Pharmacy Act, 1974 (Act No. 53 of 1974)Board NoticesCompetency Standards in South AfricaCompetency Standards for a Specialist Pharmacist who provides Clinical Pharmacy Services in South Africa2. Background |
In 2018, the South African Pharmacy Council published the reviewed competency standards for pharmacists. Competency standards have been developed and used as the basis for pharmacy education and practice since 2006. The competency standards for a pharmacist providing clinical pharmacy services are based on the competency standards for pharmacists. These competency standards for a clinical pharmacist are developed to encompass the scope of practice of a clinical pharmacist as a specialist pharmacist.
| 2.1 | THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR A CLINICAL PHARMACIST |
In addition to the acts and services which form part of the scope of practice of the pharmacist as prescribed in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of the Regulations relating to the practice of Pharmacy; a pharmacist who has completed a master’s degree in clinical pharmacy must be allowed to provide the following services or acts pertaining to the scope of practice of a clinical pharmacist:
| (a) | Provide advanced clinical services to medical specialities; |
| (b) | Take a pharmaceutical leadership role in clinical protocol and guideline development; |
| (c) | Lead clinical audits of medicine use; |
| (d) | Act as a leading pharmaceutical partner within a multi-professional healthcare team; |
| (e) | Develop, implement, evaluate and provide strategic leadership for clinical pharmacy services; |
| (f) | Appraise clinical pharmacy information, make informed decisions with the evidence available and be able to justify/defend the decisions; |
| (g) | Develop policies and procedures specifically for clinical pharmacy; |
| (h) | Provide education and training related to clinical pharmacy; or |
| (i) | Perform research, teach, and publish in clinical pharmacy. |
The scope of practice of a specialist pharmacist student is the same as the scope of practice of a specialist pharmacist practiced under the auspices of a provider.
The scope of practice of a specialist pharmacist resident is the same as the scope of practice of a specialist pharmacist practiced under the supervision of a specialist pharmacist.