Code of conduct

Working in pharmacies is not like working in a regular retail or office environment. Pharmacies are professional healthcare settings. The people you meet are trained professionals, and their patients depend on them. You must conduct yourself accordingly at all times.

Punctuality and reliability

• Arrive on time for every scheduled visit — if you will be late, notify your coordinator in advance
• Do not cancel visits without proper notice
• Complete your visit report on the same day as every visit

Professional appearance

• Dress neatly and conservatively — you are visiting a health facility
• Avoid loud or casual clothing that would be out of place in a professional environment
• Carry yourself with confidence and calm — pharmacists respond to agents who appear prepared

Behaviour in the pharmacy

• Greet everyone respectfully on arrival — the pharmacist, staff, and any patients nearby
• Do not interrupt or hover while the pharmacist or staff is serving a patient — wait
• Keep your voice at a professional level — you are in a health environment, not a market
• Do not touch any pharmacy products, dispensing equipment, or records without being invited to
• If a patient interaction is happening, step aside and give the pharmacy staff space

Respect for the pharmacist’s expertise

The pharmacists you visit are qualified professionals. They know their business. Your role is to train them on a tool, not to lecture them on how to run their pharmacy.

• Listen before you speak — ask questions, understand their current process before suggesting anything
• Never make a pharmacist feel uninformed or behind — frame everything as an upgrade, not a correction
• If a pharmacist pushes back or is resistant, stay calm and respectful — do not argue

Tip: If a session is going badly — resistance, tension, or a pharmacist who is clearly disengaged — do not force it. Acknowledge that this may not be the best time, offer to reschedule, and report the outcome to your coordinator.

Confidentiality

• Do not discuss one pharmacy’s business, inventory, or operations with another pharmacy
• Do not share what you observe in the field on personal social media or with people outside the programme
• Treat any patient information you inadvertently see or hear as strictly confidential