Every day in Alberta pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians provide person-centred care. What does this mean? Person-centred care is achieved when regulated members
- recognize that each patient is an individual with their own values, needs, and concerns;
- genuinely care for the well-being of each patient and act in their best interests;
- develop positive and trusting relationships with every patient;
- work with each patient to support their care and advocate on their behalf;
- respect the privacy and autonomy of every patient;
- respect the dignity and rights of every patient without prejudice; and
- have strong communication skills and are active listeners.
ACP sees pharmacists and pharmacy technicians demonstrating these qualities by putting their patients’ health goals at the forefront of the care they provide. The college supports these efforts to ensure pharmacy teams and patients achieve these goals. That’s why person-centred care is a key domain in the draft Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians (SPPPT) and is at the core of the draft standards. Person-centred care is a concept that influences the other seven domains in the draft standards and is foundational to every aspect of pharmacy practice.
The draft standards support regulated members to provide a person-centred approach that focuses on health outcomes. Within this approach, regulated members recognize their patients as partners in their care and collaborate with them while providing professional services. This helps regulated members better understand what is important to their patients. Regulated members may then adapt the care they provide to meet each patient’s health needs and goals.
“Patients are foundational to everything we do as regulated health professionals,” said Jeff Whissell, ACP’s Deputy Registrar. “Regulated members place the utmost importance on meeting the needs of patients and these standards will support them in doing so.”
Alberta is home for many diverse people and the standards support regulated members to acknowledge and respect the culture, race, religion, gender identity, age, disability, and diversity of their patients. Regulated members must also consider how these individual factors interact with the health system to impact patient care.
“Given the diversity of patients in Alberta, regulated members need to ensure they create an inclusive, culturally safe environment in their practice,” said Monty Stanowich, ACP Policy Lead and Compliance Officer. “An inclusive environment is a space where patients feel safe, valued, and encouraged to discuss their expectations, goals, and concerns about their care.”
The draft standards help establish a mutual understanding of the expectations of the care between a regulated member and each patient. Having this common understanding will help harmonize the standard of pharmacy care across Alberta so that patients receive quality pharmacy care regardless of where they receive professional services.
ACP would like your feedback! Please review the draft SPPPT and provide your comments via the consultation. The deadline for feedback is 4:30 p.m. MT on July 12, 2023.
