Columbia University College of Pharmacy - Apothekan Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 13 text:

Pharmacy does not lack standards for its aims, relations with the public as well as with the allied professions, and the conduct of those in practice as Pharmacists. The Code of Ethics of the American Pharmaceu- tical Association and similar codes adopted by several state pharmaceutical associations provide adequate . guides for the professional and vj-GAjetueU Mete ae commcrcial activities inddental f to the conduct of a Pharmacy. I have little doubt that the great majority of Pharmacists are acting in accordance with certain features of these codes even though they have never read them. They are based on ■■ the principles of fair dealing and self respect. There are two other factors in this matter of public acceptance of the Pharmacist as a professional person which warrant mention. One is the attitude of Pharmacists toward their profession. The other is the fact that Pharmacy involves the sale of professional service as well as merchandise in distinction to other pro- fessionals who are only called upon to sell service. All too often the public regards the Pharmacy as merely a store at which they may purchase almost anything at any time and this is largely responsible for the idea that the Pharmacist is a merchant. We must con- cede that in certain instances this view is justified by an undue stressing of merchandising both in articles for which the drug store is a recognized outlet and those entirely foreign. The man on the street sees little differ- ence between a window covered by or filled with advertising of cut-rates on medicinal or toilet articles and one similarly occupied by advertising of meats or other foodstuffs at reduced prices. This similarity causes him to class the Pharmacist with the butcher and on this evidence it is reason- able for him to consider both as merchants. This is but one example of what doubts about the professional status of Pharmacy rest upon and there are others. Cosmetics, toilet articles, cameras, candy and the soda fountain have all been so long associated with the Pharmacy that these nonprofessional activities ma} ' be regarded as within the province of the average Pharmacy. Furthermore, these average Pharmacies usually main- tain a nice balance between these merchandising activities and the profes- sional service. Unfortunately the undesirable extremes of super-mer- chandising attract more attention and have greater weight in molding public opinion. How can you and other graduates, past, present and future increase the professional prestige of Pharmacy? I will mention three ways in which you can do this. First — respect Pharmacy, for by so doing you will create respect for it by others. Second — show others that you respect it by speaking, acting and dressing as professional persons in your con- tacts with the public as well as those with members of the other health professions. Third — if you have control of a Pharmacy, let its appearance be such as to create no doubt that Pharmacy is a profession. Pharmacists know that the basic reason for the existence of a Phar- macv is the professional service it renders to the public, both in dispensing and the sale of medicinal articles. Their collective respect for Pharmacy on this score is the surest way to command the respect of others and this is essential to acknowledged professional status. T .

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DEAN BALLARD L T ndoubtedly extensions of the education prerequisite for licensure have had and will have some effect on wider public acceptance of Phar- macy as a profession, but thus far this has not been as great as could be desired. Something else aside from education appears to be involved in this matter of professional status and it is this something else I bring to your attention in this message. Before going further let us see what distinguishes the professional person from the business man or the mechanic. The word ' profession ' is defined in the dictionaries as the occupation, if not commercial, mechani- cal, agricultural or the like, to which one devotes himself and cites the professions of theology, medicine and law as examples. Conformity to the standards of conduct, aims and qualities characteristic of the particular profession are mentioned as attributes of the professional person. While Pharmacy in the store field may not entirely correspond with the above definition of a profession, Pharmacists can readily qualify as professional persons under the second if they are so minded. We in Pharmacy recognize that the store field which the majority of graduates enter, has both professional and business aspects and also that either of these may be emphasized according to the preference of the in- dividual or force of circumstances. The trend toward Professional Phar- macies is commendable and if all Pharmacies were of this type, the claim of Pharmacists to professional status in the eyes of the public would be greatly strengthened. But under our system of free enterprise this surest means of impressing the public appears to be remote. However, this does not preclude the possibility of the Pharmacist establishing himself as a professional person through conformity to the standards of his profession.

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Apxtthehast Bta Standing left to right — Alan Reep, Jean If ' . Baer, Harold Sheinaus, Irving Rcimer, Maxwell Spivack, Keva H. Lesker. Sitting left to right— Robert IV. Culp, Marilyn Y. Bcdik, Marvin Ehrenbcrg, Bernard H. Palais, Robert Friedman, Judith G. Feinsand. CO-EDITORS Marvin Ehrenberg Robert Friednun Photography Bernard Palais EDITORIAL STAFF Marilyn Y. Bedik Keva H. Lesker Judith G. Feinsand Alan Reep Jean W. Baer Irving Reimer Robert W. Culp Harold Sheinaus Maxwell Spivac!; FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Fanchon Hart 10