Code of Practice for Clinical Placements

Ethics and code of practice for pharmacy students involved in clinical placements

Throughout the Bachelor of Pharmacy course, students will gain clinical experience that will complement their academic studies. These experiences will include rosters to major metropolitan teaching hospitals, other public and private metropolitan hospitals, community pharmacies and rural placements in Victoria. While students are expected to be appropriately supervised at all times when they are in the clinical setting, their conduct with patients must conform to professional expectations.

Students are expected to uphold the ethics and standards of practice established by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Pharmacy Board of Victoria and the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. In essence, the principles of conduct are based on ‘respecting self-determination and autonomy, doing good and avoiding harm, being honest, keeping promises and maintaining confidentiality (respecting privileged information)’. A thorough understanding of the various guidelines provided to students will assist them to determine proper conduct in specific situations. These ethics as applied to pharmacists are embodied in the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Code of Ethics adopted in 1997 which state:

+ all pharmacists shall regard the health of the client as their first consideration

+ a pharmacist shall observe the laws relevant to practice of the profession at all times

+ a pharmacist shall supply professional advice and counseling

+ a pharmacist shall keep abreast of the progress of pharmaceutical knowledge to maintain the highest standards of professional competence

+ a pharmacist shall respect the trust and confidentiality of professional relationships with clients

+ a pharmacist shall consult professional colleagues and other health professionals where deemed to be in the best interests of the client

+ a pharmacist shall assist professional colleagues and other health professionals when called upon for advice or support

+ a pharmacist shall strive to provide information to clients regarding professional services truthfully, accurately and fully and shall avoid misleading clients regarding the nature, cost or value of the pharmacist’s professional services

+ a pharmacist shall maintain effective professional relationships with colleagues and other health professionals, paying due regard to their opinions and achievements (and refrain from publicly criticising them)

+ a pharmacist shall endeavour to maintain the confidence and trust placed in colleagues by clients

+ a pharmacist shall not attempt to attract clientele by way of invidious comparison with colleagues, or by making exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims

+ a pharmacist shall not associate with fraudulent and unethical practice and practitioners

+ a pharmacist shall practise under conditions which ensure professional independence

+ a pharmacist shall observe the standards of ethical and professional conduct established by the professional organisations.

Additionally, the Commonwealth of Australia National Health Act was amended in 1995 to add the following:

For the purposes of Part VII of the National Health Act 1955, the approval of a person as an approved pharmacist ... is subject to the condition that the approved pharmacist, and any pharmacist under the control of the approved pharmacist, will, in dispensing prescriptions for, and in supplying, pharmaceutical benefits, practise to the following standards:

(a) the pharmacist will comply with all legal requirements for the practice of pharmacy

(b) the pharmacist will treat patients with dignity regardless of manner of payment, race, sex, age, nationality, religion, disability, or any other discriminating factor, and

(c) the pharmacist will comply with the pharmacy profession’s current code of ethics and standards of practice including maintaining a disciplined dispensing procedure.