Definition of a Patient-Pharmacist Relationship (Resolution 113-2-17)

Resolution No: 113-2-17
Title: Definition of a Patient-Pharmacist Relationship
Action: PASS

WHEREAS, a patient-physician relationship is generally formed when a physician agrees to assume care for a patient. Once the physician consensually enters into a relationship with a patient in any of these ways, a legal obligation is established in which the physician owes a duty to that patient to continue to treat or properly terminate the relationship; and

WHEREAS, when a patient-physician relationship is established, the physician has an ethical and legal duty to continue care and not to abandon the patient; and

WHEREAS, the pharmacist’s role in their patients’ health care is rapidly expanding due to the pharmacist’s expertise, accessibility, and the shortage of primary care providers; and

WHEREAS, the pharmacist’s role continues to change and evolve as a patient care advocate, prescriber, disease treatment manager, protector, and educator; the patient should be informed as to how the pharmacist will honor and legally act in response to the patient’s health care matters; and

WHEREAS, other health care professional relationships have definitions, which provide patients with an understanding of the trust, ethical, and patient-centric behaviors required of other health care professionals; and

WHEREAS, the definition of a patient-pharmacist relationship has never been adopted;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NABP convene a task force that includes appropriate stakeholders to examine this issue and recommend amending, if necessary, the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to include a definition of a patient-pharmacist relationship.

(Resolution passed at the 113^th Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.)