The document discusses the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a professional pharmacist. It outlines the oath that pharmacists take, pledging to devote their career to serving others, prioritizing patient welfare, maintaining competence, and upholding ethical standards. The oath also involves sharing knowledge and advocating for improvements to patient care. Students are reminded that becoming a pharmacist means committing to these high standards and continual learning to benefit patients.

1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A
“PROFESSIONAL”?

2. Professional Defined
a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession
b : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical
standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous,
conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the
workplace
Characteristics:
• Member of a group of experts with specialized knowledge
• Adopting the group’s code of conduct in practice
• Exhibiting specific behaviors in interactions with the individuals
served and one’s colleagues.

3. WHEN YOU WERE ACCEPTED TO
VCU SCHOOL OF PHARMACY,
YOU WERE INVITED INTO THE
PROFESSION OF PHARMACY

4. WITH THAT INVITATION COMES
EXPECTATIONS…

5. DESCRIBED BY THE OATH OF
THE PHARMACIST

6. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist

7. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
I PROMISE TO DEVOTE
MYSELF TO A LIFETIME OF
SERVICE TO OTHERS
THROUGH THE
PROFESSION OF
PHARMACY.

8. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
Education is not all
about you ‐‐ it is
about the patient

9. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
If you fail to learn
what we ask, you put
patients at risk

10. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
You need to protect
patient
confidentiality

11. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
Pharmacy school is
just the beginning of
your educational
process

12. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
You are no longer free to do and say
whatever you want. You now have a
responsibility to uphold the image of
the profession.

13. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
You need to be part of the
solution to improving
patient and public welfare.
You cannot be a bystander .

14. "I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession
of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:
--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.
--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure
optimal outcomes for my patients.
--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.
--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and
competence.
-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s
moral, ethical and legal conduct.
-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.
--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next
generation of pharmacists.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which
I am entrusted by the public.”
Oath of the Pharmacist
After you graduate and
become a pharmacist,
you need to share
what you learn with
people who come
after you

15. If you keep your oath, we pledge to do
everything we can to help you succeed. Your
success is our success.
When you graduate from VCU, you will have
met our rigorous expectations of
professionalism and academic performance.
We will only grant a degree after you have
achieved rigorous educational outcomes
established to serve the needs of patients.
Doing anything less would be a disservice to
the students, alumni, employers, profession,
public, and most of all, the patient.