Competency frameworks for hospital pharmacists

Competency frameworks can fast track career development by identifying learning gaps so that organisations can target support precisely where it is required. The challenge is to change the mind set around competency from a tool that determines which practitioners pass or fail to one that encourages growth and pride within the profession. The profession needs to harness the technology along with validated assessment tools and techniques, with cooperation at all levels of the workforce, to create a sustainable program that is able to adapt to new challenges. To achieve professional competence, we will need to develop clever partnerships - measurable, transparent, responsive, accountable and sustainable - with all the stakeholders. I thank the SHPA Research and Development Grants Advisory Committee through the DBL Development Fund and the Women's and Children's Hospital Pharmacy Department for financial assistance to attend the symposium.