can export authority-specific reports for any portal.

Do visiting or temporary license holders need CPD?

No. Visiting and temporary licenses in the UAE (typically 3–6 months) have a CPD target of zero. DHA visiting licenses are capped at 3 months, one-time per professional. PQR visiting licenses allow a single 3-month renewal (6 months maximum). You must still maintain mandatory credentials like BLS, but no CPD hours are required during the visiting period. (Source: v4.11 §6.9.)

I’m in a pharmacy residency or structured training programme — do I need separate CPD?

If you are enrolled in an active pharmacy residency or structured professional development programme recognised by your licensing authority, your programme enrolment may fulfil your CPD requirement. DOH awards CPD credits per year of enrolment in recognised programmes (CPD Standard Appendix 1) — keep your programme director’s letter confirming active enrolment, programme name, and dates as your compliance evidence. Check with your specific authority whether your training programme qualifies, as not all pharmacy training programmes carry automatic CPD fulfilment.

UAE CPD Requirements for Pharmacists 2026 — All Authorities

Q: How many CPD hours do UAE pharmacists need per year?

Pharmacists licensed under DOH Abu Dhabi, DHA Dubai, SHA, or MOHAP must complete 20 CPD hours per year. Under DHCC, pharmacists are classified as Allied Health professionals and follow the allied health biennial sub-tier: senior grade (e.g., clinical pharmacist) requires 30 CPD points every 2 years; junior grade (pharmacy technician/assistant) requires 20 CPD points every 2 years.

CPD Requirements by Authority

All five UAE authorities require pharmacist CPD. Note: DHCC classifies pharmacists as Allied Health with a different biennial framework.

Pharmacist requirements are identical to nursing across DOH, DHA, SHA, and MOHAP (20 hours/year)

Authority	Hours / Cycle	Cat 1 / Cat 2	Notes	Cycle
DOH	20 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	70% specialty, 30% general	Annual
DHA	20 hrs / yr	No formal split	70% specialty, 30% general	Annual
SHA	20 hrs / yr	No formal split	No SHA-specific circular	Annual
MOHAP	20 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	70% specialty, 30% general	Annual
DHCC	30 pts / 2yr (senior) or 20 pts / 2yr (junior)	No formal split	⚠️ Classified as Allied Health at DHCC	Biennial (2yr)

Source: UAE authority CPD standards (2024–2025). SHA requirements are based on PQR baseline — no SHA-specific CPD circular has been published to date.

Category 1 and Category 2 by Authority

DOH and MOHAP enforce a strict 50%/50% formal/non-formal balance for pharmacists. DHA and SHA do not enforce a formal split. DHCC requires 50% Cat 1 over the 2-year biennial cycle.

DOH & MOHAP — 50/50 Split Required

✓ Min 10 hrs Category 1 (formal/accredited)
✓ Max 10 hrs Category 2 (non-formal)
! BLS — mandatory but 0 CPD hours

DHA & SHA — No Formal Split

✓ All 20 hrs can be online (DHA §18.5)
✓ No carry-over to next year (DHA §18.8)
— SHA: no published Cat 1/2 guidance

DHCC: Pharmacists Classified as Allied Health

Important DHCC Exception

DHCC (Dubai Healthcare City Authority) does not have a separate pharmacist CPD category. Pharmacists licensed through DHCC are classified as Allied Health professionals and follow the Allied Health biennial sub-tier system, not a dedicated pharmacist framework.

DHCC Senior Grade

30 CPD points / 2yr

Applies to qualified pharmacists in clinical or specialist roles

Min 15 pts Category 1

DHCC Junior Grade

20 CPD points / 2yr

Applies to pharmacy technicians and assistants

Min 10 pts Category 1

Pharmacy-Specific CPD Activity Examples

Not all CPD activities are equal. Here are typical Category 1 and Category 2 examples specific to pharmacy practice:

Category 1 — Formal / Accredited

✓ Accredited pharmacy conferences (with CME number)
✓ Drug safety / pharmacovigilance certification
✓ Clinical pharmacy residency modules
✓ Specialised workshops (oncology, critical care pharmacy)

Category 2 — Non-Formal / Self-Study

→ Reading pharmacy/clinical journals (self-assessed)
→ Peer review of pharmacy manuscripts (2 pts/article, max 10)
→ Authoring pharmacy publications (10 pts each, max 20)
→ Health promotion activities in community pharmacy

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How to Submit CPD Hours

DOH

TAMM platform (tamm.abudhabi.ae) → Healthcare Professional Services

DHA

Sheryan portal (sheryan.dha.gov.ae) → CPD section

SHA

SHA portal (sha.shj.ae)

MOHAP

MOHAP portal (mohap.gov.ae) → License renewal section

DHCC

MASAAR portal (dhcc.ae) → CPD & Licensing (Allied Health section)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕
Counting BLS hours toward CPD — BLS is a mandatory prerequisite, not a CPD activity.
✕
Submitting more than 50% Category 2 (non-formal) under DOH or MOHAP — the hard cap is 10 hrs maximum.
✕
Assuming CPD hours carry over to the next year — they don’t under any UAE authority.
✕
Applying the pharmacist CPD rules to DHCC — DHCC classifies pharmacists as Allied Health, which has a different (biennial) framework.
✕
Mixing up the DHCC sub-tier — confirm whether you are senior or junior grade in the MASAAR portal.
✕
Forgetting that DHA prohibits 100% online only if it exceeds the allowed specialty ratio — specialty relevance still applies.

Calculate Your CPD Gap

Select your licensing authority to see exactly what you still need as a Pharmacist.

Your licensing authority

Total CPD hours completed

Category 1 hours — optional

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Frequently Asked Questions

See also — CPD requirements by authority

Category 1 vs Category 2 CPD — What’s the Difference?

UAE CPD Requirements for Pharmacists (2026)