Code of Ethics for Community Pharmacists In India:
- Pharmacy is a health profession that links various health sciences. The word pharmacy is derived from the Greek word Pharmakon meaning Drug or Medicine.
- Pharmacists are health professionals who assist individuals in making the best use of medication.
- A code of ethics is a formulated system of principles or rules of practice for the guidance of a particular group of individuals. Ethics are foundations for professional behavior and activities.
- The development of a code of ethics is mainly intended to form fundamental roles and responsibilities of Pharmacists. They are:
Pharmacist In Relation to His Job:
A community pharmacist must provide satisfactory and customer-friendly pharmaceutical services and distribute emergency supplies at all times. He should take care in:
- Conduction of Pharmacy.
- Handling of Prescriptions.
- Handling of Drugs.
Conduction of Pharmacy
Provisions should be made in pharmacy to circumvent the risk of accidental contamination in the preparation, dispensing, and supply of medicines.
There should be a pharmacist in every pharmacy to maintain and conduct pharmacy.
Handling Of Prescriptions:
- Standard, quality drugs and medicinal preparations should always be used by a pharmacist while filling prescriptions.
- He should be very cautious in dealing drugs and medicinal preparations that can be addictive or abusive.
Handling Of Drugs:
- Standard quality drugs and medicinal preparations should be used by a pharmacist while filling the prescriptions.
- Care must be taken even when they are dispensed by him.
- He should take care of incompatibilities, over dosages, drug interactions, and medication errors like
- Wrong drug alike, sound alike, wrong patient, wrong dose, and wrong route of administration.
Pharmacist In Relation To His Trade:
The pharmacist should take care especially in:
a) Prize Structure:
He should trade with a fair price to the customers in keeping with the quality and quantity of commodity supplied.
b) Purchase Of Drugs:
Drugs always should be purchased from genuine and reputable sources.
c) Fair Practice:
He should always give healthy competition in the market. He should not lure customers by lowering prices, offering gifts and tours, etc.
d) Advertising And Displays:
He should not display or sell the medicines to the customers which would give
- Objectionable reference to other suppliers.
- Attempt to scare.
- Misleading statements or claims.
- Any wording, design, or illustration reflecting unfavorably on pharmacists.
- Guarantee of therapeutic efficacy.
Pharmacist In Relation To Medical Profession:
1. Limitation Of Professional Activity:
Under no circumstances should a pharmacist take care of medicinal practice i.e. diagnosis of diseases, prescribing remedies, etc.
However, he will have exceptions during emergencies and accidents.
2. Clandestine Arrangements:
Community pharmacists should never enter into any secret contracts or arrangements with physicians to offer them any commission or any advantage by recommending their dispensary/pharmacy or even themselves to the patients.
Pharmacist In Relation To His Profession:
A community pharmacist in relation to his profession should be
a) Law Abiding Citizen:
He should be an enlightened citizen by having fair knowledge of the law. He should be conversant with drugs, pharmacy, and sanitation.
b) Relationship With Professional Organisations:
He should join advanced professional organization memberships to set aims and objectives for the scientific, moral, and cultural well-being of the pharmacists.
c) Decorum And Propriety:
He should abstain from doing all such acts and deeds that are not in conformity with the decorum and propriety of the pharmaceutical profession which bring disrepute to the profession or to himself or her.
Pharmacist Oath:
- I swear by the code of ethics of the Pharmacy Council of India in relation to the community and shall act as an integral part of the health care system.
- I shall uphold the laws and standards governing my profession.
- I shall strive to perfect and enlarge my knowledge to contribute to the advancement of pharmacy and public health.
- I shall follow the system that I consider the best for pharmaceutical care and counseling of patients.
- I shall Endeavour to discover and manufacture drugs of quality to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.
- I shall hold in confidence the knowledge gained about the patients in connection with my professional practice and never divulge unless compelled to do so by the law.
- I shall associate with the organizations that have their objectives for the betterment of the profession of pharmacy and make contributions to carry out the work of those organizations.
- While I continue to keep this oath inviolate, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of pharmacy respected by all, all the times.
- Should I trespass and violate this oath may the reverse be my lot.
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