Fri 28 July 2023
SHPA welcomes revised PSA Standards
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) today welcomed the release of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Professional Practice Standards as an important revision to a key document underpinning pharmacy practice in Australia.
Launched at the PSA23 Conference in Sydney this morning, the Standards align core clinical activities undertaken by pharmacists against one or more of 17 standards built off the ‘medicine management cycle’, a central diagram underpinning SHPA’s Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy Services.
SHPA President Tom Simpson welcomed the release of the foundational document.
‘We welcome the release of these Standards, endorsed by SHPA, which will show pharmacists the minimum practice standards that apply to the professional activities they undertake.
‘SHPA is pleased to have recently convened the editorial committee for our update to the SHPA Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy Services, to be released in late 2024, which provide the “what” and “how” of person-centred care that underpins specialty pharmacy disciplines.
‘Upon this professional blueprint, our 22 specialty Standards of Practice – under revision and development since 2019 – provide additional detail relevant to practitioners working at extended scope as part of patient-centred care teams.’
‘Regardless of current practice scope, we invite and encourage all pharmacists to utilise this full range of practice standards.’
Mr Simpson says the multi-layered ecosystem of pharmacy practice standards reflects the growing number of career paths and specialties available to the next generation of pharmacists.
‘Expanded scope of practice is a reality across Australia today, evident in pharmacist prescribing initiatives such as embedding Partnered Pharmacist Medication Charting (PPMC) and pharmacist-led stewardship programs in antimicrobial, anticoagulant, analgesic, and antipsychotic treatments.
‘Coupled with Australia’s complementary and growing suite of practice standards, this diversification of expert knowledge is important to improving patient safety and benefits our student, intern and Early Career Pharmacists by showing them how dynamic their careers can be.’