Pharmacy professionals are the interface between patients and pharmacy services. This unique position holds great responsibility and requires robust standards of practice. In Great Britain, the General Pharmaceutical Council is responsible for the regulation of pharmacy professionals. They have developed a framework of standards which describes the competencies, behaviours and skills required by pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and students to operate as effective pharmacy professionals.
In essence, these standards describe how pharmacy professionals should behave within their role to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care. It is important that these standards are read and understood by all pharmacy professionals, they can be found on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s website. There are nine standards set out by the General Pharmaceutical Council which we will summarise below to give an overview of what is expected of a pharmacy professional.
Provide Person-Centred Care
This standard is in place to ensure that patients’ wellness, safety and dignity is at the centre of all decisions made. ‘Person-centred’ care is used rather than ‘patient centred’ as it is inclusive of other persons who may be involved in a patient’s care. Pharmacy professionals must be mindful of the person’s needs and adapt appropriately to deliver the highest standard of care.
They can do this by obtaining informed consent, listening to and respecting patient views and respecting different cultures and religions. Pharmacy professionals must engage in self reflection to become aware of any personal bias and strive not to impose these biases on others.
Work in Partnership with Others
Teamwork is key for pharmacy professionals to deliver care effectively. It is the duty of pharmacy professionals to work with each other, social workers, health officials and other healthcare professionals in order to optimise patient care. Within the pharmacy team everyone must actively make an effort to work harmoniously, openly communicating with each other and with the person receiving care.
Communicate effectively
A requirement of operating as a competent healthcare provider is effective communication. Working in a pharmacy setting requires constant communication between staff, patients, care providers and other professionals. It is extremely important that pharmacy professionals can adapt their communication methods. This can be achieved by actively listening, understanding and questioning the person receiving care or their care provider. This allows pharmacy professionals to overcome communication barriers.
Maintain, develop and use their professional knowledge and skills
The world of pharmacy is ever evolving with the constant development of new therapies, drugs and medical devices. It is imperative that pharmacy professionals remain up to date in all areas of their professional knowledge long after they have qualified. This requires the pharmacy professional to reflect on their own practice, identify gaps in their knowledge and update their knowledge and skills accordingly. This practice is known as continuous professional development (CPD).
Use Professional Judgement
Pharmacy professionals make ethical decisions every day. These can range from simple to complex in nature. As every person has different clinical needs, the amount of scenarios that can arise on a daily basis in a pharmacy setting is immense.
Pharmacy professionals must exercise their professional judgement in all cases. This means acting in the patient’s best interest while also abiding by the laws and regulations of pharmacy practice. A pharmacy professional should only practise when fit to do so and where they feel they have all the information required to deliver an exceptional standard of care.
Behave in a Professional Manner
Working as a pharmacy professional puts you in a position of responsibility. People who use pharmacy services put complete trust in pharmacy professionals. To maintain this trust pharmacy professionals must act in a compassionate, respectful and honest manner.
As a pharmacy professional you are welcomed into a profession which holds itself to high standards. You must take on the responsibility of maintaining these standards by acting in a professional manner at all times.
Respect and Maintain the Person’s Confidentiality and Privacy
Respecting and maintaining patient confidentiality is one of the key cornerstones of pharmacy practice. Pharmacy professionals are the guardians of vast quantities of extremely personal information. This spans from maintaining patient records to respecting confidentiality at the pharmacy counter. It is vital that pharmacy professionals maintain the bond of confidentiality both in the workplace and outside it.
Speak Up
Human error is an inevitability. The processes that allow a pharmacy to operate are optimised to minimise error. Pharmacy professionals need to create an environment where people are encouraged to speak up after an error has occurred and also in the case where processes can be improved and errors prevented.
A pharmacy professional should be confident, encourage others, challenge poor practices and be honest when an error occurs. If an error does occur, it should be appropriately documented and reviewed by all staff and processes should be adjusted to minimise the risk of the same error occurring again.
Demonstrate Leadership
It is important for pharmacy professionals to develop strong leadership skills. This can involve leading by example, encouraging others and taking responsibility. A good pharmacy leader will work effectively with others, solve problems and contribute to training where appropriate.
References
General Pharmaceutical Council, May 2017, Standards for pharmacy professionals, accessed 19 February 2023, <https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/sites/default/files/standards_for_pharmacy_professionals_may_2017_0.pdf>
