Law, ethics and professionalism in pharmacy practice

Overview

Law and regulatory frameworks guide the work of the pharmacy in a number of ways:

• storage, handling and dispensing of controlled drugs, prescription only medications and over the counter products
• the prescribing of medicines.

Professionalism is a key concept affecting not only the delivery of services to clients and patients but also the perception of the latter to the pharmacy profession itself.

Codes of Practice and Competencies assist in students in achieving the required levels and then maintaining them as qualified practitioners. Ethical and moral issues can surface in many ways where there is contact between professionals and their clients.  

What the group does

This small multi-disciplinary group monitors changes in primary drug and medicines law and secondary legislation and how they may impact on the role(s) and practice of pharmacists.

The group looks at the ability of pharmacy students to deal with moral reasoning, ethical challenges and the application of law. The role of codes of conduct and their relationship to shaping understanding in these areas is also investigated.

Team members disseminate their findings through peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, and working professional bodies.

Key areas

The law, ethics and professionalism in pharmacy practice group has a number of areas of interest, including:

• Clinical governance and patient safety
• Parallel medicines trade
• Ethics
• Misuse of drugs legislation
• Moral reasoning

Key grant awards

 Gallagher, C. & O’Neill, R. The Pharmaceutical Trust for Educational and Charitable Objects. Measuring moral distress in community pharmacists. £53,694 (2012).