National Competency Standards Update Released

The pharmacy profession’s updated competency standards, the National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia 2010, has been released today following a comprehensive review through a profession-wide consultative forum.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), as the custodian of the document on behalf of the pharmacy profession, led the review which involved:

˙Association of Hospital Pharmacists;

˙Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia;

˙Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy;

˙Australian College of Pharmacy;

˙Australian Pharmacy Council;

˙Council of Pharmacy Schools: Australia and New Zealand Inc.;

˙Pharmaceutical Society of Australia;

˙Pharmacy Board of Australia;

˙Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia; and

˙The Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Features of the new document include:

˙consolidation of eight Domains (previously Functional Areas) and 33 Standards to represent the total competency framework for the profession;

˙strengthening the Standards, in particular those relating to: leadership and management; extemporaneous preparation; researchers and educators; collaboration; primary and preventive health care;

˙clear articulation of performance criteria expected at initial registration (entry-level);

˙highlighting the importance and relevance of the competency standards to all stages of a pharmacist’s professional life; and

˙introducing the concept of advanced practice to the profession.

For full content, please refer to Source.