WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A “PROFESSIONAL”?

Professional Defined

a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession

b : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace

Characteristics:

• Member of a group of experts with specialized knowledge

• Adopting the group’s code of conduct in practice

• Exhibiting specific behaviors in interactions with the individuals served and one’s colleagues.

WHEN YOU WERE ACCEPTED TO VCU SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, YOU WERE INVITED INTO THE PROFESSION OF PHARMACY

WITH THAT INVITATION COMES EXPECTATIONS…

DESCRIBED BY THE OATH OF THE PHARMACIST

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

I PROMISE TO DEVOTE MYSELF TO A LIFETIME OF

SERVICE TO OTHERS THROUGH THE

PROFESSION OF PHARMACY.

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

Education is not all about you ‐‐ it is about the patient

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

If you fail to learn what we ask, you put 

patients at risk

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

You need to protect patient 

confidentiality

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

Pharmacy school is just the beginning of your educational 

process

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

You are no longer free to do and say whatever you want. You now have a responsibility to uphold the image of 

the profession.

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

You need to be part of the solution to improving 

patient and public welfare. You cannot be a bystander .

"I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow, I will:

--consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.--apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.--respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.--accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.-- hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.-- embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.--utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Oath of the Pharmacist

After you graduate and become a pharmacist,you need to sharewhat you learn with people who come 

after you 

If you keep your oath, we pledge to do everything we can to help you succeed. Your success is our success.

When you graduate from VCU, you will have met our rigorous expectations of professionalism and academic performance.

We will only grant a degree after you have achieved rigorous educational outcomes established to serve the needs of patients.

Doing anything less would be a disservice to the students, alumni, employers, profession, public, and most of all, the patient.