Professional Competency #2: Provide Drug Information - NAPRA

Competency Element Required Performance Indicators Examples of activities that might prove fulfilment of
Required Performance Indicators
2.1 (Continued) Accurately identify and name the tertiary and
secondary resources available to appropriately
respond to the request for information or
recommendations.
2.2 A pharmacist
must retrieve
information from
relevant sources.
Accurately manage requests for information or
recommendations that are beyond their capabilities.
Optional Performance Indicators reflecting
advanced or exemplary practice:
Accurately and efficiently locate relevant
primary literature or resources based on
extensive knowledge base and experience in a
specialized field of pharmacy practice
Consistently recognize and respond appropriately to
the time frame requirements for a question or
request for recommendation.
Systematically access reliable information in a
timely and accurate manner.
Regularly use professional judgement to determine
when sufficient, appropriate information has been
obtained
Optional Performance Indicators reflecting
advanced or exemplary practice:
Routinely and efficiently retrieve the information
necessary to provide recommendations about
all drugs, including herbal and complementary
medicines.
Obtain the required information in an efficient
manner.
Maintain an up-to-date and complete collection
of primary literature relevant to his/her practice.
16 Model Standards of Practice for Canadian Pharmacists
The pharmacist assesses whether the Compendium of
Pharmaceutical Specialties, American Hospital Formulary
Service Drug Information or Therapeutic Choices provides
appropriate information; determines if reference must be
made to provincial antibiotic guidelines; identifies if
information should be accessed from drug information or
government web sites.
The pharmacist identifies other pharmacists or health care
professionals available to provide required information;
consults with the appropriate experts or refers the requestor
to the appropriate source of information.
Examples of activities that might prove fulfilment of
Optional Performance Indicator:
The pharmacist refers to specific studies that address
the request; maintains a network of contacts in
specialized fields of practice
The pharmacist responds rapidly to physician’s request for
information required to prescribe for a patient in his/her
office; considers workload and time available before
promising a time frame for a response for more complicated
information.
The pharmacist obtains the appropriate information from
tertiary resources, the Internet, pharmacists or other health
care professionals.
The pharmacist does not rely on a single, general text when
newer references or DI bulletins are available; acknowledges
when sufficient reliable information is not available to
respond accurately to the request.
Examples of activities that might prove fulfilment of
Optional Performance Indicator:
The pharmacist has an extensive knowledge of sources
and types of drug information and selects the
appropriate source; employs a structured systematic
approach for responding to requests; utilizes a
structured systematic approach for documenting
questions and responses and makes use of such a
system to facilitate responses to similar questions;
completes primary literature searches appropriately and
efficiently.
— Continued