Validation of community pharmacy : confirming the effectiveness of a pharmacist in a community setting

Abstract

Validation of community pharmacy is a concept we coined to define the process carried out to demonstrate that the services provided by a community pharmacist are needed by the community. One method to undertake such a process was developed. This method involves the use of a series of Validation Tools which are measurement tools with which to monitor the standards of the service provided by a community pharmacist. Five Validation Tools were developed and subsequently the validity and reliability of these tools were tested. The developed Validation Tools were found to be valid and reliable methods which can be confidently used by community pharmacists to confirm the impact of their services on patient care.