University of Hertfordshire: Pharmacy Law and Ethics Report

This report delves into the crucial intersection of pharmacy law and ethics, particularly within the context of the Master of Pharmacy program at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. It explores the significance of both law and ethics in shaping the conduct of pharmacists and the regulation of their behavior. The report highlights the application of Bloom's Taxonomy and Honey and Mumford's learning styles in teaching pharmacy law and ethics, emphasizing the need to educate ethically aware pharmacists. It differentiates between pharmacy law, which provides minimum standards of conduct, and ethics, which offer aspirational guidelines, and discusses the roles of regulatory bodies like the General Pharmaceutical Council. The report outlines the learning outcomes related to understanding legal frameworks, legislation, and ethical dilemmas, with a focus on preparing students to navigate the complexities of professional practice. It also examines the teaching methodologies, including lectures and seminars, to ensure students achieve higher-order cognitive skills. The report references key sources and the role of Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professions in maintain the standard of professional practice.

Running head: PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
Pharmacy Law and Ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
A study of pharmacy law is a significant part to understand the functions of the
pharmacist and the regulation of their behaviour. Law and ethics, being an important subject
matter for the traditional functions of the pharmacists, is largely introduced as a module in the
program of Master of Pharmacy at the University of Hertfordshire, in UK. The module
provides variety of styles for the teaching pharmacy law from various levels of eponymous
taxonomy of Bloom to educate ethically aware pharmacists.
Gallgher in his article, Building on Bloom: a paradigm for teaching pharmacy law and
ethics from the UK, has recognised that Bloom, in 1956, explored for the first time, the
concept of the cognitive domain (Gallagher, 2011). The theory endeavours to outline the
teaching and learning practice in modern time. Honey and Mumford has classified learners as
theorists, activists, pragmatists and reflectors. They are able to function at an educational
development level which is correlated to a prudent level in the hierarchy of Bloom’s
paradigm.
In the pharmacy practice, law and ethics undertakes to fulfil and regulate overlapping
functions. Ethics in pharmacy practice, are aspirational, which provides behavioural
guidelines in the society. Ethics are enforced by a voluntary commitment to a standard by an
individual member. The pharmacy law provides a minimum standard of conduct which is
expected from a governing society (Merrills & Fisher, 2013). The law sets out punishment for
its non-compliance. Professional ethics could be found in the codes like State Boards of
Pharmacy Codes of Professional Conduct in Unites States or Medicine, Ethics and practice in
UK. On the other hand, legal guidelines are provided in the statutes or the decision of the
court. However, the law enacted is based on some ethical values, no matter how the ethical
principles and legal principles differ from each other. Though pharmacy law is comprised of
a set of rules, which is to be followed; the ethics in this practice is a rational and subtle
subject, which is flexible for several teaching styles.

PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
Royal Pharmaceutical society of Great Britain had the responsibility for the regulation
of the conduct of the Pharmacists, in UK until 2010. The responsibility is now given on the
General Pharmaceutical Council. The purpose of teaching pharmacy law in UK was to
prevent the student from facing a disgrace in the court and their fitness practice machinery or
their regulatory body. Law is introduced to provide a minimum expected conduct for the
pharmacy practices, rather than setting an aspirational standard. The teaching of pharmacy
law, provides knowledge about the statutes to the student, which has its effect on pharmacy
practices to require sanctions from the Court or a hearing of General Pharmaceutical Council.
They are made aware of the rigidity of English Law to avoid such conflict. The pharmacy
regulator aims to impose a consequence to the pharmacists who violates the rules and code of
ethics. The program aims to recognise and impose obligations relating to the pharmacy
practice on the students. The program is also aimed at providing a knowledge and
comprehension of the law relating to the pharmacy practice and the role of Royal
Pharmaceutical Society, Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professions in maintain the
standard of professional practice. The learning outcome derived from these aims are to
describe the role and significance of law and the sources of law and nature of the litigation. It
is about being able to display knowledge of principle legislation and cases related to the
pharmacy practice. The program describes the organisation of NHS, the complaints and the
disciplinary procedures. The outcomes were mainly formulated to make sure that the students
are not exposed to disciplinary procedures of the professional regulators of theirs. It requires
the student to satisfy the requirements in the lower level of the cognitive domain. Teaching of
law is can be achieved through lectures and working knowledge transmitted to the student.
The moral teaching style is reinforced by seminars, which operates at the higher order of the
cognitive domain. This gives an opportunity to the student to apply knowledge at a higher
order.

PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
The pharmacy ethics endeavours to distinguish between legal and ethical dilemmas in
the pharmacy. It describes the concept of moral and ethical conduct, basic principles and
theories of ethics, and their application to pharmacy. The ability of moral judgement,
professional responsibility, and legal standard of care are discussed in the ethics module. It
develops a structured and systematic approach to ethical decision making with the help of
gathering required facts, prioritising values and choosing the appropriate option. It also
enhances the interpersonal skills to apply ethical decisions in a humane and sensitive manner.
The learning outcomes of pharmacy ethics, considers in a rational manner, the position of
others. The higher levels of the Taxonomy of Bloom, are expected to meet these outcomes.
The students are required to discuss the ethical theories to develop the higher level skills to
engage in the discussion, evaluation and synthesis of the ethics of pharmacy and health care.
The teaching lesson for the small groups begins with a short lecture to convey the necessary
language for evaluation of the readings of the student. The basic moral behaviours expected
from the pharmacists is outlined by the General Pharmaceutical Council in their Code of
Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians circulated to the pharmacists. The standard
of Code of Conduct for Pharmacy Students also applies to student, who are aspiring to be
Pharmacists, since 2009. Students those are meeting with the learning outcomes are
successfully making choices as a professional.
The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives of Bloom is in addition or supplement of
the other theory of teaching pharmacy law. The learning styles provided by Honey and
Mumford, highlights the other teaching method to be used to help the students reach the
higher order of the cognitive domain. Pharmacy law has been laid down in a rigid structure,
and student are required to have this knowledge to reach to the higher level. The pharmacy
ethics requires a less rigid knowledge base as ethics are driven by intuitive values of the
students. However, law is based on jurisdiction of pharmacists practice, but the ethical

PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
behaviour of the pharmacists are universal around the common law jurisdiction. The author
believed that the model would satisfy the ethical and legal educational needs of the pharmacy
students, by substituting the law and ethics from the territorial extent.

PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS
References:
Gallagher, C. T. (2011). Building on Bloom: a paradigm for teaching pharmacy law and
ethics from the UK. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 3(1), 71-76.
Merrills, J., & Fisher, J. (2013). Pharmacy law and practice. Academic Press.