The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7405 p727
17 June 2006

Society summary

Consultation seeks views on draft structure for a new Code of Ethics

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched a consultation on the proposed structure for a new combined code of ethics for the pharmacy profession — covering both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

The consultation was approved by the Society’s Council at the June Council meeting and the consultation paper is being published as a centre pull-out in this issue of The Pharmaceutical Journal. It is also available to download from the Society’s website. The Society hopes to receive a response from members of the public as well as from the profession.

The draft structure of the proposed code has been developed by a working group following an initial six-week consultation in October last year. It is based on a set of seven overarching principles of ethical practice that will inform the conduct, performance and practice of the profession. The principles are set out in the Panel below.

The Society is proposing that the single code of ethics for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should not include detailed guidance but should act as the core document from which further professional standards and guidance can be developed. Where a need for more detailed guidance is identified, this should be produced separately from the code and be clearly identified as mandatory or good practice requirements.

An introduction to the consultation document says that the review of the codes has been carried out in response to changes within pharmacy and in health care generally in recent years. It says: “Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians work in a range of settings and their roles, responsibilities and ways of working are constantly evolving. In this changing environment, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians need to be able to use their professional judgement and be accountable for the decisions they make. It is important that the codes of ethics support this. In addition to changes to professional practice, the way in which the pharmacy profession is regulated is also changing, with new legislation governing the Society’s regulatory procedures expected to be in place later in 2006. The Society therefore wants to ensure that its ethical framework reflects modern pharmacy practice and continues to ensure patient safety and public confidence in the pharmacy profession.”

The Society’s head of professional ethics, Lynsey Balmer, said: “The Society began to debate the core values for pharmacy in 1999, recognising that value judgements are inherent in every aspect of pharmacy. The Society feels, and many respondents from October’s consultation agreed that, for a modern profession practising in today’s complex environment, it is not appropriate for a code of ethics to attempt to be a detailed book of rules to cover every situation a pharmacist or pharmacy technician might face.

“The ability to exercise judgement and apply ethical principles in a variety of situations is a key part of being a professional. This draft structure, therefore, provides a framework of principles within which the whole profession can operate.”

The Society’s President, Hemant Patel, urging the profession to engage with the consultation, said: “The draft structure is radically different from the current codes of ethics and the Society wants to establish, at an early stage, whether the revised code will meet the expectations of the profession and the public before more detailed work is undertaken. A further consultation on the exact content and wording of the revised code is planed for later in 2006.”

The closing date for the consultation is 8 September. Further information is available from Lynsey Balmer (tel 020 7572 2519; e-mail lynsey.balmer@rpsgb.org).