Pharmacy Daily | Why standards matter more than ever

AUSTRALIAN Pharmacy Council CEO Bronwyn Clark (pictured)provides a perspective on the role of accreditation standards and their significance in ensuring public trust and safety as pharmacist scope of practice expands.

AS PHARMACISTS increasingly step into clinical spaces, prescribing, diagnosing and managing patient care, a critical question emerges: How do we ensure public trust and safety?

The answer lies in standards.

Accreditation standards are the quiet force shaping safe, effective and patient-centred care.

As healthcare professionals undertake further training to expand their scope of practice, standards are the backbone of public trust and professional accountability.

Accreditation standards ensure both pharmacy graduates and practising pharmacists looking to upskill are equipped to serve diverse communities, collaborate across healthcare teams, and treat people as people - not just as cases or prescriptions.

Pharmacists are required to meet their CPD obligations through undertaking ongoing training with reputable, high-quality organisations that support safe and contemporary practice, many of whom are developing their own quality standards to ensure this is upheld.

Alongside the need for expanded roles comes the need for clear, trusted standards that underpin training.

They assure the public and the broader healthcare community that a pharmacist is ready and qualified to deliver additional services.

In the absence of such standards, it's not surprising that both healthcare professionals and the public may hesitate - without standards, uncertainty grows.

Questions like "How do I know my pharmacist is safe to prescribe this medicine?" are valid, and accreditation standards are designed to answer them.

Our standards align with the National Prescribing Competencies Framework and embed essential clinical skills, ensuring pharmacists are prepared, safe and supported.

While Australia has been slower than some other nations in empowering pharmacists to work to their full scope, recent reforms signal a shift that I welcome wholeheartedly - expanding scope isn't just about professional growth, it's about meeting the needs of our communities.

As scope evolves, standards must evolve in tandem to ensure safety, consistency, and confidence across the healthcare system.

Working together is critical.

Our communities are relying on pharmacists to collaborate, on health professions to support one another, and on leaders to make decisions that serve the public good.

Interprofessional education is now a foundational element of our undergraduate training.

Our standards empower pharmacists to work confidently across diverse settings, integrating smoothly into broader healthcare teams.

Working to full scope means to understand referral pathways.

Pharmacists are often naturally the first point of contact for primary healthcare conditions, and pharmacists frequently refer people on to GPs or emergency rooms.

Full scope training includes clear guidance on referral and documentation - key elements of prescribing standards that support continuity of care and reduce fragmentation, ensuring that all healthcare providers are on the same page.

It supports continuity, builds trust, and enables pharmacists to safely take on expanded roles within a well-connected system.

Our approach to developing standards is a collaborative, consultative and rigorous process - one that reflects the values of the profession and the expectations of the public.

The development process includes the voices of consumers, students, Indigenous communities, academics, and a broad range of stakeholders through our Accreditation Committee, Working Groups and public consultations.

This has been an evolution - this inclusive approach is now a requirement under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, which mandates that all accreditation authorities engage meaningfully with stakeholders.

As pharmacists continue to expand their roles, standards will remain our compass, ensuring that progress is not only possible, but safe, ethical and patient-centred.

This is an extract from the article 'Unleashing the full potential of pharmacists: Why standards matter more than ever'- read it in full HERE.