Pharmacy Act, 1974 (Act No. 53 of 1974) Board Notice 2018 Competency Standards for Pharmacists in South Africa Definitions

 

Antimicrobial stewardship:

A coordinated programme that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials, improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms.

 

Behavioural competency:

Typical behaviour observed when effective performers apply motives, traits or skills to job relevant tasks.

 

Competence:

Ability to carry out a job or task. The evaluation of competence is based on the exit level outcomes (ELO) developed for the pharmacy profession.

 

Competency:

A quality or characteristic of a person related to effective or superior . Competency consists of aspects such as attitudes, motives, traits and skills.

 

Continuing education (CE):

A structured process of education designed or intended to support the continuous development of pharmacists to maintain and enhance their professional competence. CE does not necessarily equate to adequate learning to attain the competence of the professional, hence the profession increasingly adopts continuing professional development (CPD) worldwide as the way to ensure professional competence.

 

Continuing professional development (CPD):

A process by which registered persons continually ensure and enhance their competence throughout their professional careers. CPD encompasses a range of activities including continuing education and supplementary training.

 

Culturally sensitive manner:

Cultural sensitivity allows a person to respond in a respectful and appropriate manner to different types of people in a way that recognises and affirms their worth, regardless of their cultural background.

 

Cultural awareness:

A person’s understanding of the differences between themselves and people from other countries or other backgrounds, especially differences in attitudes and values.

 

Domain:

Represents an organised cluster of competencies within a framework and the domains, with associated competencies.

 

Evidence-based practice:

The use of good quality evidence to make sound clinical decisions.

 

Exit level outcome (ELO):

A performance indicator based on standards that are measurable; often demonstrated through products or behaviours. The preregistration programme is based on a set of ELOs that describe the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of an entry level pharmacist. These ELOs form the basis for the (new) BPharm curriculum registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

 

GxP:

A general term for guidelines for good manufacturing, clinical, laboratory, storage or distribution practices.

 

Life-long learning:

All learning activities throughout life that improve knowledge, skills and competence within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related field.

 

Palliative care:

An approach used to improve the quality of life of individuals and their families who face problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and/or physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues.

 

Sector:

A major field of professional activity in a defined environment such as the community, institutional (hospital), manufacturing and wholesale, academia, consultancy and administration areas.

 

Supply chain management:

The management of the flow of goods and services. It involves the movement and storage of raw materials, of work-in-process inventory, and of finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption by the patient.