A1 Nurturing the soul of pharmacy

Monday 11 September 2017
14:30-17:30
COEX Convention & Exhibition Center : Auditorium 3 hours

Topic coordinators: Betty Chaar & Ralph Altiere


Organised by the FIP Programme Committee

Chairs: Topic coordinators: Betty Chaar & Ralph Altiere

Introduction

The plenary session provided insight into what is the soul of pharmacy.  For the soul of pharmacy to be sustained and advanced, it is essential to nurture — grow, cultivate, develop and cherish — it continuously. 

The building blocks of the pharmacy practitioner are first laid down with training of students and continue into professional life. Students will inevitably be instilled with the science and principles of practice — going hand in hand to provide a solid basis for the cognitive development of the student towards becoming a competent pharmacist.

Professionalisation of the pharmacy student, however, requires more than acquiring basic knowledge. A profession is defined not only by its expert body of knowledge. It is also about the recognition and upholding of professional values — in the adoption of attitudes and behaviours that shape a profession and a professional.  As pharmacists, we are to maintain a standard of behaviour reflective of expectations of contemporary practice, patient-centred care and the trust placed in us by the people and communities we serve.

Developing these values and behaviours necessitates consideration of different perspectives: the student (motivation, expectations, experience and reality); the educator (competency development, professionalisation); the practitioner (role model, motivation and attitude); the patient (expectations, trust and ethical demands). 

To nurture the soul of pharmacy we need to explore the role of the academic institution, professional organisations and practitioners in shaping the core values and purpose of the profession. In doing so, we need to explore opportunities and challenges to its core elements.

This session will endeavour to explore alignment of the academic, science and practice communities around the core values of pharmacy; the role of mentoring and role modelling; individual care versus population health/public health care.

Learning objectives

At the end of this application-based session, the participants will be able to:

  1. Advocate what is required of the profession to nurture its profile, its role in health care and its future.
  2. Analyse the possibilities of action for nurturing our profession.
  3. Endorse ways of overcoming barriers to nurturing the profession.

Programme

14:30 – 15:10
1. Nurturing the soul of pharmacy: How?
Tom Zlatic (St. Louis College of Pharmacy, USA)

15:10 – 15:50
2. Opportunities for nurturing the soul of pharmacy: What can be done today to nurture our profession?
Andy Gray (University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa)

15:50 – 16:10 Coffee/tea break

16:10 – 16:50
3. Challenges faced in the nurturing of pharmacy: How to overcome barriers to nurturing the profession
Betty Chaar (The University of Sydney, Australia)

16:50 – 17:30
4. World cafe — perspectives on nurturing the soul of pharmacy
The world cafe will focus on how each group should or can influence nurturing the soul of   pharmacy. The task of each table is to develop ideas that your group can and should use to nurture the soul of pharmacy and the impact this might have on pharmacists as providers of health care
Table 1: Students
Table 2: Pharmacists
Table 3: Consumers
Table 4: Educators
Table 5: Scientists