Pharmacy professionalism and the digital age

Pharmacists' perceptions of professionalism on social networking sites

BACKGROUND

Social networking sites (SNS) are a new venue for communication, and health care professionals, like the general population, are using them extensively. However, their behavior on SNS may influence public perceptions about their professionalism.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored how pharmacists separate professional and personal information and activities on SNS, their perceptions of professional behavior on SNS, and opinions on guidelines in this area.

METHODS

In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with international practising pharmacists (n = 31) recruited from a range of countries (n = 9). Initially, pharmacists known to the research team were invited, and thereafter, participants were recruited using a snowballing technique. The interviews lasted from 30 to 120 min. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

A majority of participants mixed professional and personal information and activities on SNS, and about one third adopted a separation strategy where professional information and activities were clearly separated from personal ones (e.g. two different SNS accounts, or one particular SNS for professional use and another platform for personal purposes). Most participants expressed concern over how pharmacists present themselves and behave in SNS when they reported (un)professional behaviors of peers they had observed. Examples of perceived unprofessional behaviors included revealing details of personal life and activities; open complaints about the pharmacy sector, co-workers, physicians, and patients; inappropriate description of pharmacists' roles and activities; and breaches of patient confidentiality. Positive professional behaviors, such as expression of compassion for patients, examples of effective patient management, promotion of pharmacists' role, and correction of misleading health information being spread online were also observed. There was no consensus on having professional social media guidelines. Some preferred SNS to be unregulated while most believed certain guidance was needed to maintain high professional standards in the online environment.

CONCLUSIONS

A definitive strategy to separate professional and personal information and activities on SNS was not adopted by most pharmacists. E-professionalism issues could negatively impact on the standing of individual practitioners and the profession. Most agreed that education about SNS use would be beneficial; however, support for guidelines or regulations for pharmacists' use of SNS was not unanimous.

Early Introduction to Professional and Ethical Dilemmas in a Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory Course

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of an early professional development series in a pharmaceutical care laboratory (PCL) course on first-year pharmacy students' perceptions of the importance of professional attitudes and action.

DESIGN

Three hundred thirty-four first-year students enrolled in a PCL course participated in a new required learning activity centered on development of professional attitudes and behaviors. Students discussed situational dilemmas in pharmacy practice in small groups, highlighting application of the Oath of a Pharmacist and the Pharmacists' Code of Ethics.

ASSESSMENT

Students completed an optional questionnaire at the beginning and end of the semester to assess change in their attitudes and behaviors related to professionalism in pharmacy practice.

CONCLUSION

While students entered their training with a strong appreciation for professionalism, they felt more confident in applying the Oath of a Pharmacist and the Pharmacists Code of Ethics to dilemmas in practice following the new learning activity.

Use and views on social networking sites of pharmacy students in the United kingdom

Objective. To investigate students' use and views on social networking sites and assess differences in attitudes between genders and years in the program.Methods. All pharmacy undergraduate students were invited via e-mail to complete an electronic questionnaire consisting of 21 questions relating to social networking.Results. Most (91.8%) of the 377 respondents reported using social networking Web sites, with 98.6% using Facebook and 33.7% using Twitter. Female students were more likely than male students to agree that they had been made sufficiently aware of the professional behavior expected of them when using social networking sites (76.6% vs 58.1% p=0.002) and to agree that students should have the same professional standards whether on placement or using social networking sites (76.3% vs 61.6%; p<0.001).Conclusions. A high level of social networking use and potentially inappropriate attitudes towards professionalism were found among pharmacy students. Further training may be useful to ensure pharmacy students are aware of how to apply codes of conduct when using social networking sites.