The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) is an independent statutory body created as a result of the recognition of the pharmacy profession by the legislature in South Africa, as a specific occupational group.
What do they do?
The SAPC is established in terms of the Pharmacy Act, 1974 (Act 53 of 1974). The SAPC is run by a council consisting of twenty–five (25) members with the mandate of ensuring the provision of quality pharmaceutical services in South Africa by developing, enhancing, and upholding universally acceptable standards, professional ethics and conduct, ongoing competence and pharmaceutical care.
The mission of the SAPC is to ensure the provision of quality pharmaceutical services in South Africa by developing, enhancing and upholding:
- Universally acceptable standards
- Professional ethics and conduct
- Ongoing competence
- Pharmaceutical care
Being an independent statutory council, which receives no grants or subsidies from government or any other source, the body is wholly funded by the registered members of the profession, which exists to enable the public to have access to pharmacists and pharmacist’s assistants, who are competent to practise. The council is vested with statutory powers of peer review and is responsible for funding itself. By implementing the mandate of a register of such persons being necessary, the SAPC in this regard therefore has two duties to discharge viz –
- to ensure that pharmacists and pharmacist’s assistants admitted to the registers of Council are competent; and
- to remove the names of those pharmacists and pharmacist’s assistants who are unfit to practise.
Ensuring compliance and the highest ethical and quality standards are upheld, the Council holds the view that a person registered with the Council should at all times endeavour to act in the interests of promoting public health. As such, a pharmacist should maintain and enhance the honour and dignity of pharmacy and refrain from any activity which may discredit his/her profession. The Council is empowered to inquire into and deal with any complaint, charge or allegation which may be brought before it in any manner whatsoever.
The SAPC exists to protect the public by improving health outcomes, by assisting in promoting access to sustainable quality pharmacy services by embracing the use of innovation and technology, ensuring quality pharmaceutical services by developing, enhancing and upholding universally acceptable education and practice standards through stakeholder engagement; and promoting the dignity of the profession through professional ethics and conduct, and ongoing competence.
At Immploy, we strive to ensure that all our medical professionals and locums adhere to the mandates of their respective councils, to provide quality healthcare in improving the quality of life, for all South Africans.
If you are a qualified locum and would like to apply for one of our locum positions, visit our job portal at jobs.immploy.com
For more information about the SAPC, visit https://www.pharmcouncil.co.za.
