RULES RELATING TO CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
The Health Professions Council of South Africa intends, in terms of section 26 read with section 15B of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974), to make the rules set out in the Schedule.
SCHEDULE
DEFINITIONS
1. In these rules "the Act" means the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974), and, unless inconsistent with the context-
"board" means the Professional Board for Medical Technology established by Government Notice No. R. 75 of 16 January 1998;
"continuing professional development" means the continuing education and training referred to in section 26 of the Act and prescribed in terms of these rules.
REQUIREMENTS
2. Any medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician whose name on
1 April 2002 appears on the register of medical technologists, medical technicians or supplementary medical technicians kept in terms of section 18 of the Act, shall be required to comply with the conditions of continuing professional development laid down in these rules from the following year which shall be a prerequisite for such medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician to retain his or her registration in terms of the Act.
3. Any person who, after 1 April 2002, registers for the first time in terms of the Act as a medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician in any category of independent practice or public service, shall be required to comply with the conditions of continuing professional development laid down in these rules from the following year, which shall be a prerequisite for such medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician to retain his or her registration in terms of the Act.
4. Any person whose name had been erased from the register of medical technologists, medical technicians or supplementary medical technicians shall be subject to compliance with any condition (s) which the board may specify prior to the restoration of the name of such practitioner to the relevant register.
5. For the purpose of continuing professional development, every medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician shall, as from 1 April 2002, be required to accumulate at least 50 points within any one year on the following basis:
(1) a minimum of 25 points shall be accumulated in any one year;
(2) a maximum of 75 points shall be accumulated in any one year, provided that any points accumulated during one year in excess of 50 points may be forwarded to the subsequent year only.
Provided that, if the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician does not accumulate the prescribed minimum of 25 in any one year, he or she shall be permitted to obtain the required points in the subsequent year.
6. The 50 points prescribed in rule 5 shall be accumulated by way of different educational or developmental activities accredited by the board in any of the following categories of activities:
(1) Organisational activities;
(2) Small-group activities;
(3) Individual activities;
(4) Any other activities or category of activities which the board may accredit from time to time.
7. In complying with the requirements no more than eighty 80% of points may be obtained in any one category.
8.1 In complying with the requirements, at least one point per annum shall have to be obtained by every practitioner in professional ethics.
8.2 During any one year a maximum of 5 points may be obtained in other health related activities.
9. Deferment of compliance with the requirements of continuing professional development may only be granted by the board on application to individual practitioners on submission of adequate reasons and subject to such requirements as the board may determine.
10. In the event of a medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician not complying with the conditions specified in these rules within the prescribed period of time, the board may impose any one or more of the following conditions, namely-
(a) grant the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician deferment;
(b) require the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician to follow a remedial programme of continuing education and training as specified by the board;
(c) require the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician to write an examination as determined by the board;
(d) register the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician in a category of registration which will provide for supervision regarded as appropriate by the board;
(e) erase the name of the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician from the relevant register;
(f) register the medical technologist, medical technician or supplementary medical technician in a category of registration which will provide for non-clinical registration