Pharmacy Profession + Information Sources Flashcards
What is a profession? What are the characteristics?
specialised knowledge and training
- distinguishes professionals from consumers
service orientation
- must act in the best interest of the client
monopoly of practice
- is a protected title, has requirements in order to be able to carry out the work
self-regulation
- is regulated by members of the profession itself
Who is the regulatory board of pharmacy? What are they responsible for?
GPhC
- The General Pharmaceutical Council is the statutory regulator of the pharmacy profession
is responsible for
- the registration of pharmacy premises
- enforcing certain provisions under the Medicines Act 1968 and the Poisons Act 19782
What are the different types of pharmacy workplace?
community pharmacy - retail, chain or independent
institutional pharmacies
- hospitals, GP surgery, hospice, prison
academia
pharmaceutical industry
pharmacy organisations
What is the main role of the pharmacist?
to give patient/person centred care
Who is regulated by the GPhC?
pharmacist
pharmacy technicians
pharmacy premises
What are pharmacy technicians? What is their role? What qualifications required?
are members of the pharmacy team and work under the supervision of the pharmacist
roles include dispensing, manufacturing, medicines management, clinical trials, management and supervision of staff
knowledge-based qualification and competency based qualification
must register with the GPhC
What are the types of information sources?
primary sources
secondary sources
tertiary sources
What is a primary source? What are the advantages and disadvantages of it?
it is original research study in ‘peer reviewed’ journals
advantages
- original and up to date
- written by the researcher
disadvantages
- risk of the study being flawed, fraudulent or misleading
What is a secondary source?
it is a review article published in a peer reviewed journal
referenced textbook
What is a tertiary source? What are the advantages and disadvantages of it?
are mainly textbooks
advantages
- useful starting point for an information search
disadvantages
- may be outdated
- may be authored by a non-specialist
- may contain subjective information
- may not be well referenced
When was the Medicines Act? When was the Poisons Act?
Medicines Act - 1968
Poisons Act - 1972
What are the different sources of information for pharmacists?
BNF - British National Formulary MEP - Medicines, Ethics and Practice NICE guidance - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Martindale - complete drug reference Stockley's Drug Interactions Summary of Product Characteristics MHRA - Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Primary and Secondary Literature
What is the BNF? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the BNF?
British National Formulary
- authoritative and practical information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines
- gives information on drugs prescribed in the UK
advantages
- information based on diverse sources
- always up-to-date = updated twice a year
- product of a vigourous, accredited creation process = independent
- rapid reference guide
disadvantages
- has limited information on certain areas, should be used in conjunction with other resources
What is the MEP?
Medicines, Ethics and Practice
- provides information on the legal requirements for the prescribing and handling (dispensing, administration, storage, destruction) of medicinal products
- helps identify steps to resolve a problem/issue in practice
- does not give legal advice
- published yearly
What is NICE?
National Institute for Health Care and Excellence
- minimises variation in the availability and quality of care and treatments in the NHS
= prevents unequal treatments, improves equality
-independent of the government
= not biased
- develops guidance on the promotion of good health, prevention of ill health, etc
= clinical, public health and social care guidelines - develops guidance on the use of new and existing treatments within the NHS
= diagnostic, medical technologies and interventional procedure guidelines