Demonstrating professionalism is a continuous process that develops with experience. It is ensuring that standards do not slip even when there are external pressures and other influencing factors. It is recognising that an individual’s actions, behaviour and attitude reflect on the whole profession. Professional judgement requires critical thinking skills and the ability to objectively analyse the information available to produce the best possible outcome. 

Look at the following scenarios and consider how you would deal with each situation.

Scenario 1: Amoxicillin

The following scenario is based on a real life situation that has happened in community pharmacy.

You are a pharmacy technician working in community pharmacy with locum pharmacist Callum Dorchester for the day. Callum has worked with you before and likes to complete the final accuracy checks of all prescriptions and give out medicines himself.

Janine Knight, a 26-year-old patient, comes in to collect her prescription for a seven-day course of amoxicillin 500mg capsules three times a day. Callum checks the patient’s details and gives out the prescription. You overhear the consultation and Callum telling Janine that because she takes Microgynon she will need to use an additional form of contraception for the next 14 days. You know that current guidance states that this is not necessary unless the patient is experiencing vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Consider:

• What action would you take?
• What would you need to take into consideration when dealing with this situation?
• How would you explain and justify your decision?

Scenario 2: Returned medicines

A pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician, Cerys Evans, produces a reflective account about returning medicines into stock as part of the evidence for her qualification to become a pharmacy technician. Her activity report details how a patient returned three, unused Clenil Modulite 200 microgram inhalers to the pharmacy. Cerys describes how she adjusted the stock levels on the computer system, removed dispensing labels with the patient’s name from the product and put the unused medicines back into stock. Consider:

• What action would you take?
• What would you need to take into consideration when dealing with this situation?
• How would you explain and justify your decision?