The document outlines the professional responsibilities of community pharmacists, emphasizing their role in dispensing medications, providing personalized health advice, and ensuring good pharmacy practices. It highlights key responsibilities such as processing prescriptions, counseling patients, and promoting public health initiatives. Furthermore, it details the standards and regulatory framework governing pharmacy practice in India, including the significance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for maintaining quality and consistency in pharmaceutical services.

1. Prof. Vaishali P. Argade
Lecturer in PRES, Institute of Pharmacy, Loni
Email:vaishali.argade@pravara.in
Mobile:9158813767
1
7/25/2024 By-Ms. Argade V. P.
Chapter 2: Professional Responsibilities
of Community Pharmacist
COMMUNITY PHARMACY and Management (20222)
Second year diploma in pharmacy

2. Learning Outcomes
After completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Professional responsibilities of community pharmacists
2. The concept of Good Pharmacy Practice
3. The concept of SOPs
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3. COMMUNITY PHARMACIST
“Community pharmacist is the professional
who dispenses medicines with
a prescription and in certain cases without a
prescription where applicable (OTC
drugs).”
Community pharmacists are considered to be
the most accessible health
professional to the public, as they are
available to provide personalized advice
about health and medicine on a walk-in
basis, without the need for an
appointment.
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4. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS
Traditionally, the role of the community pharmacist is to provide medications
to Patients based on a prescription from their physician doctor. Following are
the responsibility of Community pharmacist:
1. Processing of prescription: Community pharmacist check prescription
order from the physician and prepare medicine for the patient.
2. Checking for drug interaction: Community pharmacist make sure that
the medicines and doses are appropriate considering health factors and other
medicine under used by patients.
3. Dispensing of medicine: A community pharmacist labels the
medication correctly with instruction for the patient about how and when to
take the medicine. He dispenser medicine with a prescription and in certain
cases without a prescription as for OTC drugs.
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5. 4. Disposal of medicines: Community pharmacist collects unwanted,
used/ unused medicine from patient and disposes them safely as per disposal
guidelines.
5. Counselling: Community pharmacist gives direction to the patient
regarding administration of the drug like quantity to be taken, frequency of
administration, route of administration etc.
Community pharmacist support patient through personal counselling to make
Health Care choices such food habits, importance of exercise, regular check up
etc.
6. Women welfare and Infant care: Community pharmacists guide the
mother in the matter of personal hygiene and management. They encourage
breastfeeding and can play a major role by guiding the mother for the
protection of the child by following proper immunization schedule.
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6. 7. Patient education: Community pharmacist can educate people in the
prevention of HIV /AIDS or other communicable infection by explaining to
what HIV is, its transmission, risk reduction etc
8. Alcohol drug abuse and smoking cessation: Community pharmacist
help individuals who are dependent of alcohol and drug abuse. They take an
active role in helping the smokers to stop smoking and advising on the
products available to assist the patient in giving up smoking.
9. Nutrition Counselling: Community pharmacist can make significant
contributions in assuring adequate nutrition by advising his patients about
basic food needs, keeping to correct improper food habits in children,
suggesting special diet instructions for diabetic patients and people with food
allergy.
10. Family planning: Community pharmacist talks about various family
planning measures available in the market and educate the people and
convince them about the advantages of having small families.
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7. GOOD PHARMACY PRACTICE (GPP)
• GPP is the practice of pharmacy that responds to the needs of the people who
use the pharmacist’s services. To support this practice it is essential that there
be an established national framework of quality standards and guidelines.
• The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has adopted International
guidelines for good pharmacy practice at its meeting held on 5th September
1993 and expected that based on these guidelines standard should be used by
Pharmaceutical organizations and governments of different countries. FIP
document on “Good Pharmacy Practice 1993” describing the guidelines to
provide quality Pharmaceutical care to the society.
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8. • Requirements of good pharmacy practice
• A. Pharmacist's first concern must be the welfare of the patients.
• B. The core of the pharmacy activity is the supply of medication and other
health care products of assured quality, appropriate information, advice for
the patient, and monitoring the effects of their use.
• C. The promotion of rational and economic prescribing and appropriate
medicine use.
• D. The objective of each element of pharmacy service is relevant to the
individual, is clearly defined and is effectively communicated to all those
involved.
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9. Elements & standards for GPP
1. Health Promotion, ill health prevention and achieving health
objectives
2. Supply of medicines and their rational use
3. Selfcare activities involving advice and where appropriate supply of
medications for self treatment
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10. 1. Premises:
Premises from which pharmacist could provide services to the patient should
having adequate space. Premises should be maintained clean, tidy and hygienic
Provide adequate space for storage, repacking, dispensing and distribution of
medicine, including security, adequate light, protection from exposure to
excessive light and heat.
2. Dispensing:
During dispensing the pharmacist should ensure that the right patient received
the appropriate medicine in the correct dose and form. Pharmacist should
check the prescription for its authenticity, identity of patient, name of the
medicine or devices before dispensing.
Pharmacist should give the necessary instructions about action of prescribed
drug, quantity of product to be dispensed, find out Useful information about
prescription, check correctness of prescribers instructions, method of preparing
medicine, container, label and make appropriate record must before handover
the medicine
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11. 3. Containers: This standard is aim to preserve the integrity of
the medicinal product for example tablet or capsule are displaced in
• Airtight plastic wallet
• Airtight rigid container
• Airtight rigid container with the child resistance closure
• The manufacturer's original packaging
Liquid preparation should be dispensed in pharmaceutical grade
bottles so as to distinguish them from non- pharmaceutical
preparation.
Poisonous products or products intended for external use should be
packed in distinguishable bottles. Recycled containers may be used
if it is adequately clean internally and externally.
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12. 4. Labeling:
Labeling is aim to exclusively identify the content of the container, to instruct
the patient on the proper use of the medicine. The minimum requirements for a
label are:
• Generic name and strength of the medicine
• Dose frequency and duration of course if applicable
• Date of dispensing
• Name of patient
• Name, address of supplier
• Child safety warning
• Auxiliary label such as keep out of reach of children
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13. 5. Instructions to patient
Instruction standard is aim to ensure that the patient knows how and when to
administered the medicinal product. Counselling is a professional responsibility of
every pharmacist so every pharmacist must develop the Counselling skills to
ensure GPP and rational drug use
counselling covers;
• Name of medication,
• Removal of medicine from the pack should be demonstrated (Ex-how to
remove suppository wrapping, open the safety containers using caps to screw tubes
and pressing of content from the base of collapsible tube etc) pharmacist are
required to verify dose, dosage interval and duration of therapy.
• They should explain contraindications and state about the food, drinks or
drug to be avoided.
• They should instruct on what should be done if side effect occurs.
• Patients should be advised not to use left over drugs and about storage
and disposal of left over drugs. Ideally it is return to the pharmacy for a proper
disposal.
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14. 6. Records:
Standard for records are aimed to facilitate patient care and provide an audit
trial. Their requirements are to follow steps given below;
Step 1: Record of all medicine supplied should be kept detailing name of the
patient, name and strength of the medicine, dosage, quantity supplied and date
of dispensing
Step 2: Individual patient medicine record should be maintained in the system
manually or computerised which allows for easy retrieval of patient
information.
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15. 7. Health information and pharmaceutical care: It aim to promote good
health and prevent ill health. Its requirement are that all personnel working in
the pharmacy should be trained and equipped in terms of literature and support
material to give advice on general health matter as well as more specific
information and Services relating to medicines supply by them. In terms of the
provision of the service the following steps should be followed
Step 1: Provide Health Promotion literature and support material on General
Health
Step 2: Provide an area suitable for the delivery of basic information,
counselling and Pharmaceutical care
Step 3: Provide a separate, confidential room or facility for the above activity
8. Self medication: These standards are aimed to ensure that the advice
is accurate & appropriate.
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16. GPP IN INDIA
Pharmacy Practice Regulation 2015 was enforced by PCI New Delhi to regulate
pharmacy practice in India. Following are some of the important provision of this
regulation;
1. The dispenser of drugs should be carried out by the qualified registered
pharmacist only
2. The renting of registration certificate to Pharmacy owner is strictly
prohibited
3. The pharmacist who rented their registration certificate without attending
dispensing services considered as misconduct and subjected for cancellation of
their registration certificate permanently.
4. The pharmacist during working time should wear a white clean apron,
black badge plate consists of pharmacists name and registration number.
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17. 5. The registration certificate should be displayed visible to the public.
6. Pharmacists should provide their professional services like patient
counseling, adverse drug reaction reporting and primary care to all minor
ailments. For this purpose a separate cell should be arranged within the
pharmacies.
7. Pharmacist may charge consultation fees for their professional
service.
8. In case of drug dispensed by unqualified persons instead of qualified
pharmacist, public may lodge their complaint against pharmacist directly to the
registrar of state or central pharmacy council under section 14(b) of chapter 9
of PPR 2015 for the violation of section 42 of Pharmacy act 1948 or call
9490800808 for any assistance regarding the process and format of complaint.
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18. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES-SOPS
SOP is a document which describe as to how the activity should be performed
systematically in a stepwise manner.
In a Pharmacy many of the activities are regularly and repeatedly perform. The
purpose of sop is to ensure that the operations are performed correctly and always
in the same manner. SOP should be available at the place of work.
Aim/ Objective of SOP
• SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and conformity of
performance
• To ensure regulatory compliance
• To carry out process correctly and always in the same manner
• To provide quality service
• SOP are essential to implement GPP
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19. Advantages of SOPs
1. They can assist with quality assurance, ensuring that patients receive a
service that meets certain predefined standards.
2. They ensure consistency, which helps to maintain the level of service
offered and therefore maintain good pharmaceutical practice at all times.
4. They set out clear lines of accountability, ensuring that staffs are aware of
their own responsibilities.
5. They help part-time staff to understand the processes and running of the
pharmacy. They are useful templates in the training of new staff.
6. They provide additional information for the audit process
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20. Ideal qualities of SOP
• It should be precise
• It should not include irrelevant information
• It should be short but comprehensive
• It should be written in professional language avoid informal language
• It should be reviewed by third person
• It should be clearly worded, easy to read and having short and simple
steps
• It needs to be validated
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21. Preparation of SOP
1. Objective: Purpose of SOP
2. Scope: Area of work to be covered
3. Stages of process: Description of how task is carried out
4. Responsibility: Who is responsible for carrying out procedure
5. Other useful information: How SOP is audited
6. Review: Show how process is monitored to ensure that it remain up to
date and relevant
7. Title of SOP
8. Publication or revision date
9. Name of organization
10. Name and signature of those who prepare and approve the SOP.
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22. Reference
1.Community Pharmacy & Management, By Dr.V D Tambe,Brilliant
publication.
2.Community Pharmacy & Management, By Dr. Adhikrao Yadav, Nirali
Prakashan
3. Community Pharmacy & Management, By Dr. Ashok Hajare, Nirali
Prakashan

23. Thank you………..
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