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Professionalism and Professional Standards for Pharmacists

Course Description

Professionalism and Professional Standards for Pharmacists (New Zealand) is a CPD course designed to help pharmacists understand, apply, and demonstrate professionalism in accordance with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (PCNZ).

Professionalism in pharmacy extends far beyond dispensing accuracy. It means practising with integrity, accountability, cultural safety, and compassion — ensuring every interaction supports safe, patient-centred, and equitable care. The PCNZ Code of Ethics (2018) defines professionalism as “acting with honesty and integrity to maintain public confidence and uphold the reputation of the pharmacy profession.”

This course explores the key attributes of professionalism, the consequences of lapses, and how pharmacists can demonstrate reflection, insight, and remediation when issues arise. It also provides practical guidance on maintaining professionalism in communication, documentation, interdisciplinary teamwork, and digital practice.

Course Content

Course Objectives
Course Objectives
Section 1: Introduction — Why Professionalism Matters in New Zealand Pharmacy Practice
1.1 What Professionalism Means in Pharmacy Practice
1.2 Why Professionalism Matters for Patients and Whānau
1.3 Why Professionalism Matters for the Profession and Regulators
1.4 Professionalism as Part of Pharmacist Identity
1.5 Consequences of Professional Lapses
1.6 Professionalism in Modern New Zealand Pharmacy Practice
1.7 Reflective Quiz for Section 1
Section 2: Core Attributes of Professionalism
2.1 Honesty and Integrity
2.2 Accountability
2.3 Respect and Dignity
2.4 Clinical and Professional Competence
2.5 Professional Boundaries
2.6 Communication and Collaboration
2.7 Cultural Safety and Te Tiriti Partnership
2.8 Reflection and Insight
2.9 Resilience and Professional Identity
2.10 Reflective Quiz for Section 2
Section 3: Regulator Perspectives — Pharmacy Council of New Zealand Standards
3.1 The Role of the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand
3.2 The Code of Ethics (2018)
3.3 Competence Standards for the Pharmacy Profession (2015)
3.4 Professional Misconduct and Fitness to Practise
3.5 Cultural Safety and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
3.6 Reflection, Insight, and Remediation
3.7 Shared Professional Themes Across PCNZ Guidance
3.8 Reflective Quiz for Section 3
Section 4: Common Lapses in Professionalism and Their Consequences
4.1 Dishonesty and Lack of Integrity
4.2 Poor Communication and Disrespect
4.3 Boundary Violations
4.4 Failure to Maintain Competence
4.5 Conflicts of Interest
4.6 Confidentiality and Digital Misconduct
4.7 Consequences of Professional Lapses
4.8 Reflective Quiz for Section 4
Section 5: Reflection, Insight, and Remediation in Professionalism Cases
5.1 Reflection — Honest Self-Examination
5.2 Insight — Recognising Seriousness and Impact
5.3 Remediation — Taking Corrective Action
5.4 Weak vs Strong Responses in Council Proceedings
5.5 Integration of Reflection, Insight, and Remediation
5.6 Reflective Quiz for Section 5
Section 6: Weak vs Strong Demonstrations of Professionalism
6.1 Dispensing Error
6.2 Boundary Concern
6.3 Informed Counselling Failure
6.4 Conflict of Interest
6.5 Digital Professionalism Breach
6.6 Unethical Advertising
6.7 Patterns in Weak and Strong Responses
6.8 Reflective Quiz Seaction 6
Section 7: Case Studies — Professionalism Across Pharmacy Practice Contexts
7.1 Community Pharmacy — Patient Confidentiality
7.2 Hospital Pharmacy — Cultural Safety
7.3 Aged Care — Documentation and Accountability
7.4 Digital Pharmacy — Social-Media Conduct
7.5 Clinical Pharmacy — Conflict of Interest
7.6 Rural Pharmacy — Workload and Resilience
7.7 Public Health — Communication and Collaboration
7.8 Lessons Across All Contexts
7.9 Reflective Quiz Seaction 7
Section 8: Professionalism in Communication, Documentation, and Digital Practice
8.1 Professional Communication
8.2 Professional Documentation
8.3 Digital Professionalism
8.5 Reflective Quiz Seaction 8
Section 9: Embedding Professionalism into Identity, Cultural Safety, and Resilience
9.1 Professionalism as Identity
9.2 Daily Habits that Reinforce Professionalism
9.3 Cultural Safety and Te Tiriti Partnership
9.4 Reflection and Accountability as Ongoing Practice
9.5 Building Resilience to Sustain Professionalism
9.6 Mentorship and Role Modelling
9.7 Sustaining Professionalism Across a Career
9.8 Reflective Quiz Seaction 9
Section 10: Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Post-Course Assessment
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