New Packaging Dynamics Professional (PDP) Certification Program!
We’re excited to announce that, beginning in July, ISTA’s Certified Packaging Laboratory Professional (CPLP) will be transitioning to a continuing education model under the new designation of Packaging Dynamics Professional (PDP)! This new opportunity will provide a learning experience that is both content and experience driven resulting in a broader reaching and more valuable program for our community both inside and out.
Stay tuned! The rollout of the new PDP Certification program will coincide with a revamped and improved learning platform!
Obtaining Initial PDP Certification
The new Packaging Dynamics Professional (PDP) certification program will replace the current CPLP certification. In order to obtain PDP certification, participants will be required to complete an improved and expanded set of modules surrounding the following topics:
- PDP 101 Principles of Distribution Packaging
- PDP 201 Atmospheric & Compression Hazards in Transit
- PDP 202 Shock & Drop Hazards in Transit
- PDP 203 Vibration Hazards in Transit
- PDP 204 Test Laboratory Operations & Instrumentation
- PDP 205 Test Procedures & Enhanced Simulation Testing
Additional Educational Courses
ISTA will also continue efforts to build out an expanded list of additional educational courses that can be completed for credit towards recertification. Current additional content offerings include:
- Responsible Packaging by Design (RPbD)
- BioPharma Cold Chain 101
- User Requirement Specifications (URS) to Operational Qualification (OQ)
- Introduction to Distribution Environment Data Collection & Analysis
- Distribution Environment Data Analysis: Data Collection
- Distribution Environment Data Analysis: Vehicle Vibration
- Distribution Environment Data Analysis: Shock Impact & Drop
CPLP to PDP Transition Plan
A transition plan to the new PDP certification has been developed for members currently certified at the CPLP Technician and Technologist levels. The new PDP certification has only one certification, so the following plan addresses both current CPLP Technicians and Technologists:
- Certification – CPLP Technicians will need to take PDP modules to get their PDP certification by the time their CPLP term expires. Technologists transfer their CPLP certification to a PDP certification and qualify for recertification as noted below.
- Re-certification – Re-certification will now be based off a point system for employment, participation on ISTA boards, councils and workgroups.
- Lifetime Certification – Lifetime Packaging Dynamics Professional (LPDP) status may now be achieved after 12 years of certification. Current CPLP Professionals will be automatically converted to LPDP status.
- Student Certification – Students will take a subset of the content for their student certification (Principles of Distribution Packaging). They will take the remaining content to certify when their 3-year student certification expires (or they decide to do so sooner) to get full certification.