Professionalism is regarded as an essential element in the field of pharmacy. Even though the term professionalism has been widely applied in everyday’s undertakings, it is ideally true that not everyone understands the meaning of the term. In fact, a majority merely believe that being professional implies having the general good manners, being ethical, polite, dressing neatly and portraying the expected behaviors at workplace.
However, such attributes might constitute professionalism, but a professional pharmacist should embrace more than just the listed traits. Most pharmacy schools tend to prepare their students for the basic professional experience edification through holding white coat ceremonies to denote the imagery behind the worn uniform. In healthcare, to colleagues and even to the patients who seek medication, the white coat that pharmacists put on is a major symbol signifying that whoever wears it, should always act in a professional way.
Professionalism in pharmacy entails a lot. For instance, in response to the ever-expanding public demand for the pharmaceutical products, care, and services, professionalism in this particular field of healthcare practice involves neatly putting on the professional attire to gain the patients trust, assuming the accountability for the drug therapy results as well as the proficient, precise and safe supply of any pharmaceutical products.
Besides, a professional must always be willing to actively care for the patients. Being patient-centered and much focused will enable a pharmacist to be the patients’ advocates by showing commitments in all aspects. For example, true professionals often yearn to achieve the best therapeutic results, aspire to attain advanced skills and knowledge in clinical medicine, represents their patients in the law courts and above all, develop traits that does not just make pharmacy an ordained occupation but also a dignified profession.
Well nurtured behaviors, ethics and attitudes such as proper timekeeping, flexibility, commitment, sociability, diligence, lenience alongside sincerity and responsibility constitute the backbone of pharmaceutical professionalism. Most characteristics of professionalism are rarely obtained or learnt from textbooks, tutorials and lectures, but they can be enthusiastically obtained and instilled via professional socialization practice.
Furthermore, professionalism in pharmacy necessitates constant attention, leadership, service orientation, covenantal association with the patient and principled sound decision making. In essence, to portray critical elements of professionalism, a professional should ignore any individual differences and jointly work with those considered to be enemies or haters.
There should be no selfishness in professionalism, but rather nobleness ought to always prevail so that the right things are done to benefit everyone and not just an individual.
Whoever has pride in the line of work is deemed a professional since he or she will actually know whenever something goes off beam and will know when exactly to intervene, what should be done during the occurrence, and measures that needs to be assumed to avert similar problems. Moreover, those who wish to be considered true professional in their respective fields of practice must be courteous, kind and considerate.
However, characteristics such as toughness, seriousness and assertiveness should be portrayed when needed. Given that professionalism requires mutual development, professional are obliged to help improve the situation that goes wrong and prevent the reoccurrence of mistakes rather than making public other professional’s mistakes. This implies that, to be professional, a person must be more than willing to understand and similarly forgive others.
In summary, I sincerely suppose that professionalism goes beyond dressing neatly or being in the professional attire and merely displaying good manners, behaviors and using enticing words at workplace. In fact, to be considered a professional pharmacist, an individual needs to be creative, innovative, accountable for the undertaken tasks, trustworthy, service oriented and must portray leadership traits as well as pride in the pursued profession.
Further, a professional should be ethically sound and rational when making decisions and must be willing to advance the acquired skills, knowledge besides maintaining the affiliation pledges with the patients or clients.