The Professional Services Area

Introduction
Pharmacy standards define the requirement for a professional services area that is distinct from the rest of the pharmacy, to ensure that a pharmacist is always available to discuss self-selection of medications with patients. Patients should have the impression that pharmacists must be involved in the selection of drugs. To this end, drugs must be located near the dispensary, with sundries located further away. Provincial legislation varies on the actual distance requirements from the dispensary.

Pharmacists can meet this standard through several mechanisms described in this unit.

Reviewers emphasized that attitudes are at least as important, if not more important, than the physical delineation of a professional services area. All dispensary personnel must display a professional attitude and look for opportunities to assist patients.

This Resource chapter supports in general Standard #6 of NAPRA's "Model Standards of Practice for Canadian Pharmacists".

"The pharmacist manages drug distribution by performing, supervising or reviewing the functions of selection, preparation, distribution and storage of drugs to ensure the safety, accuracy and quality of supplied products."

Leading Edge Practitioner Suggestions
General suggestions for the professional services area from "leading edge" pharmacists include:

• Ensure that the professional services area is clearly visible!
• The area is defined more by the personality, availability and professionalism of staff pharmacist than by any physical arrangement of space,
• It should be well organized, neat and not cluttered with signs,
• Select products carefully "it is not necessary to carry every brand",
• Avoid "mass merchandising, dump bins, sales" in the professional services area,
• Keep stands and displays to a minimum to reduce clutter and enhance professional appearance,
• Reduce noise from overhead speakers, canned music etc.,
• Lower lights (note that some practitioners expressed concern about seniors' ability to read labels and information in low-light settings).

Practitioners and graduating pharmacy students also described success with "roaming pharmacists" assigned to the professionals services area, specifically to assist patients in drug selection. Taylor et al (1995) demonstrated that proactive pharmacist intervention in drug selection results in more questions asked by patients and more influence by pharmacists on choice of medications.

More information on resources for redesign and renovation is available in the Unit on Facilities, Equipment, Supplies; Workflow and Re-design.

Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association's - "Professional Services Area"

The Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association developed a guideline document to assist pharmacists to identify several methods for delineating the Professional Services Area including:

• Use of drug caution codes,
• Variation in Décor - wall graphics, colour change in walls,
• Variation in Flooring - carpet vs. tile different floor colour, contrasting border, raising or lowering floor height,
• Variation in the ceiling - stippled vs. tile, higher or lower,
• Lowered canopy or valance/false front,
• Variation in Fixtures - shelving units of different height, contrasting colour, facing a different direction,
• Use of lighting which creates difference,
• Use of additional signage,
• Suitable physical barrier.

Sample floor plans are included in this concise two-page document prepared March 1986.

Bibliography

1. "Professional Services Area" SPhA, 1986
2. Taylor J, Stevenson M. The Effect of a Front-Shop Pharmacist on NPM Communications. Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy Vol. 12, No.3. 1995: 154 - 158