PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,

Management, and Leadership

2nd Semester AY 2022-2023

CHAPTER 2
Professionalism and Good Practices

I. Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, the student must be able to:
a. Explained the core competencies expected of a professional pharmacist, including
professionalism and good practice standards.

II. Lecture Proper

PROFESSIONALISM
• Refers to the standards, behaviors, and character of an individual engaged in tasks
related to his work or profession
• In pharmacy, the definitions of professionalism tend to be drawn from position papers
developed by various pharmacy associations, such as the following:
o “White Paper on Pharmacy Student Professionalism” – American Pharmacists
Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and American
Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Deans (AACP-COD)
o “Student Professionalism – AACP
o “Statement of Professionalism” – American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists (ASHP)
o “White Paper on Development of Student Professionalism” – ACCP
o “Professionalism Tenets for Pharmacy Students” – AACP
• Qualities noted as exemplifying professionalism include:
o Altruism
o Accountability
o Excellence
o Duty/responsibility
o Honor and integrity
o Respect for others
• The professionalism pyramid, as depicted by Brown and Ferrill, offers one approach
to develop and build on the specific skills that are representative of the concept of
professionalism
o Competence – aka: professional expertise; found at the base of the pyramid
o Connection – aka: interpersonal compatibility
o Character – highest domain of the pyramid

Developing Professionalism as a Student Pharmacist

• The process of professional socialization begins before pharmacy school entrance
• This socialization process begins the moment a student or potential student observes
or interacts with pharmacists, evaluates what they do, or actively seeks information
about the profession
• Professional socialization literature suggest the primary factors that influence
professional attitudes and behaviors are:
o The values and behaviors the individual brings into professional programs

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023
o Role models in professional and academic environments
o The environments themselves
• NOTE: an individual can be “negatively” socialized just as easily as he can be
“positively” socialized
o If an individual enters a program with values incompatible with those of the
profession and the environment, has negative role models, and learns to
practice on an unprofessional manner, it is highly probable that this person will
neither develop or exhibit a high level of professionalism until some of those
factors are modified
• Pharmacists (as mentors, role models, or practice experience supervisors/preceptors)
can have a direct influence on the professional socialization and development of
student pharmacists
o During interactions with and observations of mentors, role models, and
preceptors, student pharmacists may learn about and emulate those behaviors
that convey professionalism, such as demonstrating respect toward colleagues
or providing extra counselling time to patients when needed (part of the
connection domain)
• Interactions with and observations of peers, such as fellow student pharmacists, may
also be instrumental in the development of professionalism
o Student pharmacists may serve as positive role models for one another by
seeking and obtaining leadership positions in student pharmacy organizations,
volunteering at community health fairs, or simply demonstrating engagement
and attention within the classroom setting
o Students sometimes fail to appreciate that their classroom behaviors and
actions reflect their professional conduct and demeanor
o Actions within and related to the classroom and the pharmacy education
program (ex. timeliness, appropriate attire, a good attitude, and knowledge of
pertinent policies/rules) are the foundation on which professionalism as a
pharmacist is built

Examples of Student Professionalism:

1. Forming study groups to enhance learning, not only to pass the exam in the short term
but also to provide better care for patients in the long term
2. Offering to tutor fellow students who are struggling in a course
3. Reporting violations of academic honesty, such as cheating or plagiarism

Activity
Write an essay regarding the questions:
1. “Is there a clear separation between personal life and professional life?” and
2. “How does one act in the cyberspace as student pharmacists and pharmacists alike?”
Write or encode your essay in an A4-sized bond paper. Be concise as much as possible.
Grading for this activity will be based on the rubric found below.

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023

INTERSECTION OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM

• After graduating from pharmacy school and entering the pharmacy practice
environment, pharmacists are expected and mandated to engage in ethical conduct
o Ethical conduct is defined as conduct based on moral principles that provide
knowledge and insight regarding what we ought to do to attain the most of
what is best in human life
o Professionalism is a key component of successful and ethical patient care!
§ Patients trust their pharmacists to provide the best care possible,
without ulterior motives
• When pharmacists take the Oath of a Pharmacist, they affirm that they will establish
covenantal relationships with their patients to serve them to the best of their ability –
a relationship called fiduciary relationship
o Fiduciary relationship is defined by Roth and Zlatic as a “faith bond”, or one in
which the patient has faith and trust in the pharmacist to make the best
decision possible on behalf of the patient
• Another important aspect to consider is the “self-governing” nature of professions
o Most professions are governed by boards of peers and community members,
such as the Philippine Pharmacists Association as well as the State Boards of
Pharmacy in the US, that determine regulations of how professionals should
practice
• To reinforce the importance of ethical, professional practice, pharmacist managers
and leaders may be required to take remedial actions such as holding development
workshops on professionalism and ethics, or suspending or terminating
unprofessional employees
Class Activity: Reciting the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists

PREAMBLE
Pharmacists are health professionals who help individuals protect themselves against
diseases, maintain good health and make the best use of their medications. The pharmacists

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023
promote rational use of drugs and ensure the provision of safe, effective and quality drugs for
improved patient care and quality of life. This Code, prepared and supported by pharmacists,
is intended to state publicly the principles that form the fundamental basis of their roles and
responsibilities which are based on moral obligations and virtues and to guide pharmacists in
their relationship with patients, health professionals and society.

1. A pharmacist places the well being of the patient at the center of professional practice.
2. A pharmacist promotes the welfare of each individual in a caring and compassionate
manner.
3. A pharmacist serves the needs of the individual, community and society and provides
health for all.
4. A pharmacist respects the rights of patients and upholds confidentiality of patients’
records.
5. A pharmacist acts with honesty, integrity and professionalism in relationship with the
patients and other health professionals.
6. A pharmacist respects the abilities, values and contributions of colleagues and other
health professionals and work with them closely to ensure better patient care.
7. A pharmacist is committed to continuously enhance professional competence.
8. A pharmacist, in coordination with the government and other health professionals
helps in the formulation and implementation of health care policies, standards and
programs designed for the benefit of society.

PROFESSIONAL INTERACTIONS
1. Interactions with Patients
o Central to good patient care can be found in the following actions:
i. A willingness to spend time answering patient questions
ii. Providing education and counseling regarding disease states and
medication therapies
iii. Dispensing safe and effective medications
iv. Assisting in identifying appropriate financial mechanisms to pay for
needed medications
v. Practicing in a culturally competent manner, and treating patients with
respect and consideration regarding of their gender, race, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status
vi. Refraining from any actions that may stigmatize the patient or
compromise his or her dignity
vii. Maintaining patient confidentiality
o The most central feature of the patient-pharmacist interaction and chief
mechanism by which a pharmacist’s professionalism is established, is
communication
o REMEMBER: failure to act in the patient’s interests, particularly when such
actions, such as detecting possible drug interactions from the patient’s
prescription, are necessary to protect the patient from harm, is a failure in both
professional duties and ethical obligations
2. Interactions with Fellow Professionals

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023
o Some pharmacists have difficulty in dealing with coworkers, subordinates, or
supervisors because they do not understand the social and professional
characteristics of their practice environments
o When individuals act inappropriately, that behaviors often occurs because
they do not realize that they must adjust their behavior based on the
management hierarchy of the organization
o The following discuss some challenges to professionalism in interactions with
peers, pharmacy support staff, supervisors, and other health care providers:
i. Peers
i. Professional peer relationships are typically more collegial due
to individual’s roles and levels of power or authority within an
organization – that is, peers know what to expect from their
interactions and can be more relaxed
ii. Professionalism issues may still occur within a designated peer
group, such as:
a. more experienced pharmacists might believe
themselves to have increased status over other
pharmacists
b. graduates from a certain high-ranking college of
pharmacy may perceive themselves as being better than
graduates from other colleges
iii. such differences based on factors unrelated to work efforts and
organizational structure may be unprofessional and immature,
yet violations of informal peer group protocols may alienate the
rest of the group
iv. on a positive note, interactions with peers provide
opportunities to receive feedback regarding how individual
behavior is perceived
ii. Pharmacy Support Staff
i. Generally more difficult to balance than peer relationships due
to power differentials involved
ii. A pharmacist manager may want to be friends with staff
members, but caution and sound judgment should be
employed to prevent friendship from interfering with making
difficult but necessary decisions about workload and job
responsibilities as well as performance evaluations and
management-related functions
iii. A manager must be appreciative and respectful of staff, while
simultaneously maintaining appropriate boundaries and lines
of authority
3. Superiors
o Interactions with superiors will typically be more formal because of their status
within the organization, and the evolution of this professional relationship is
largely dictate by the actions of the superior

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023
o As a subordinate of a superior, sensitivity and professional decorum must be
demonstrated in situations in which one’s direct supervisor interacts with his
or her superior
4. Other Health Care Providers
o Many of the same rules discussed previously apply to acting professionally
around other health care providers
o Within the practice environment, pharmacists must be sensitive to their role
compared with the roles of other health care providers and adhere to the
organization’s rules and policies for that role
o As representatives of the pharmacy profession, pharmacists must attempt to
change misperceptions or biased perceptions of pharmacy by acting
professionally, demonstrating knowledge and competence, and advocating
assertively that pharmacists are capable of performing expanded patient care
functions

GxP
§ “Good x Practices”
§ Refers to “Good Practices” whose rulings are observed within the pharmaceutical
industry
§ The x in GxP is variable and can be: Pharmacy (GPP); Manufacturing (GMP); Clinical
(GCP); Storage (GSP); Distribution (GDP); Compounding (GCP); Regulatory (GRP); and
Warehousing (GWP)

1. Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

o Refers to the international ethical and scientific quality standard for designing,
conducting, recording, and reporting trials that involve the participation of
human subjects
2. Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
o Refers to that part of quality assurance which ensures that the quality of a
pharmaceutical product is maintained through adequate control throughout
the numerous activities which occur during the distribution process
3. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
o Refers to the quality system concerned with the organizational process and the
conditions under which non-clinical health and environmental safety studies
are planned, performed, monitored, recorded, archived, and reported
4. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
o Refers to the system of quality assurance aimed at ensuring that products are
consistently manufactured to a quality appropriate for their intended use
o It is concerned with both manufacturing and quality control processes and
procedures
5. Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP)
o Refers to the practice of pharmacy that responds to the needs of the people
who use the pharmacists’ services to provide optimal evidence-based care
6. Good Regulatory Practice (GRP)
o Refers to the practice of regulation that should be clear, simple and practical
for users through identified policy objectives, consistent with international

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 PHARM 161: Introduction to Pharmacy Administration,
Management, and Leadership
2nd Semester AY 2022-2023
standards in a sound legal and empirical basis which produces benefits that
justify and minimize costs and market distortions, in consideration of its effects
across society and taking into account economic, environmental and social
factors
7. Good Storage Practice (GSP)
o Refers to that part of quality assurance which ensures that the quality of a
pharmaceutical product is maintained through adequate control throughout
its storage
8. Good Warehousing Practice (GWP)
o Refers to that part of quality assurance which ensures that the quality of a
pharmaceutical product is maintained through adequate control throughout
warehousing