DANISH PHARMACONOMIST A PROFESSION WITH A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

DANISH PHARMACONOMIST A PROFESSION WITH A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

BACKGROUND AND AIMS This project focuses on the core competences Danish pharmaconomists receive through their education and their work areas. The core competences are professional knowledge, ethical approach and sense of accountability. Competent pharmaconomists contribute in a professional manner to the Danish and global health systems with the aim of reducing the global burden of diseases. The education of pharmaconomists is a three-year health care education with 23 weeks of courses that takes place at the Danish College of Pharmacy Practice, combined with day-to-day work at a tutoring pharmacy be it community pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy (students are primarily at the pharmacy). The education of pharmaconomists is rated to three full-year equivalents or 180 ETCS points. The students build up competences for exams but more importantly achieve professional, personal and social core competences. They also improve their capabilities to learn new skills and to acquire qualifications in lifelong learning. METHODS This project covers knowledge about the content of the curriculum in the Danish Education of Pharmaconomists and gives an overview of pharmaconomists work areas in various sectors.

EDUCATION Content year 1 3 courses of 3 weeks at the college Written exam: basic exam Content year 2 2 courses of 3 weeks at the college 2 decentralised study days Stationing 1 (2 weeks) Oral exam: Counselling 1 Content year 3 Optional subject : * 2 courses of 3 weeks 1 course of 2 weeks Stationing 2 (2 weeks) Project and exam Written exam: Presentation portfolio Oral exam: Counselling 2 Written exam: Pharmacy *Examples of optional subjects are: Clinical pharmacy in community pharmacy Clinical pharmacy at the hospital, in particular medicine service Drug manufacture at the hospital, in particular aseptic service production Health promotion and disease prevention Quality management Sales and marketing Organisation, management and collaboration Presentation skills

COMPETENCES The subjects that are given during the education comprise a large variety of themes. These subjects can be divided into three themes. Here is a short overwiew: Humanistic: Communication Psychology Medico-pharmaceutical: Pathology Pharmacology Pharmaceuticals Socio-pharmaceutical: Social pharmacy (reasons for compliance or non-compliance) Clinical pharmacy To suggest over-the-counter drugs based on the principles of rational pharmacotherapy To give advice on drug forms To carry out control, including pharmacological checking of prescriptions and handling of prescriptions, drug requisitions, dose dispensing cards and prescription forms Organisation and management Law Quality management

WORK AREAS AND RESULTS COMMUNITY PHARMACIES 2825 pharmaconomists work in Danish community pharmacies, making them the largest employer of pharmaconomists in Denmark. The majority of the employees in the pharmacies are pharmaconomists (incomparison a total of 867 pharmacists at community pharmacies). In Denmark, prescription medicine can only be redeemed at pharmacies. Other types of medicine such as headache tablets/ painkillers can be bought without a prescription at pharmacies and in supermarkets, but the pharmacies are the only place where customers provided with professional counselling. Pharmaconomists are qualified to check prescriptions and provide the correct medication to the right patient, with the correct dose depending on the treatment. They also complete the final check on the prescription. In addition to that, pharmaconomists provide professional counselling to the customers at the counter, in the correct use and compliance of the medication. Counselling includes asking the right questions about personal details, information about interactions, side-effects, strength, dose, correct storage and type of drug. It also includes need-assessed counselling and self-care. This counselling is for both prescription medicines and OTC drugs. They are skilled to solve problems, with support from colleagues and know how to refer patients to the doctor or hospital if needed. Also communication in the forms of empathetic and confrontational counselling with customers as well as pharmacists, doctors and nurses is very important in the day-to-day work.

Besides professional counselling, pharmaconomists work with Good Pharmacy Practice, quality assurance, health promotion and disease prevention e.g smoking cessation courses and check of asthma inhaler devices for patients with respiratory diseases. A growing trend shows new technologies e.g. robotic storage and dispensing, unit dose medication and online-services. Pharmaconomists are qualified to fulfil these types of services. Vaccination programs are also in progress. HOSPITALS pharmaconomists work in hospitals mainly at hospital 720 pharmacies, the second largest area where pharmaconomists are employed. Clinical pharmaconomists provide both medicine service and clinical pharmacy including recording medical history from patients. Medicine service includes providing medicine to the units, correct storage of medicine, rational pharmacotherapy, answering questions from the nurses and doctors at the Ward. Clinical pharmacy includes medicine dispensing, administration and recording of medical history from patients. At some places pharmaconomists manage the discharge of patients. A close dialogue and cooperation with other health care professionals is very important and provides the basics for the work progression. Drug manufacturing and compounding including extemporaneous preparation, aseptic service production is a work area as well. The practice of manufacturing drugs according to GMP regulations and quality law is a must. Pharmaconomists receive the hospital prescription, and prepare the preparation. The final check is done by a pharmacist. Moreover pharmaconomists can also work with Good Distributions Practice, logistics, human resources and information.

THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND OTHER PRIVATE OWNED COMPANIES pharmaconomists are registered working in other 394 business e.g the pharmaceutical industry. There are a lot of different job opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry such as administrative tasks, logistics, IT, customer service, marketing, promotion and consultants work in direct contact with the customers etc. Registration and quality work tasks is another important work field for pharmaconomists in the industry. This includes quality control, clinical trial and clinical support, registration of new drugs, updating information on medicine packets and registration of adverse effects (pharmacovigilance). Drug compounding and drug production are popular areas as well. Pharmaconomists use the skills from the practical training in the laboratory. IN GROUP MEDICAL CENTERS/PRACTICES pharmaconomists work in medical centers. 50 Medical secretaries are the primary workforce in medical centers. The work includes different things e.g. data management and prescription/medication management. The work not only involves administration, but also guidance and counselling of patients in the clinic and on the phone. Throughout pharmaconomists educational training, they have learned how to acquire new information and many of them have been provided special permission to complete various tests such as urine and blood tests. In practice, pharmaconomists apply valuable competences as professional communicators with other health care professionals, knowledge from the health care system, law, health promotion and disease prevention.

MUNICIPALITIES, STATE AND PUBLICLY-OWNED INSTITUTIONS pharmaconomists are employed in municipalities. 10 The municipalities still constitute a minor work field for pharmaconomists. The tasks in this area are typically quality assurance, working at a nursing home or in health care centers. pharmaconomists work in the state. The state is a small 40 area that includes The Danish Health Authority, the National Danish Central Laboratory, and Copenhagen University. Tasks include quality control, administration, teaching, drug-manufacturing and logistics. CONCLUSION Identical for pharmaconomists in various sectors Danish pharmaconomists are trained to identify medical errors, warning signals and drug related problems. They are skilled to ask the right questions at the right time in layman s terms. This is essential to the role and it contributes to an effective and professional healthcare system. Danish pharmaconomists work independently as they are qualified and allowed to perform and complete services on their own. They have high level of responsibility, and the core competences: professional knowledge, ethical approach and sense of accountability, they acquire throughout their educational programme helps them perfect the responsibility and requirements. Author: Raagaard, Ann Moon, amr@farmakonom.dk Danish Association of Pharmaconomists, Skindergade 45-47, DK - 1159 Copenhagen, Denmark FIP 2016