Pharmacy Practice and Competency Standards

THE PHARMACIST IN CONTEXT

  • Role of pharmacists involves the interplay between medicine, patients, diseases, and societal needs.

SCOPE OF PHARMACY

  • Various domains of pharmacy practice include:
  • Academia
  • Administration
  • Community
  • Consultancy
  • Institutional (hospital)
  • Managed care
  • Manufacturing
  • Research
  • Wholesale

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Understand the pharmacist's roles per the South African Pharmacy Council Competency Standards.
  • Recognize the characteristics of a pharmacist as outlined in WHO's "Nine Star Pharmacist".

COMPETENCE VS. COMPETENCY

  • Competence: Skills and standards attained; focuses on measurement.
  • Competency: Behavioral aspect; centers on how standards are achieved.
  • Competence is task-oriented, while competency reflects individual behaviors.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCY STANDARDS

  • 2006: Initial standards focused on knowledge and skills via a consultative process.
  • 2018: Revised standards aligned with global frameworks for better applicability in South Africa.

RATIONALE FOR COMPETENCY STANDARDS

  • Adapt to changes in pharmacy practice, including technology, legislation, and international trends.
  • Ensure public safety through structured competencies.

STRUCTURE OF COMPETENCY DOMAINS

  1. Public Health
  2. Safe & Rational Use of Medicines and Medical Devices
  3. Supply of Medicines & Medical Devices
  4. Organisation & Management Skills
  5. Professional & Personal Practice
  6. Education, Critical Analysis & Research

AREAS INFLUENCED BY COMPETENCY STANDARDS

  • Education and practice standards impact:
  • Pharmacy curricula development & review
  • Scope of practice for pharmacists
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Job descriptions and evaluations

LEVELS OF PRACTICE FOR PHARMACISTS

  • Entry Level: First 3 years of practice.
  • Intermediate Practice: 3-7 years of practice.
  • Advanced Practice: More than 7 years of practice.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF SAPC COMPETENCY STANDARDS

  • Pharmacists serve as custodians of medicine, responsible for managing and ensuring quality.
  • Provide clinical services including screening, referrals, and health education.
  • Commit to productivity, effective collaboration, and quality pharmaceutical services.

DOMAINS AND COMPETENCIES OVERVIEW

1. Public Health

  • Health promotion, medicine information, advocacy, health economics, epidemic management.

2. Safe and Rational Use of Medicines

  • Patient consultations, counselling, medicine reviews, pharmacovigilance.

3. Supply of Medicines and Medical Devices

  • Therapeutic outcome monitoring, clinical trials, supply chain management, dispensing.

4. Organisation and Management Skills

  • Human resource and financial management, quality assurance, policy development.

5. Professional and Personal Practice

  • Patient-centered care, ethical practices, leadership, self-management.

6. Education, Critical Analysis, and Research

  • Training policies, education provision, gap analysis, research collaboration.

  • The competency standards ensure a structured and systematic approach to pharmacist training and performance, focused on improving public health and safety.