The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, in collaboration with the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and the Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland, has updated its professional standards that support pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy teams responding to patient safety incidents.

The revised standards describe expectations and outcomes to help pharmacy professionals, regardless of setting, practice or level of expertise, demonstrate good professional practice, patient safety and systems of care, says the RPS.

They also provide a framework for reflecting, reporting and recording incidents, sharing learning, taking action, and reviewing and evaluating incidents as part of a patient safety culture, the Society adds.

The updated standards, which replace the 2016 version, include new supporting resources; clarity around expectations and outcomes; cover all roles and sectors within pharmacy; and contain new guidance from the GPhC and NHS England.

RPS guidance manager Regina Ahmed said: “The professional standards and guidance ... provide a framework to support pharmacy professionals to develop their professional practice, improve services, shape future services and deliver high quality patient care. Their implementation will help demonstrate the patient safety culture we wish to see in all pharmacy teams.”