Standards and Values of Pharmacy Profession

5. Standards and Values of Pharmacy Profession

Students Learning Tasks

By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:

Define profession

Explain standards of pharmacy profession

Explain core values of pharmacy profession

Definition of Profession

Professions are dynamic; a definition is static. This makes any definition of a profession temporary from the very start. A generally recognized definition can, however, serve as a basis for a description of professionalism which takes into account the permanent factors

whilst at the same time looking ahead to the development of the profession.

A frequently used definition of (the medical) ‘profession’ is that of Cruess and Cruess (2004):

Profession: an occupation whose core element is work based upon the mastery of a complex body of knowledge and skills. It is a vocation in which knowledge of some department of Science or learning or the practice of an art founded upon it is used in the service of others. Its members are governed by codes of ethics and profess a commitment to competence, Integrity and morality, altruism, and the promotion of the public good within their domain. These commitments form the basis of a social contract between a profession and society, which in return grants the profession a monopoly over the use of its knowledge base, the right to considerable autonomy in practice and the privilege of self-regulation. Professions and their members are accountable to those served and to society.

The above definition emphasizes autonomy in practice. The practice of every professional,

and therefore also that of the pharmacist, comprises four components

Meet a social need or necessity within the practice;

A clear stance regarding the responsibility of the individual professional for meeting the social needs

The expectation to work in the patient’s interest

A requirement to work within the healthcare paradigm.

Standards of Pharmacy Profession

Purpose of standards: Ensure that a learner possesses relevant competencies to undertake the roles and services described in his/ her scope of practice

Assist in the development of education and training and development e.g. inform development of initial curriculum; assist providers in identifying learning outcomes; use as a self- assessment tool to evaluate their own level of competency; assist employers and learners to identify ongoing training and development needs

Assist the individuals to facilitate their continuing professional development (CPD) e.g. a tool for all to use to assess their own practice.

The Competence Standards for the Pharmacy Profession consist of seven standards. Supported by professional codes of ethics, competence standards describe the skills, attitudes and other attributes (including values and beliefs) attained by an individual based on knowledge and experience. They specify the application of that knowledge and skills to the standards of performance required in a practice setting. Together they enable the individual to practice effectively as pharmaceutical personnel. The value of competence standards rests with their capacity to support and facilitate professional practice and growth, in the interests of public safety.

The seven broad areas of competency are:

Practice Pharmacy in a Professional and Culturally Competent Manner

Contribute to the Quality Use of Medicines

Provide Primary Health Care

Apply Management and Organization Skills

Research and Provide Information

Dispense Medicines

Prepare Pharmaceutical Product

STANDARD 1

Practice Pharmacy in a Professional and Culturally Competent Manner

The Pharmacy Council recognizes that cultural competence, clinical competence and ethical

Conducts are integral to professional pharmacy practice. Professionalism is encompassed by a set of attitudes, knowledge and skills based on clinical competence, communication skills, ethics, societal and legal requirements resulting in the application of behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to excellence, respect, integrity, empathy and accountability. This standard outlines these responsibilities which apply to all pharmacists, regardless of their pharmacy practice.

Cultural competence is the ability to interact respectfully and effectively with persons from a background that is different from one’s own. It goes beyond an awareness of or sensitivity to another culture to include the ability to use that knowledge in cross-cultural situations, and includes the development and implementation of processes, procedures and practices that support the delivery of culturally competent (appropriate) services.

Clinical competence, as expected of a pharmacist, is the application of knowledge and skills to ensure the safe and quality use of medicines to optimize health outcomes.

Ethical conduct, as described in the Pharmacy Council Code of Ethics, is the expression of those principles and values that underpin the pharmacy profession

STANDARD 2: Contribute to the Quality use of Medicines

This competence standard covers the role of the pharmacist in promoting the quality use of

medicines within an environment of professional pharmaceutical care. The Pharmacist’s role

includes selecting, recommending, monitoring and evaluating medicine therapy as part of a health care team. Rational medicine use refers to the evidence-based selection, monitoring and evaluation of medicine therapy in order to optimize health outcomes.

STANDARD 3: Provide Primary Health Care

This competence standard concerns the role of the pharmacist in encouraging and assisting people to take responsibility for their own health. Primary health incorporates holistic care of patients including attention to lifestyle, diet, health promotion, illness prevention, referral and the supply of non-prescription medicines, therapies, diagnostic and therapeutic aids. This involves the pharmacist in treatment, referral and education

STANDARD 4: Apply Management and Organization Skills

This competence standard covers the organization and management skills common to all

pharmacists. It encompasses the ability to deal with contingencies in the workplace as well as routine work.

STANDARD 5: Research and Provide information

This competence standard covers the role of the pharmacist in providing health-related information to other health professionals, patients and the public. The pharmacist’s role includes finding, interpreting, and evaluating, compiling, summarizing, generating and disseminating information, for the purpose of optimizing medicine related health outcomes.

STANDARD 6: Dispense Medicines

This competence standard covers the supply of Prescription Medicines and Pharmacist Only

Medicines, including extemporaneously compounded products. The dispensing process includes all actions and responsibilities of the pharmacist from receipt of a prescription, medicine order or patient request through to counselling the patient about the use of the medicine.

STANDARD 7: Prepare Pharmaceutical Products

This competence standard covers the preparation of pharmaceutical products in community and hospital pharmacies.

Core Values of Pharmacy Profession

Society expects pharmaceutical personnel to be aware of, and to act and demonstrably behave according to the core values of the profession.

The core values are:

Commitment to the patient’s well-being

Pharmaceutical expertise

Social responsibility

Reliability and care

Professional autonomy

Short illustrations of the core values:

Commitment to the patient’s well-being

Every pharmacist is directly or also indirectly involved in the patient’s well-being: as a direct care provider, as a compounder or developer of medicines or within the Educational sector or regulations.

Pharmaceutical expertise

Like any other professional, the pharmacist also has specific expertise and competences that he can use to provide the best possible service to society. The expertise is related to the pharmacist’s specific knowledge domain. It systematically and frequently maintained.

Social responsibility

This core value emphasizes that the pharmacist’s actions are efficient and transparent not only for the individual patient but also for society, and that the pharmacist feels a sense of responsibility for the social consequences of his actions.

Reliability and care

Medicines in general are powerful substances. They can be highly effective, but at the same time unsafe. The quality assurance of the pharmacist’s actions must therefore be beyond doubt. The pharmacist is aware of the consequences of carelessness during both the development and use of medicines as well as with respect to the confidentiality of all he learns in his professional practice.

Professional autonomy

The autonomy of the pharmacist stands in an independent relationship with that of other care providers, healthcare insurers and the patient’s right of self-determination. The pharmacist is responsible for his decisions and adheres to the frameworks established by society. He ensures the pharmaceutical judgment whilst maintaining a balance between commitment to the patient and the socially responsible course of action.

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