Professional Profile

To be effective health care team members, pharmacists need skills and attitudes enabling them to assume many different functions-starpharmacist‖.Theconcepwa

WHO and taken up by FIP in 2000 in its policy statement on Good Pharmacy Education Practice to cover these roles: caregiver, decision-maker, communicator, manager, life-long learner, teacher and leader. The function of the pharmacist as a researcher was later on added.

These roles of the pharmacist are described below and include the following functions:

• Caregiver: Pharmacists provide caring services. They must view their practice as integrated and continuous with those of the health care system and other health professionals. Services must be of the highest quality.
• Decision-maker: The appropriate, efficacious, safe and cost-effective use of resources (e.g., personnel, medicines, chemicals, equipment, procedures, and practices) should be

the foundation of At the local pharmacist‘s and national levels, pharmacists work. play a role in setting medicines policy. Achieving this goal requires the ability to

evaluate, synthesize data and information and decide upon the most appropriate course of action.

• Communicator: The pharmacist is in an ideal position to provide a link between prescriber and patient, and to communicate information on health and medicines to the public. He or she must be knowledgeable and confident while interacting with other health professionals and the public. Communication involves verbal, non-verbal, listening and writing skills.
• Manager: Pharmacists must be able to manage resources (human, physical and financial) and information effectively; they must also be comfortable being managed by others, whether by an employer or the manager/leader of a health care team. More and more, information and its related technology will provide challenges as pharmacists assume greater responsibility for sharing information about medicines and related products and ensuring their quality.

• Life-long-learner: It is impossible to acquire in pharmacy school all the knowledge and experience needed to pursue a life-long career as a pharmacist. The concepts, principles and commitment to life-long learning must begin while attending pharmacy school and

must be supported throughout the pharmac keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

• Teacher: The pharmacist has a responsibility to assist with the education and training of future generations of pharmacists and the public. Participating as a teacher not only imparts knowledge to others, it offers an opportunity for the practitioner to gain new knowledge and to fine-tune existing skills.
• Leader: In multidisciplinary (e.g., team) caring situations or in areas where other health care providers are in short supply or non-existent the pharmacist is obligated to assume a leadership position in the overall welfare of the patient and the community. Leadership involves compassion and empathy as well as vision and the ability to make decisions, communicate, and manage effectively. A pharmacist whose leadership role is to be recognized must have vision and the ability to lead.

• Researcher: The pharmacist must be able to use the evidence base (e.g., scientific, pharmacy practice, health system) effectively in order to advice on the rational use of medicines in the health care team. By sharing and documenting experiences, the pharmacist can also contribute to the evidence base with the goal of optimizing patient care and outcomes. As a researcher, the pharmacist is able to increase the accessibility of unbiased health and medicines-related information to the public and other health care professionals

4. Graduate Profile

It is envisaged that pharmacy graduates with the B.Pharm. Degree will be capable to assume the

following responsibilities and attributes:

Core graduate competencies

• Organize and control the manufacturing, compounding and packaging of pharmaceutical products;
• Organize the selection, procurement, storage, and distribution of pharmaceutical materials and products;
• Provide Pharmaceutical Care and Dispense and ensure the optimal use of medicines by the patient;
• Provide pharmacist-initiated care to patients and ensure the optimal use of medicines;
• Provide education and information on health care and medicines;
• Promote community health and provide related information and advice; and
• Conduct in research to ensure the optimal use of medicines.
• Demonstrate a high level of professional ethics in order to satisfy the pharmaceutical needs of the society.
• Maintain and expand knowledge through self-directed learning.
• Be able to work as a member of the health team.
• Possess the necessary background to pursue further advanced study in the pharmaceutical sciences.