The term portfolio is derived from the Latin words portare (“to carry”) and folium (“medium for writing upon”).  There are several definitions of portfolios in the dictionary and published literature, which are often context specific.  An artist's portfolio will consist of a collection of drawings and paintings, whereas an investor's portfolio may include stocks, shares and properties.  A definition that is more appropriate for pharmacy practitioners is “A structured collection comprising labelled evidence and critical reflection on that evidence, produced as part of a process of learning to show evidence of that learning”.  The word cloud opposite summarises key words proposed by students from a previous cohort of this programme.

They can demonstrate progression and advancement and be used formally (e.g. providing evidence of competence against a framework) as well as for developmental purposes.  Portfolios should be used life-long to gather evidence for appraisals and help plan future career development.