Documentation:Digital Tattoo Case Studies Project/Pharmacy/Themes
This page is for themes to draw on in creating pharmacy student case studies.
Themes from Literature Review and Focus Group Discussions
- Pharmacists should not do things that might undermine their patients' trust and society's trust in the profession
- Pharmacists should maintain professional boundaries
- Pharmacists have a role as public health information stewards to correct and spread accurate pharmaceutical information
- There are 3 primary ways in which pharmacists engage with social media:
- They strictly separate professional and personal accounts - however this may be hard as oftentimes professional and personal boundaries overlap (such as "friending" colleagues on social media)
- They blend professional and personal in their account(s)
- They avoid having a digital identity entirely
- There is an increasing move towards professional use of social media, in line with `participatory model`of pharmaceutical care, which balances risks and benefits
- Pharmacy students are proud of being part of the profession and to have been accepted into pharmacy school
- There is a heightened awareness of the higher expectations that pharmacists face, both on and off-duty
Questions PharmD Students May Have After Discussing the Cases
These questions are speculated based on piloted discussions around the Case Studies with Digital Tattoo graduate assistants, as well as a fourth-year PharmD student. They are also speculated based on discussions that emerged during the Teacher Candidate Workshop.
- To what extent are "private" accounts truly private?
- How should I integrate what we discussed today into my existing digital identity?
- Are official resources/policies for Pharmacists restricting my freedom of expression online?
- It seems like there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding digital identity issues, but are there clear directives that tell me exactly what I should do?
- Should I just stay offline?
- Will we get in trouble if we provide medical advise to people online?
- What should I do when I see blatant misinformation online that could negatively impact public health?
- Do I have to censor myself on my own social media accounts?
- What type of digital presence/activity can Pharmacists be fired/not hired for?
- How should I engage (or not) with patients online?
- How should I engage with my colleagues/supervisor online?
- How could avoiding social networks altogether hinder my career prospects?
- What is acceptable for a supervisor or institution to restrict me from saying or doing online?
- Do online discussion forms directed towards pharmacists reflect negatively on the profession?
- I am currently aware of issues related to my digital identity and conduct myself online according to official policies; however, I was not always cautious and considerate in regards to my behaviour and posts on social media. Can my past conduct online affect my ability to find or keep a pharmacy job now, even if I have learned from past mistakes?
- What steps can I take if a private, online chat I had with friends/colleagues is screenshot and circulated outside of the chat?
- How do I ensure that I am not accidentally revealing patient identifiers online?