The public must know that they are accessing pharmacy services when visiting a pharmacy.
If a pharmacy team chooses to use the concept of “clinic” when identifying or advertising their pharmacy, they must hold themselves out as a pharmacy and differentiate their services from that of a medical clinic.
In other words, if the term “clinic” or “walk-in clinic” is used in the advertising for a pharmacy, the word “pharmacy” or “pharmacist” must also be used (e.g., “pharmacy walk-in clinic” or “pharmacist-led walk-in clinic”) and it must be abundantly clear that the walk-in service is a part of the licensed pharmacy (e.g., “pharmacy walk-in clinic at [pharmacy name]”).
Pharmacy teams must not advertise their “clinic” services or services they provide as pharmacy professionals in a manner that a member of the public could reasonably expect to receive the services of another healthcare professional such as a physician or nurse practitioner when they access the pharmacy.
Pharmacy teams using the concept of “clinic” must also ensure that regulated members on the pharmacy team have the competencies necessary to deliver and take responsibility for the services they say they can provide to the public. It is critical that pharmacists only provide services within the pharmacists’ scope of practice and reflect on their own personal competencies and limitations when providing services to individuals. Pharmacists should not provide services they are not competent to provide or that are outside of their scope of practice. This includes knowing when to consult with or refer an individual to another healthcare provider.
Professional services remain the same
Whether a pharmacy team identifies its pharmacy as a “pharmacy clinic” or not, the same care is expected to be provided to the public by any community pharmacy, with regulated members practising within their scopes, complying with the standards, and living the Code of Ethics. This will contribute to Albertans consistently receiving safe and quality care.
Some pharmacies identifying or advertising themselves as “walk-in pharmacy clinics” have added more private consultation rooms in the patient services area of their pharmacy for pharmacists to conduct patient assessments. However, the patient services area of a pharmacy must continue to be directly adjacent to the dispensary.
Naming the pharmacy
As per the Pharmacy and Drug Regulation (PDA), pharmacies must select a name under which the pharmacy will operate, and ACP must approve this operating name. The public must know, without any risk of confusion, that they are seeking pharmacy services from a pharmacy. This is best achieved by ensuring signage and advertising use the approved name of the pharmacy consistently and throughout all spaces where pharmacy and professional services are provided.
Pharmacy advertising
All advertising, including physical and digital, must include the approved operating name of the pharmacy. When the term “clinic” is used in signage and advertising, the approved pharmacy name must be used in priority to make clear to the public that a pharmacist is providing the professional services. Section 24(1) of the PDA requires that pharmacies and regulated members must not engage in advertising that is untruthful, inaccurate, or otherwise capable of misleading or misinforming the public.
Important points to remember
What remains critically important for pharmacists who assess individuals and prescribe medications is that they
- understand the limitations of their personal competence when assessing individuals and provide care within those limitations;
- conduct complete assessments, and only treat individuals when they have sufficient information to make informed decisions; and
- continue to collaborate with other members of an individual’s health team to ensure optimum care is being provided.