The oath, which was released on Friday (November 7), could be adapted to suit different pharmacy institutions around the world and is available in English, German, Spanish and Mongolian, FIP said. It also includes vows to treat all patients equally and "nuture" future members of the profession.

Co-chair of the working group William Zellmer said the advantage of the FIP oath was that it was designed with an "international perspective" and took into account the principles that "guide the ethical behaviour" of pharmacists. 

Felllow co-chair Betty Chaar said the oath could "deepen a pharmacist's sense of professional obligation" if used properly. "Pharmacists might even consider posting a copy of the oath in their practice setting," Ms Chaar said.

However, staff at Medway School of Pharmacy said the oath could only be used at the "appropriate" stage of a pharmacist's career.

"This certainly couldn't be used at a graduation ceremony as the term 'pharmacist' is protected and cannot be used until a graduate has completed their pre-registraion training," said head of school Iain Cumming and director of learning and teaching Scott Wildman. 

Professor Cumming and Mr Wildman suggested the oath would have been "more useful" if the GPhC had been involved in its creation, although they assumed the regulator felt that the need for an oath was already covered by its own code of conduct.

FIP told C+D it was aware of "a few" pharmacy oaths already in existence around the world. In 2010, pharmacy students at the University of Huddersfield took their own oath, which the university described as the first of its kind in the UK.

	Would you consider displaying FIP's oath in your pharmacy?