The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7377 p653
26 November 2005

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Keep new ethics code simple, says the CCA

Simplicity should be central to the planned revision by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of its Code of Ethics, the Company Chemists Association has said.

In its response to a consultation process (PDF, 50K) started by the Society last month (PJ, 8 October, p466), the CCA says that the revised code should confine itself to a statement of core principles. These should apply to pharmacists and technicians alike, and should be accompanied by appropriate explanation where necessary. Standards of performance expected of all practising pharmacists, not just those providing patient care, should be set out in a supplementary document. The code should not blindly follow related medical codes but should be based on the same four principles — beneficence, non-malificence, autonomy and justice — put in plain English.

In its response, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee says that practice standards need to be fully reviewed to reflect changes brought about by the new NHS community pharmacy contract.