In a step aimed at providing quality medicinal services,  the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has introduced a new appraisal system for pharmacists.

Based on the Model Standards of Practice for Canadian Pharmacists, the appraisal system is aimed at benchmarking staff performance at HMC’s pharmacies against international standards.

Dr Mozah al-Hail, executive director of HMC’s Pharmacy Department, said the newly-adopted performance appraisal system would help improve overall performance and detect points of weakness,  forming a basis for staff performance improvement plans.

“The system incorporates the latest international standards applied in pharmacist performance appraisal. Compared with the old system, the new one is more accurate, fair, comprehensive and clear. It promotes competition and innovation amongst staff, and puts more focus on measurable performance standards
for patient care,” al-Hail said.

A workshop aimed at familiarising the supervisory and managerial staff with the new performance appraisal system was held in Doha recently, with 50 supervisors and pharmacy managers from the corporation’s Pharmacy Department in attendance.

The training day focused on the importance of conducting proper appraisals of pharmacists based on the internationally-recognised standards of the profession, and highlighting the impact of this practice at corporate and individual levels.

The workshop featured a citation of the major components of the system and how they should be applied, as well as outlining the differences between the old and new appraisal systems. Case studies to assess professional competence of pharmacists were also reviewed.

Qatar has been taking regular steps to better the quality of the medicine dispensing system in the private sector also by adopting measures that would eliminate the possibility of errors in healthcare.

As part of such a measure, only licensed pharmacists are authorised to dispense medicines to the public in the country. Selling medicines in the absence of a licensed pharmacist can lead to strict action against the pharmacy, including a cancellation of the licence.

Dr Aisha Ibrahim al-Ansari, director of the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department at the Supreme Council of Health, has recently called on the public to report if they come across such violations of the law.

“Workers in a pharmacy should not deal with medicines in the absence of the licensed pharmacist. They are not authorised to carry out this job, according to the law. Their job is to take care of the shelves, not to dispense medicines. If they are found doing that, it can lead to a cancellation of the licence (of the pharmacy),” al-Ansari said in an interview with a local Arabic daily.

She said another major violation was poor storage of medicines by suppliers and pharmacists, which has led to stern action in the past.

If a medicine that is supposed to be stored in a fridge is kept on a shelf, it is considered a violation and it will be removed. Such action will follow if a refrigerator in a pharmacy is not functioning.

 

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