The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has launched a national conversation to help guide the organisation’s future regulatory work and form the basis of a review of its standards of conduct, ethics and performance. Patients, people working in pharmacy and members of the general public will all be asked to share their views on what patient-centred professionalism means and how it can be facilitated.

The Council has published a discussion paper to get the national conversation started, asking questions such as ‘what characteristics does someone who is patient-centred demonstrate?’ A follow-up survey can be accessed online where responses to these questions can be given.

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said: “Given the changes in the roles of pharmacy professionals and in the public’s expectations of pharmacy, it has never been more important to have an honest and open conversation about what it means to be a pharmacy professional today and in the future.

“We know that the vast majority of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians act and behave professionally on a day-to-day basis. We also know that demonstrating professionalism is not always easy, but that doing so is fundamental to the care of patients and people who use pharmacy services.

“I invite all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to let us know what it means to them to be a professional, and for patients and the public to let us know what it is they expect from pharmacy professionals. This will help us and others in pharmacy to describe what it means to act professionally in pharmacy in the 21^st century and inform the review of our standards of conduct, ethics and performance.”