E-drug: Health professions' councils (cont'd)
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Health professions councils vary greatly in different countries. In
Zimbabwe, we had one council for all health professions. In other
countries there are different councils for different professions. The
membership of these councils also vary. In some countries they are
Ministry of Health bodies, in others there are combinations of
appointed and elected members and in others they are dominated by
the professions.
Funding for these bodies also vary, in some cases the staff are paid by
government, in others by registration fees and in others by a
combination of sources.
The responsibilities of these councils may be different also. In some
countries they have a purely registration function in others they may
also be responsible for professional standards and in other countries
they may provide or at least oversee continuing education.
My personal opinion as to the best structure is an integrated Health
Professions Council with subcommittees for different professions, a
mixed membership and funding, and responsibilities for registration,
disciplinary functions. I doubt that they are the correct bodies to do
Continuing Education, I think this should be left to the professional
organizations or the academic bodies. For the Pharmacy profession,
having a single body to regulate pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians has advantages. Being in a body when there the
professional standards of doctors pharmacists and nurses are
considered together prevents conflicts and misunderstandings.
I often worry that Essential Drug concepts have not entered
professional thinking or other professions curriculum or practices, this
may be a good way of influencing all health professionals.
Richard Laing
Richard Laing M.B. Ch.B. M.Sc. M.D. Tel 1-617-414-1444
Associate Professor, Fax 1-617-638-4476
Department of International Health, E-mail richardl@bu.edu
Boston University School of Public Health,
715 Albany Street, T4W
Boston MA 02118 USA
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