Every time I see a pharmacist wearing, I am also reminded of an important issue in life-saving measures: quality of drugs stability, longevity, and side effects. Pharmacists in Australia are the key health workers who ensure that drugs safe and effective. While these healthcare professionals rely on their knowledge and expertise, their appearance is also important. The way they dress makes a lot of difference as it creates an impression. One of these important garments is the white pharmacist lab coat.
This article will focus on pharmacist lab coats Australia, why they affect the professional identity of pharmacists, and what you should look for before you purchase one of them. You will also learn the essential elements of these white coats.
Pharmacy is an academic discipline with a broad curriculum that offers insight into a wide range of life sciences. As such, these professionals must be smartly dressed in different situations such as dispensing drugs to sick patients or preparing syrups in clinical laboratories.
The Role of a Lab Coat in Pharmacy
Pharmacists wear the pharmacist lab coat as a mark of their occupation’s professionalism, authority and trustworthiness. (The patient recognizing the credentising sign of the profession gains confidence that the one before her is credentialed to do the job.) Nominally a coat (lab in Latin, coat in Middle English), the lab coat identifies the wearer as a person whose work requires cleanliness and purity – and therefore needs to be covered. It was traditionally (yes, really) white.
Furthermore, the lab coat serves utilitarian purposes: it provides a barrier against spills, stains and contamination. When working in a pharmacy environment where powder, liquid, solid or semisolid chemicals and medications are dispensed daily, a lab coat serves as a protective barrier between such compounds and the skin or conservation clothing.
Key Features to Look for in a Pharmacist Lab Coat
Pharmacists must be very careful and smart when they select a lab coat for their own work. They should take into account of many key features to meet their professional and practical requirement.
Firstly and obviously, noticeable the lab coat must be produced from hypoallergenic materials because the pharmacist have to use it for a long time all day without any interruption except the rest time. Moreover, it must be breathable, especially the overalls, utilized by the pharmacists when they work in the factory at the summer.
Besides those important features, بthe jacket and trousers must be adjustable in order the pharmacist use them well if he Moreover they must be made of dark colors.
In my point of view, a good quality of lab coat must include these features in order to satisfy the pharmacist for his job.
Material: An extremely important thing to consider when buying a lab coat is the material. The right material ensures comfort and survivability on the job. Cotton and polyester blends are commonly found, and are light, breathable, comfortable, and resistant to stains and wrinkles. Quality stuff won’t wrinkle even when working over long shifts.
Fit and Length: A good lab coat needs to suit the wearer. Pharmacists should be fitted for a coat that is not too large that it will restrict movement, or so small that it becomes difficult to fit over other clothing. The length of a good lab coat needs to be kept at the elbows so that it should not reach below the abdomen but should not be so short that it will not cover the upper legs.
Specifically: Their pockets: It may seem obvious, but a function of any coat is to retain various contents. A pharmacist is no exception – prescription pads, pens, stenograph-style notepads, and small reference books take up space. Deep and well-placed pockets will provide quick access to their owner and help them be efficient in their work.
Closure: The coat’s closure should be easy to open and closed, either with buttons or snaps. Snaps are easy to use and are usually chosen for convenience in the lab, while some pharmacists doesn’t like snaps and chooses buttons to make coat look more traditional. My choice is buttons coat for myself.
Color and personalization: Though white is the traditional color for such tunics and is preferred by many, some pharmacies will permit, even encourage, staff to use colored coats to differentiate between roles within the pharmacy team. Embroidered names and titles can make the pharmacy carbon copy. They also add a professional feel and allow patients to recognize their pharmacist more clearly.
The Psychological Impact of Wearing a Lab Coat
The pharmacist lab coat melbourne becomes more than just an instrument: it can also change the state of the wearer’s brain, and even affect behavior. In a series of studies, the Italian psychologists Dr Filippo Agdal and Dr Franco Castaldo at the Sant ’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and their colleagues have investigated ‘enclosed cognition’. They find significant effects on the wearer of the lab coat: the mere act of putting it on has a ‘positive slanting effect on individuals’ mood and behavior’, regardless of whether or not they are actually involved in a scientific experiment.
Just as it encourages lab technicians to remain vigilant and mindful in their work, the same can be said for pharmacists. In other words, the lab coat can amount to more than a simple piece of workwear. As a physical barrier to MAIs, it can also become a metaphorical buffer between the user and the bacterial potential of the air they breathe. When that user dons a lab coat on the way into work, the ritual serves as a reminder of the small details that demand attention so that medications are dispensed exactly as required. Put simply, by functioning as a barricade between the user and illness, the lab coat can provide solace and reassurance. It might not entirely protect the pharmacist from undesirable invaders and side effects that accompany the delicate task of mixing medications, but it can still play a valuable role in preparing her for what the day has in store.
The Lab Coat as a Symbol of Trust
Patients and care providers rely on a sense of shared confidence and endeavour to establish credibility and integrity in healthcare. From the patient’s perspective, the presence of a lab coat visually and professionally reassures that the person in front of them is properly educated and has the relevant expertise to assist. The lab coat signages a sense of professionalness. When wearing that white lab coat, which is the universal sign of the profession, a pharmacist might feel an instant connection with patients. They are instantly reminded that there is a potential patient before them and that he or she might be seeking solutions and/or help.
This is especially true in community pharmacy where the patient might develop a relationship with their local pharmacist who sees them regularly. The consistency of appearance, with the lab coat, makes staff recognizable and home-like. Patients are more likely to engage, ask for an opinion and ask questions when they feel they can trust the member of staff.
The Evolution of the Pharmacist Lab Coat
Initially used as part of a research scientist’s or technician’s laboratory uniform, the lab coat has become an integral part of the pharmacist’s attire as the scope of their role has progressed to reflect an emphasis on patient care and counselling long after dispensing the medicine prescribed by the physician.
Tomorrow’s latest design will likely be just as functional and stylish as today’s by offering innovative antimicrobial fabrics, moisture-wicking features or ergonomic designs, so that the pharmacist lab coat of 2017 matches the demands of present-day pharmacy practice.
Conclusion: The Lab Coat as a Pillar of Professional Identity
Summing up, the pharmacist lab coat is much more than a piece of clothing. It is an icon of professionalism, authority and trust. Wearing a comfortable, functional and tailored lab coat will help a pharmacist to feel and act like a professional. Whether in the community pharmacy, in a hospital or in any other health care setting, the lab coat continues to be an integral part of the pharmacist uniform, encompassing the ideals and responsibilities of the profession.
