1.2 PSI Core Competency Framework and MPharm Standard

1.2 PSI Core Competency Framework and MPharm Standard

Educational Benchmark: Under the Pharmacy Act 2007 and PSI accreditation rules, the standard for entry onto the Register of Pharmacists in Ireland is equivalent to Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). This standard reflects the integrated 5-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree program.

To ensure that all registered pharmacists maintain the requisite expertise to deliver high-quality, safe, and person-centered pharmaceutical care, the PSI established the Core Competency Framework (CCF) for Pharmacists. The CCF serves as the foundational blueprint for undergraduate pharmacy education, continuing professional development, and the PSI Equivalence Examination.

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Educational Baseline: The Level 9 NFQ Standard

In Ireland, pharmacy education underwent a major transformation with the introduction of the integrated 5-year MPharm degree. The MPharm integrates academic learning with contextualized experiential learning placements throughout the 5 years, culminating in a Master’s degree awarded at Level 9 NFQ.

Internationally educated pharmacists seeking equivalence must demonstrate that their combined education, practical training, and professional experience match the advanced learning outcomes of a Level 9 MPharm graduate.

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Architecture of the PSI Core Competency Framework

The PSI Core Competency Framework structures professional practice into five distinct domains. Each domain encompasses key competencies and specific behavioral statements describing observable actions required of an entry-level registered pharmacist.

               ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
               │    PSI Core Competency Framework (Level 9)     │
               └────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┘
                                        │
     ┌──────────────────┬───────────────┴───────────────┬──────────────────┐
     ▼                  ▼                               ▼                  ▼
┌─────────┐        ┌─────────┐                     ┌─────────┐        ┌─────────┐
│Domain 1 │        │Domain 2 │                     │Domain 3 │        │Domain 4 │
│Prof.    │        │Personal │                     │Supply of│        │Safe &   │
│Practice │        │Skills   │                     │Medicines│        │Rational │
└─────────┘        └─────────┘                     └─────────┘        └─────────┘
     │                  │                               │                  │
     └──────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┴──────────────────┘
                        ▼
               ┌─────────────────┐
               │Domain 5         │
               │Organisation &   │
               │Management       │
               └─────────────────┘

Domain 1: Professional Practice

Domain 1 anchors the ethical, legal, and professional foundation of pharmacy practice in Ireland. It focuses on patient advocacy, professional integrity, and adherence to statutory regulations.

• Legal Compliance: Practicing strictly in accordance with Irish pharmacy legislation, including the Pharmacy Act 2007, Medicinal Products Regulations, and Controlled Drugs Regulations.
• Ethical Decision-Making: Applying the PSI Code of Conduct to resolve complex ethical dilemmas, prioritizing patient safety and confidentiality above commercial interests.
• Professional Autonomy & Accountability: Recognizing personal scope of practice, maintaining appropriate professional indemnity insurance, and taking responsibility for clinical decisions.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Engaging with the Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIOP) to undertake self-directed reflective learning and maintain a professional portfolio.

Domain 2: Personal Skills

Domain 2 evaluates the interpersonal, communication, and leadership capabilities essential for effective clinical practice and team collaboration.

• Communication Capabilities: Communicating clearly, empathetically, and effectively with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals using verbal, non-verbal, and written channels.
• Active Listening & Patient Consultation: Utilizing open-ended questioning and active listening techniques to elicit accurate medical histories and patient preferences.
• Decision-Making & Critical Thinking: Analyzing clinical data logically under time constraints to reach sound therapeutic judgments.
• Interprofessional Collaboration: Working productively as a key member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team alongside GPs, nurses, and hospital specialists.

Domain 3: Supply of Medicines

Domain 3 addresses the core operational responsibilities of dispensing, compounding, and managing the supply chain of medicinal products.

• Prescription Assessment & Clinical Validation: Rigorously checking prescriptions for legal validity, dosage appropriateness, drug interactions, contraindications, and therapeutic duplications.
• Dispensing Accuracy & Sourcing: Ensuring precise selection, labeling, assembly, and final accuracy checking of prescribed medicines, including high-risk and specialized therapies.
• Compounding & Extemporaneous Preparation: Preparing extemporaneous formulations in compliance with Good Extemporaneous Preparation guidelines and quality assurance standards.
• Supply Chain Integrity & Storage: Managing cold-chain products, controlled drugs storage (register entries and safe custody), and verifying legitimate distribution chains under Good Distribution Practice (GDP).

Domain 4: Safe and Rational Use of Medicines

Domain 4 represents the clinical therapeutics core of pharmacy practice, emphasizing patient-centered pharmaceutical care and medicine optimization.

• Clinical Therapeutics Knowledge: Applying up-to-date, evidence-based clinical knowledge to manage acute and chronic medical conditions commonly encountered in primary and secondary care.
• Patient Counseling & Concordance: Educating patients on proper administration, side-effect management, storage, and encouraging adherence to prescribed therapy.
• Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Monitoring & Pharmacovigilance: Identifying ADRs, drug interactions, and reporting suspected adverse reactions to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
• Antimicrobial Stewardship & Public Health: Promoting rational antibiotic prescribing to combat antimicrobial resistance and participating in health promotion initiatives (e.g., vaccination programs).

Domain 5: Organisation and Management

Domain 5 focuses on operational governance, risk management, and administrative stewardship within pharmacy practice environments.

• Clinical Governance & SOPs: Adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conducting regular audits, and maintaining quality assurance systems.
• Risk Management & Incident Reporting: Identifying operational errors, near-misses, and dispensing incidents; conducting root-cause analysis and implementing preventative actions.
• Resource & Staff Management: Supervising pharmacy support staff (pharmaceutical technicians and OTC assistants), delegating tasks appropriately, and ensuring workplace health and safety.

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Behavioral Statements & Competency Descriptors

The PSI framework breaks each domain into specific behavioral statements that describe how a competent pharmacist performs in real-world situations. Rather than measuring abstract academic knowledge, behavioral statements describe observable actions:

Example Behavioral Statement (Domain 3.1): "The pharmacist systematically verifies the legal validity of the prescription, verifies patient identity, independently checks dosage calculation accuracy, and identifies potential therapeutic contraindications prior to dispensing."

In the PSI Equivalence Examination, candidates are assessed on whether their actions in written scenarios (MCQ) and live simulated stations (OSCE) align with these explicit behavioral statements.

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Mapping Competency Domains to MCQ and OSCE Assessment

The PSI Equivalence Examination blueprint maps specific CCF domains to the appropriate assessment modality to ensure comprehensive evaluation: