This document outlines the code of ethics for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It discusses seven core principles that guide the profession: (1) make patient care the top priority, (2) use professional judgement in the patient and public's interest, (3) show respect for others, (4) encourage patient participation, (5) develop professional knowledge, (6) be honest and trustworthy, and (7) take responsibility for work practices. Each principle is then further explained and examples are given of its application to ensure patient safety, public trust, and high ethical standards within the profession.

1. PHAR324
Code of Ethics for Pharmacists
and Pharmacy Technicians
Teacher : Aseel Samaro
Areej abu Hanieh 1130234
Wafa’a Beiruti
Angelica Nagla Avdella
Aseel Omari
Date: 24/11/2015

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The Code of Ethics sets out the principles that you must follow as a pharmacist or pharmacy
technician, these principles are intended to guide and support the work you do and the decisions you
make, they also inform the general public of the standards of behavior that can be expected from the
pharmacy professions.
The Code is founded on seven principles which express the values central to the identity of the
pharmacy professions, and making these principles part of your professional life, will maintain patient
safety and public confidence in the professions.
These seven principles are:
1. Make the care of patients your first concern.
2. Exercise your professional judgment in the interests of patients and the public.
3. Show respect for others.
4. Encourage patients to participate in decisions about their care.
5. Develop your professional knowledge and competence.
6. Be honest and trustworthy.
7. Take responsibility for your working practices.
First code of ethics ;
 Make the care of patients your first concern, what does this mean?!!
The care and safety of the patients must be the centre of everyday professional practice; they must
be your primary and continuing concern when practicing, irrespective of your field of work.
1. Provide a proper level of practice and care for whom you treat with.
2. Take steps to keep the patient’s health safe, particularly children and other vulnerable
individuals.
3. Promote the health of patients.
4. Ask for all relevant information required to assess an individual’s needs and provide
appropriate treatment and care. (Where necessary, refer patients to other health or social care
professionals or other relevant organizations).
5. Ensure safe and timely access of medicines, and take steps to be satisfied of the clinical
suitability of medicines supplied to patients.
6. Promote the effective use of medicines and be satisfied that patients know how to use their
medicines.
7. Be sure of the quality of products to be supplied to patients.
8. Maintain timely, accurate records and include all relevant information in a clear form.
9. Ensure you have access to the facilities, equipment and materials necessary to provide services
at professionally accepted standards.

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10. Undertake regular reviews, and risk estimations to improve the quality of services and
minimize risks to patient and public safety.
Second code of ethics :
- Use your professional judgment in the interests of patients and the public and promote family.
It is very important for the pharmacist to has the ability to make balance between his life as citizen and
his personal life and his life as pharmacist that he should treat the patient consider on his role as health
care professional as the patient health is the most priority , in addition , not let the financial target to
compromise your main goal of patient health in priority .
1. Endeavour to collaborate with other health professionals to achieve optimal medicines
related health outcomes for patients and the community.
It is very important to collaborate with other health professional , not just pharmacist but also
physician , for example :
A study was done at group of pharmacist and another physician group about collaboration in
Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada and its benefit , their goal for the collaboration.
So , They asked them about , the attitudes and experience with collaborative practice, preferred
communication methods, perceived role of pharmacists, areas for more collaboration and
barriers to collaborative practice.
As for their goals of collaboration was :
A physician and pharmacist has differing opinion about collaboration , but for physician the
goal of collaboration is to improve patient compliance , and support in insurance approvals ,
while pharmacist would like to collaborate to improve their counseling information and drug
related problem for patient.
2. Provide high standards of service and patient focused care within the resources
available.
When Pharmacists counsel and give care for patients they should consider three important aims:
 Deliver high quality-patient centered care to achieve the best outcomes and patient
satisfaction.
 To improve the access of any patient to the health care services.
 To put the best standards to ensure patient safety.
How to achieve these targets?
 To ensure that the Health care services, drugs and the time is proper for the patients.
 Ways that allow the patient to connect to the Pharmacist easily and in any time.
 Pharmacist must consider patient privacy.
 Educational materials about the disease and drugs, how to deal with the disease and how
to use the drug.
 Coordinated care among Medical staff and the Pharmacist.

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3. Ensure that all information provided to healthcare providers, patients and the
community is accurate and objective and is given in a manner designed to ensure it is
understood.
Providing the right information for patient or other pharmacist or physician is very
important and crucial to decrease the amount of error as possible as , as this error may be
life threatening for the patient ,
A study has done in American approved that more than 50% approved that make a mistake
in dose , and 25% approved that they gave the wrong medicine m about half of them caught
the error by themselves , and the rest by patient and patient family in addition of drug
interaction case hospitalized.
The cause of errors:
1- Work load or high prescription volume , for example , 47% approved that they make
error in dispensing for those pharmacist who dispense less than 100 prescription in a
day , while this percentage increase for those who prescribe more than 100 prescription
in a day to 60%.
2- Distraction
3- Lack of support.
4- Look-alike/ sound-alike drug name .
5- Illegible handwriting.
6- Inadequate time for counseling.
4. Be prepared to challenge the judgment of colleagues and other health or social care
professionals if you have reason to believe that their decisions could compromise the
safety or care of others, also we should advocate for the patient.
Clinical pharmacist as a part of the medical staff should always consider the opinions and
views of other members (Doctors, nurses, another PharmD, or even the pharmacists) in
the medical field, because they may have very important views and opinions about the
cases we didn’t realize them, so we should always hear from the medical staff or the
patient’s family or the patient himself, in order to achieve the best treatment for the patient,
also, as a clinical pharmacists we have the responsibility to give instructions and tips for the
medical staff about the medications and how they affect the patient, we have to do our best
to reduce the errors occur during giving prescriptions. We should speak for the patients,
because most likely the patients don’t know anything about drugs and how they affect
them.
5. Be fair and equitable when responsible for the allocation of health resources, balancing
the needs of patients and society and make best use of the resources available.
6. In an emergency take appropriate action to provide care and reduce risks to patients and
the public, taking into account your competence and other options for assistance or care
available.

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The pharmacists should act properly during emergencies, to save the patient, reduce medical
errors and also the pharmacist should be aware about his own safety during emergencies.
Emergency Pharmacist (Pharmacist in the emergency departments):
Emergency pharmacist is responsible for many tasks:
1- To chose the best medication.
2- Request the drugs.
3- Prepare the medications.
4- Give the medicine for the patient.
Control and observation of the patient condition after giving the medication.
The absence of an Emergency Pharmacist will affect the patient health; because there is no
pharmacist to check up the drugs or to prepare them properly and there is no Pharmacist to
be involved during medical decisions which increase the errors risk. Studies showed that
with absence of a pharmacist in the emergency department 4% of the patient will receive
the wrong drugs, and 6% will leave the hospital with wrong prescriptions.
Pediatric emergency cases are the most important cases in which a pharmacist must be
involved, because doses should be adjusted according to the child weight and his age, studies showed
that approximately 100 children from every 1000 will receive wrong prescription because of the
absence of a pharmacist in the emergency department.
Emergency pharmacist can also act as an extra measurement for controlling and
prevention of medical errors especially for high risk drugs and infants who are under
one year or lower than 10 kg.
7. Provide all services within the context that public funds are made available and provide
only those services that the patient requires.
8. Only claim appropriate benefits or reasonable remuneration for services provided and
at all times.
Pharmacist should ask for reasonable Benefits and payments, we can’t use our experience
to get more money from the patients or the business owner (Pharmacy or hospital).
Third code of ethics - SHOW RESPECT FOR OTHERS
SHOW RESPECT FOR OTHERS
respect is fundamental in professionally appropriate relationships with patients, colleagues and
others with whom you come into contact with. ( Healthcare providers)
YOU MUST :
1. Recognise diversity and respect the cultural differences, values and beliefs of others.

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-ensure they receive services appropriate to their needs, and in a way that respects and acknowledges
their individual and cultural values and beliefs
-ensure people with disabilities receive services appropriate to their needs
2. Treat others politely and considerately. Maintain proper professional boundaries in your
relationships with patients, and ensure that such a relationship will neither exploit nor harm nor have
the potential to exploit or harm the patient, carer or the family of the patient
3. Make sure your views about a person’s lifestyle, beliefs, race, gender, age, sexuality, disability or
other perceived status do not alter their treatment or care
4. Ensure that if your religious or moral beliefs prevent you from providing a particular professional
service, the relevant persons or authorities are informed of this and patients are referred to alternative
providers for the service they require.
5. Respect and protect the privacy of others. Prevent accidental disclosure or unauthorised access to
confidential information and ensure that you do not disclose confidential information without
permission (permitted to do so by the law or in exceptional circumstances)
6 . Obtain consent for the professional services, treatment or care you provide and the patient
information you use.
7. Use information obtained in the course of professional practice only for the purposes for which it
was given or where otherwise lawful.
8. Take all reasonable steps to ensure appropriate levels of privacy for patient consultations.
9. Develop and maintain effective, professional relationships with colleagues and other healthcare
providers (social)
10. Respect the special competencies and responsibilities of your own and other professions, and of the
institutions, statutory and voluntary agencies that make up your working environment.
11. Demonstrate concern and compassion for colleagues in need.
12. Take appropriate steps to maintain the confidence and trust placed in colleagues and other
healthcare providers by patients.
(Do not make any statements that could harm their reputation or harm the relationship they have with
patients )