Towards a Global Competency Framework

Towards a Global Competency Framework

By: Andreia Bruno, Ian Bates, Tina Brock, Claire Anderson
Publication: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education2010; 74 (3) Article 56.

Abstract

To achieve a high quality global infrastructure for pharmacy, the educational system should be mapped to the required competencies of pharmacists to provide the relevant pharmaceutical services for meeting the health needs in any given country context. While no one national model may be appropriate for all systems, there are significant global health and labor and market drivers which suggest that a competency-based approach is sensible and sustainable for workforce development.

Before a competency framework is introduced, it is necessary to ask: What are the cultural implications influencing the understanding of pharmacist competency? What are the challenges and barriers to acceptance of a global competency framework? What are pharmacists’ personal attitudes towards competency? To address these questions, pharmacists representing the WHO UNESCO FIP Pharmacy Education Taskforce led a workshop at the International Social Pharmacy Workshop (2008, New Zealand). During the session, participants discussed 3 different case scenarios created to explore the possibility of achieving an international understanding about competency in the pharmacy profession.