PSA Code of Ethics underpins consumer confidence in pharmacists

17 Oct, 2014

reference:http://www.psa.org.au/media-releases/psa-code-of-ethics-underpins-consumer-confidence-in-pharmacists

Pharmacists continue to rate highly with consumers and the latest customer satisfaction survey shows up 91 per cent of customers are happy with the service they receive from pharmacists.

The latest findings from Roy Morgan Research reinforce its survey earlier this year on the image of the professions which rated pharmacists second only to nurses in terms of ethics and honesty. Pharmacists received an 86 per cent rating against a 91 per cent rating for nurses.

In its customer satisfaction survey, Roy Morgan Research said: “In the year to August 2014, 50% of Australians 14+ (or 9,675,000 people) made at least one purchase from a chemist/pharmacy in an average four-week period. That’s a whole lot of customers – and for so many of them to be satisfied with the service they received speaks volumes for the high standards of this particular retail category.

“Pharmacies are heavily regulated by a range of codes and guidelines designed to ensure the customer’s wellbeing when buying pharmaceuticals. This no doubt contributes to the generally high customer satisfaction ratings across the main chemist chains, as well as the widely held perception of pharmacists as trustworthy and ethical.”

National President of the PSA, Grant Kardachi, said the high perception consumers had of pharmacists was reinforced by their operating to the PSA Code of Ethics.

“This Code is a very important body of work for the profession in that it articulates the values of the pharmacy profession and expected standards of behaviour of pharmacists to consumers and society,” Mr Kardachi said.

“The Code is made up of a number of principles covering five areas of focus which are core to pharmacists and pharmacy practice. These areas are the consumer, the community, the pharmacy profession, business practices and other health-care professionals.

“These principles apply to every pharmacist irrespective of their role, scope, level or location of practice. The application of ethics is not discretionary and I think the application of the code is being reflected in the latest Roy Morgan findings.”

Mr Kardachi urged pharmacists to display the code in their practices so that consumers could examine it.

“Transparency and pride in operating to the principles of the code can only further increase the stature of the profession as a whole and to individual practices that display the code,” Mr Kardachi said.

The code can be accessed at http://www.psa.org.au/membership/ethicsu

Media contact:     Peter Waterman Public Affairs Director 0419 260 827