Standards for Chief Pharmacists

Our standards for Chief Pharmacists to set out the responsibilities, knowledge, conduct, and performance required by a Chief Pharmacist or equivalent role to support their organisation and staff to deliver safe and effective pharmacy services.

Chief Pharmacists (or equivalent with a different job title) have a vital leadership role in making sure pharmacy services are delivered safely and effectively. They usually work in hospitals or settings such as care homes, some Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), some ambulance trusts, prisons, and other places.

We developed the standards for Chief Pharmacists following legislative orders which remove the threat of criminal sanctions for inadvertent preparation and dispensing errors for pharmacy staff working in hospitals and similar settings. These defences already applied to pharmacy staff working in registered pharmacies.

To benefit from the defences as set out in the order, the hospital (or relevant setting) must have a Chief Pharmacist or equivalent in post, who must be a registered pharmacist with the appropriate skills, training, and experience; and who must meet the standards for Chief Pharmacists.

To meet the standards, Chief Pharmacists must:

  • provide strategic and professional leadership
  • develop a workforce with the right skills, knowledge, and experience
  • delegate responsibly and make sure there are clear lines of accountability
  • maintain and strengthen governance to ensure safe and effective delivery of pharmacy services

They must also meet the standards for pharmacy professionals, which need to be met by all pharmacy professionals.

Strengthening pharmacy governance

Developing these new standards is part of our strengthening pharmacy governance work, which aims to provide clarity around how pharmacies are organised and managed to help us to make sure patients and the public continue to receive safe and effective pharmacy care.

In the future we will also be developing and consulting on rules and standards for Responsible Pharmacists, and standards for Superintendent Pharmacists. 
 

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