Pharmacists must make their views on the Responsible Pharmacist regulations heard if the flawed rules are to be improved to enable better practice and patient care, urges the Pharmacists’ Defence Association. Around 2,000 pharmacists are being asked for their views this month as part of a national review of the regulations that was prompted by pressure from the PDA.
Selected pharmacists have been mailed a questionnaire asking for their opinions and experiences of the regulations to date. The PDA urges these pharmacists to consider the issues carefully, and update themselves on the implications if necessary, before completing the questionnaire.
“This is the one big opportunity that we have to make a difference – we should all work on this together to tell the government what should happen,” says PDA chairman Mark Koziol. “Let’s hope that this review is a genuine attempt by the government to put right the mistakes of the past.”
Since the RP regulations went live in October 2009, PDA members have reported that they are causing significant operational problems, limiting pharmacists’ professional autonomy and diluting public protection. The ‘two hour absence’ rule has been exploited by some large employers to exclude pharmacists from certain pharmacy operations and reduce their operational costs. And the regulations have not only introduced new criminal sanctions for pharmacists, but also increased the risk of individual liability from professional and criminal sanctions against RPs for matters largely outside of their control. Effective lobbying by the PDA persuaded the government that a review was necessary and triggered the current research, which is being conducted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The PDA highlights the following issues that need consideration as part of the review:
- The RP must be given the appropriate level of autonomy and authority to take charge of matters for which they can be called to account
- The absence provision must be reconsidered, so that RPs can never be obliged to be absent by employers, reasons for absences must be recorded, and activities that can be carried out during an absence are specified
- A modern, patient facing definition of supervision must be included
- Hospitals should be exempt from the regulations.
The PDA urges all pharmacists to visit its website, in order to familiarise themselves with the relevant issues before completing their questionnaire.