RPS members urged to support development of Society’s guidance and standards

Left to right, Christopher John, Cathy Picton, Ruth Wakeman

With less than one week to go until the RPS closes its consultation on the draft Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services, Cathy Picton, professional secretary to the RPS Hospital Expert Advisory Group (HEAG), has urged members to make sure their opinions are heard. Members have until 11 September 2017 to respond to the draft, and can do so through the RPS website.

Picton was speaking at the RPS Conference on 4 September 2017, where she joined Ruth Wakeman, associate director of professional standards and support at the RPS, and Christopher John, the Society’s workforce development lead, to co-chair a session on what the RPS is doing to support hospital pharmacy.

During the session, Picton also called on members to support the update to the Society’s ‘Safe and secure handling of medicines’ guidance. Also known as the “Duthie guidance”, the draft text will open for consultation in October or November 2017. “I can’t stress enough now much we want involvement from members — please do get in touch,” Picton told attendees. “There is always space: this is an enormous task.”

In other news on guidance and standards, Ruth Wakeman said that ‘Professional standards for homecare services’, first published in 2013 and regularly refreshed since, was currently being updated to include a self-assessment audit and should be published by the end of the year.

Members can also expect to see an updated ‘ultimate guide’ for aspiring chief pharmacists — the latest draft has now been refined to include additional information and guidance relevant across the three nations of the RPS. This, Wakeman said, should be published on the RPS website by the end of the year.

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Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, RPS members urged to support development of Society's guidance and standards;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2017.20203502

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