Martine Kruijtbosch

54 Chap t e r 2 . 2 TABLE 1: Professional core values customised for pharmacists in community pharmacy Dutch Charter professional values Identified OTHER values NOT covered by the Charter description Dutch Charter professional values customised for pharmacists in community pharmacy Commitment to the patient’s well-being Commitment to the patient’s well-being Every pharmacist is directly or also indirectly involved in the patient’s well-being: as a direct care provider, as a compounder or developer of medicines or within the educational sector or regulations. + • Autonomy of the patient • Self-determination of patient • Protect life → The pharmacist is committed to the patient’s well-being . This commitment includes respecting the patient’s preferences and values and subsequently facilitating shared decision-making . The pharmacist respects the patient’s right to self-determination. Pharmaceutical expertise Pharmaceutical expertise Like any other professional, the pharmacist also has specific expertise and competences that he can use to provide the best possible service to society. The expertise is related to the pharmacist’s specific knowledge domains. It is systematically and frequently maintained. The pharmacist is a competent expert who helps patients and doctors to optimise the effective and safe use of medicines . The pharmacist’s expertise emanates from specific knowledge of (patho)physiology, pharmacotherapy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmaceutics and health psychology. Reliability and care Reliable and caring Medicines in general are powerful substances. They can be highly effective, but at the same time unsafe. The quality assurance of the pharmacist’s actions must therefore be beyond doubt. + • Professional collaboration with colleagues and other health professionals • Privacy of the patient • Being reliable within the pharmacist-patient relationship • Personal and professional integrity • Adhering to rules and regulations • Loyalty towards colleagues and other health professionals → Medicines can be highly effective, but at the same time carry risks of causing harm. Quality assurance by the pharmacist is therefore crucial. The pharmacist acts meticulously and carefully (e.g. compounding or dispensing medicines, counselling patients, monitoring medicine use and keeping patient records). The pharmacist maintains a relationship of trust with the patient . Moreover, the pharmacist respects the patient’s confidentiality . The pharmacist acts reliably within the collaboration with other health professionals . Social responsibility Responsibility to society This core value emphasizes that the pharmacist’s actions are efficient and transparent not only for the individual patient but also for society, and that the pharmacist feels a sense of responsibility for the social consequences of his actions. + • Sustainability of the pharmacy • Trust in pharmacy practice • Access to medicines • Continuity of care → The pharmacist is responsible for the societal consequences of his or her actions . In order to maintain patients’ and the public’s trust in the pharmacy practice and the healthcare system, the pharmacist acts transparently and treats patients equally. The pharmacist guarantees access to pharmaceutical care and its continuity by collaboration with other health professionals.