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1st Semester of A.Y. 2020-2021

PHARM 131: Perspectives in Pharmacy

Title
Chapter 1: Pharmacy as a Profession
Introduction
This chapter begins with information on the nature of pharmacy as a profession. It then
examines a brief introduction of pharmacy, what shapes it, and how it is still evolving as
a profession. It ends with a discussion on the value of pharmacy and the controlling
force in the profession.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, the students must have:
1. Explained why pharmacy is a profession;
2. Described how pharmacy profession is shaped and controlled in the Philippines;
and
3. Made a convincing argument that the pharmacy profession provides value to
society through a video blog.

Warm-Up Activity
Would You Rather…?

What comes first to your mind? Would you rather always be cold or always be hot?

Please enter your answer in the mVLE Choice button. The link will only be available until
11:59 PM, August 26, 2020.

Learning Inputs
Lesson 1: Definition
• Pharmacy has historic roots as the art and science of preparing and dispensing
medications.
• Pharmacy is the art and science of preparing from natural and synthetic sources,
suitable materials for distribution and use in the treatment and prevention of
diseases.
• It embraces knowledge of identification, selection, pharmacologic action,
preservation, analysis, standardization of drugs and medicines.
• It includes their proper and safe distribution and use, whether dispensed on
pharmacies or sold directly to consumer.
• Pharmacy means the practice of pharmacy as a profession.
- Pharmacy profession is regarded as a disciplined group of pharmacists who
adhere to ethical standards and uphold themselves to and are accepted by the
public. They possess special knowledge and skills in a widely recognized body of
learning derived from research, education, and training at a high level. They are

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prepared to exercise this knowledge and these skills in the interest of others.
• Also, a pharmacy can be described as a place where licensed pharmacists oversee the
dispensing of medicine after receiving a valid prescription or drug order written or
electronically transmitted (e-prescribing) by a legal prescriber.

Lesson 2: Purpose, Shapes, Value and Controls in Pharmacy

Purpose of Pharmacy
• The societal purpose of pharmacy has been one of making drugs and medicines
available. It means:
- the actual making or preparing of medicines; and
- distributing medicines to consumers at community and other practice sites.

• The scope of the profession’s purpose has broadened consisting of three parts.
1. To share actively in the responsibility for directing people into the healthcare
system by means of offering advice on community and personal health matters,
counseling to increase compliance with drug and other therapeutic regimens,
referral to sources of treatment including public health clinics, and participation
in community planning for health education and allocation of resources.
2. To make medicines and selected health supplies available to consumers and
other providers of health care by developing and managing systems of drug
distribution that provide access points to consumers and assure drug safety and
compliance with legal and professional standards.
3. To help patients make the best use of their medication and ensure the rational
and safe use of medication by collaborating with physician and other healthcare
practitioners in planning and monitoring drug therapy.

What Shapes Pharmacy

• Advocacy is the way pharmacists shape their profession and point it in the right
direction.
• The society grants pharmacy on how the profession is practiced. In the profession,
there is a need “to do more than what we are doing”.
• The society expects pharmacy to help patients in the medication use process.
• Pharmacists have the power to shape the profession, make changes to improve the
practice, and make it better for patients.
• Professional organizations are a vital part of advocacy and achieving goals.
- By becoming a member and providing expert guidance, volunteering for a
committee, participating to programs, collaborating and networking to other
professions can help pharmacy as profession become better at the practice sites.
• Pharmacy education on many levels is a key factor in shaping the profession.
- The experiential learning that occurs when students work in pharmacies,
dispensing and counseling patients about their medications, is what shapes how
they will eventually form their practice. By applying that theory to advocacy and
allowing students to learn through doing, they are developing a competency in an
important and overlooked area of the profession.

Value of Pharmacy
• The pharmacy profession would not exist if it was not needed.

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• Society says there needs to be a pharmacist in the health care system.

• Pharmacy’s role is to oversee the drug-use process, to make it safe, and to make it
efficient. It also exists to help patients make the best use of their medication.
• Society perceives pharmacists as some of the most trusted professionals
- Pharmacists are again among the most highly trusted people in their occupations,
according to a recent Gallup poll (2019).
- The poll ranked pharmacists 4th among professionals in the United States for
honesty and ethical standards, with 64% of respondents rating their
trustworthiness as “very high” or “high.”
• However, in the Philippines, most Filipinos regard pharmacist as simply one who sells
medicine – one who stands behind drugstore counters, busily taking the prescriptions
from customers and giving them the medicines they need.
• But there is more to a pharmacist than just being a seller of medicines.
• Thus, the Philippine pharmacy profession must work to earn respect and value from
patients, and earn it one pharmacist, one patient at a time.

Controls in Pharmacy
• Licensure is a major controlling force in pharmacy. Pharmacists are licensed by the
Professional Regulation Commission - Board of Pharmacy. It is important to note that
a pharmacist is designated as a RPh. However, this designation is only provided after
passing the board of pharmacy examination. Thus, all registered pharmacists are also
licensed pharmacists.
• The Philippine Pharmacy Act or R.A. No. 10918 is an act regulating and modernizing
the practice of pharmacy in the Philippines, repealing the previous Pharmacy Law or
R.A. No. 5921.
• This Act provides for and shall govern the:
a. Standardization and regulation of pharmacy education;
b. Administration of licensure examination, registration, and licensing of
pharmacists;
c. Supervision, control, and regulation of the practice of pharmacy in the
Philippines;
d. Development and enhancement of professional competence of pharmacists
through continuing professional development, research, and other related
activities; and
e. Integration of the pharmacy profession.

Central Activities
Activity 1: Online Lecture
• You are encourage to view/download the slide presentation with narration or video
related to the topic posted in the mVLE course page on August 25, 2020, 1:00 PM.

Activity 2: Assigned Reading

• Download the Philippine Pharmacy Act or R.A. 10918 and read Articles I – IV focusing
on how pharmacy profession is regulated in the Philippines.

Activity 3: Online Polls

• You are requested to participate in the online poll using the Choice button posted in

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the mVLE course page on August 28, 2020.

“An online poll is a survey in which students communicate responses via the Internet,
typically by completing one or two questions related to the topics in the learning
management system”.

Wrap-Up Activity
Discussion Forum 1 (Synchronous)
Open-Ended Questions
• You are expected to participate in the discussion forum on August 31, 2020 (Monday)
via the mVLE BigBlueButtonBN. Please refer to the course guide for your scheduled
time.
• An invitation link will be available in the mVLE course site.
• Open-ended questions related to the topics will be asked randomly among students
during the discussion proper.
• Moreover, you are also given the opportunity to ask/raise any clarifications or
questions during the discussion.

Assessment (Post-Assessment)
Online Exam 1
• You are required to take the Post-Test using the mVLE Quiz portal.
• Accomplish and submit the said exam on or before 11:59 PM, August 31, 2020
(Monday).

Problem-Based Learning Task 1

Structured Essay
• Write an essay (300 words) stating the challenges or problems faced by the
pharmacy profession in the Philippines and make convincing arguments on how the
profession should tackle this important issue.
• A detailed instruction will be available in the mVLE course page Assignment portal on
August 25, 2020, 1:00 PM.
• Submit your output on or before 11:59 pm, August 30, 2020 (Sunday) via the same
portal in mVLE.

“An essay is a focused piece of writing that aims to present a convincing argument using
evidence, analysis and interpretation.”

Project-Based Learning Task 1

Video Blogging
• Create a 1-minute video blog and make a convincing argument that the pharmacy
profession provides value to society in the Philippine setting.
• Submit your output using the Assignment portal in the mVLE on or before 11:59 PM,
August 30, 2020 (Sunday).

“A video blog or “vlog” is an online platform where an individual, or a number of people, is

able to easily upload videos and share it with an unlimited amount of internet users.
Vlogging encourages spontaneous, timely and concise expression of thoughts.”

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• You may visit this site to guide you how to make a simple vlog on your phone
How to VLOG on your Phone - 5 Tips for Beginners - YouTube
https://youtu.be/aUIXtRexdUU

Course Facilitator

Rhian Jaymar D. Ramil

Assistant Professor III
Pharmacy Department
09277339569
rramil@mmsu.edu.ph