Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists
Course Description
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists (New Zealand) is a CPD course designed to help pharmacists understand, apply, and demonstrate ethical behaviour in line with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (PCNZ) Code of Ethics (2018).
Pharmacists are trusted guardians of medicines and patient safety. Their ethical responsibilities include confidentiality, informed consent, honesty, cultural safety, and the responsible stewardship of medicines and information.
This course explores the four core ethical principles — autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice — alongside the PCNZ’s professional obligations, Te Tiriti principles, and New Zealand’s legal frameworks for pharmacy practice.
Through regulator-aligned guidance and realistic case studies, learners gain practical strategies to navigate ethical dilemmas, demonstrate reflection and remediation, and uphold professional integrity in community, hospital, and clinical-pharmacy settings.
Course Content
Course Objectives
Course Objectives
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Section 1 — Why Ethics Matters in New Zealand Pharmacy Practice
1.1 The Role of Ethics in Pharmacy
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1.2 Why the Pharmacy Council Prioritises Ethics
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1.3 Ethics and Professional Identity in Aotearoa
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1.4 Consequences of Ethical Lapses
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1.5 Why Ethics Matters Now More Than Ever
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1.6 Reflective Quiz
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Section 2 — Core Ethical Principles — Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Justice
2.1 Autonomy — Respecting Patient Choice
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2.2 Beneficence — Acting in the Patient’s Best Interest
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2.3 Non-Maleficence — “Do No Harm”
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2.4 Justice — Fairness and Equity in Care
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2.5 Balancing Principles in Practice
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2.6 Reflective Quiz
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Section 3 — PCNZ Code of Ethics (2018): Key Ethical Expectations
3.1 Obligation 1 — Make the Health and Wellbeing of Patients Your First Concern
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3.2 Obligation 2 — Act with Honesty and Integrity
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3.3 Obligation 3 — Provide Competent and Safe Care
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3.4 Obligation 4 — Respect and Protect Patient Confidentiality
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3.5 Obligation 5 — Promote Equity and Cultural Safety
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3.6 Accountability and Transparency
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3.7 Digital Professionalism
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3.8 Reflective Quiz
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Section 4 — Common Ethical Dilemmas in Pharmacy Practice in Aotearoa
4.1 Informed Refusal vs Beneficence
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4.2 Confidentiality vs Duty to Protect
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4.3 Cultural Safety and Patient Choice
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4.4 Conflicts of Interest and Commercial Pressure
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4.5 Digital Professionalism and Social Media
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4.6 Supply of Restricted or High-Risk Medicines
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4.7 Errors and Disclosure
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4.8 Inter-Professional Conflicts
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4.9 Reflective Quiz
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Section 5 — Confidentiality, Digital Professionalism, and Privacy (Health Information Privacy Code 2020)
5.1 The Ethical Duty of Confidentiality
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5.2 Legal Framework — Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code 2020
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5.3 Confidentiality in the Digital Era
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5.4 Digital Professionalism and Social Media
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5.5 Telehealth and Remote Pharmacy Services
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5.6 Consequences of Breaches
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5.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 6 — Probity, Honesty, and Accountability in Pharmacy Practice (New Zealand)
6.1 Probity as a Core Ethical Duty
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6.2 Honesty in Documentation and Communication
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6.3 Financial Integrity and Conflicts of Interest
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6.4 Accountability in Practice
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6.5 Consequences of Breaching Probity and Accountability
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6.6 Building a Culture of Probity and Accountability
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6.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 7 — Weak vs Strong Ethical Responses — Case Comparisons
7.1 Dispensing Error
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7.2 Consent and Patient Autonomy
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7.3 Boundary Concern
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7.4 Financial Misconduct
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7.5 Disrespectful Communication
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7.6 Cultural Safety Lapse
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7.7 Lessons Across Cases
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7.8 Reflective Quiz
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Section 8 — Demonstrating Ethics in Fitness-to-Practise and Remediation Processes
8.1 Why Ethical Demonstration Matters
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8.2 How the PCNZ Assesses Ethical Behaviour
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8.3 Weak vs Strong Demonstrations
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8.4 Evidence That Reassures the PCNZ
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8.5 Remediation Portfolios in New Zealand
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8.6 Long-Term Monitoring and Ethical Growth
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8.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 9 — Embedding Ethics into Professional Identity and Resilience
9.1 Ethics as Professional Identity
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9.2 Daily Ethical Habits
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9.3 Reflection and Accountability as Ongoing Practice
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9.4 Building Resilience to Sustain Ethics
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9.5 Mentorship and Role Modelling
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9.6 Sustaining Ethics Across a Career
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9.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 10: Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
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Post-Course Assessment
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