Pharmacy-specific Frame of Reference and Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists

Developments in the pharmaceutical domain require a review of the pharmacycurriculum in the Netherlands. That was the key recommendation arising from anumber of working conferences on the future of pharmacy education in 2013 and2014. Educators from both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s pharmacy degree programsparticipated in the conferences, as well as representatives from the Royal DutchPharmacists Association (KNMP).In 2015 the above mentioned parties expressed the need for a document describingthe current situation within the professional pharmaceutical domain and an updateof the 2006 pharmacy competence framework. In 2016 this resulted in two documents:1) a domain specific frame of reference describing the present state of pharmacy and2) a competency framework outlining the desired learning outcomes for pharmacistsgraduating from Universities in the Netherlands.The pharmacy-specific frame of reference outlines the current state of affairs of pharmacyin the Netherlands. It also describes a number of developments in the pharmaceuticaldomain, as well as the objectives and legal framework of pharmacy educationin the Netherlands.The pharmacist’s field of knowledge can be divided into product expertise, pharmacotherapeuticexpertise and knowledge of the efficacy of medicines. These are linked tothe pharmacist’s tasks and responsibilities in the areas of product care, pharmaceuticalpatient care, medication policy, quality care and research, education, and innovation.In the last few decades, pharmacy has evolved from a product-oriented to a patientorientedprofession. Consequently, the pharmacist now assumes a more active role indirect patient care, which requires some reorientation for the pharmacy curriculum.Future developments in the pharmacy domain are also focal points to be considered.These include new advanced routes of administration of medication, cell and genetherapy, the demand for ‘precision-medicine’, as well as a changing relationshipbetween patient and healthcare provider, with the pharmacist as a knowledge manager.This has led to the addition of new courses such as molecular biology and psychologyto the curriculum, as well as a greater need for the development of ‘new’ competencies,such as leadership