Report identifies requirements of future role for pharmacists working in pharmaceutical industry, higher education and private health care
Specific future role requirements of pharmacists working in the pharmaceutical industry, higher education and private health and social care are identified in the final report in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's “Competencies of the future pharmacy workforce” series.
The report is part of a programme to identify the knowledge, skills,
attitudes and behaviour needed by pharmacists for their future roles.
This final phase focuses on three of the smaller sectors of the profession
and identifies the need for pharmacists in these sectors to acquire new
areas of skills, and new requirements for pharmacy education and training.
The report identified a number of role developments that create new requirements
of pharmacists working in the industry, academic and private health care.
Although most of these were sector-specific, it was found that pharmacists
in all three sectors share a need for:
• A continued focus on the appropriate and effective use of medicines
• An awareness of pharmacy practice in all the main sectors
• Working across professions, organisations and sectors
• Processes for quality assurance; business and commercial skills
• Up-to-date scientific knowledge
Sector-specific requirements for pharmacists working in industry are
a broad understanding of the policy and regulatory context in which the
industry operates, a good scientific and clinical knowledge and a familiarity
with processes relating to development, production, marketing and sales
of pharmaceuticals.
For academic pharmacists, sector-specific requirements include skills
and knowledge of practice-based teaching methods, strong research skill
and a knowledge of process for audit and quality assurance of teaching
and research.
For those working in private health care, sector-specific requirements
are strong clinical skills, including communication skills, an understanding
of the principles of patient-centred care and competence in budget and
financial management.
The full report is available on the Society’s website.
It can be accessed from the home page via the “Download documents” link,
indexed under “Policy”.
Commenting on the report’s publication, the chairman of the Society’s
Education Committee, Graham Phillips, said: “At a time when pharmacy
is becoming much more prominent in the forefront of health care delivery,
and pharmacists diversify into new activities and expanding job roles,
it is increasingly important to establish a shared sense of belonging
to a unified profession. We must identify and reinforce those professional
values and objectives, which are shared by all pharmacists — regardless
of where they work or their day-to-day activities.”
Mr Phillips added: “The findings of this report fit nicely with
a number of other initiatives from the Society. The ongoing education
review and the new Section 60 Order both point to common professional
values such as good communication skills, and effective group and interprofessional
working. The report confirms that these values are just as important
in the pharmaceutical industry, higher education, and private health
care as they are in other sectors of pharmacy.”
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