The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) have issued a public apology and also written a letter of apology to the President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians (APTUK) after accidentally referring to pharmacy technicians as ‘pharmacist technicians’ in their council paper on one occasion.
The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) makes clear on its website that there is a risk to patient safety and public protection when there is confusion about the role of someone from whom a patient is receiving advice or care.
Consequently, the PDA and many of its members are concerned about an equally worrying trend that has been developing over time in which pharmacists are being referred to by the GPhC and others as ‘pharmacy professionals’, a term that is also used for Pharmacy Technicians. Inevitably, this results in confusion in the minds of the public and makes it more difficult for them to understand that the two roles and responsibilities are very different.
From cases handled by the PDA, it is apparent that examples of this confusion have also impacted upon the workplace. This is something about which the PDA has consistently raised concerns, but which continues to occur.
The PDA believes that the GPhC should extend the underpinning logic of its public apology, to support patient safety and proper skill mix. To ensure there is an improved understanding of the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians respectively, the GPhC and others should henceforth cease to use the unhelpful pooled term ‘pharmacy professionals’ and rely instead on the more accurate and unambiguous use of the correct terminology which is ‘pharmacists’ or ‘pharmacy technicians’, as appropriate.
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