Strong Professional identity construction as a change lever

Professional identity is the way in which professionals define themselves in relation to their professional role, encompassing both their sense of identity and the expected behaviors associated with that role. The formation of this identity is a complex process that begins at the undergraduate level and continues throughout a pharmacist’s professional career. Several different professional identities have been identified in the world of pharmacy, which may indicate a degree of ambiguity in the role expected of this professional and a lack of clear direction and characterization of what makes the pharmacist “unique”, although it may also suggest a flexible and broad view of the pharmacist’s role. For the clinical role promoted by the various professional organizations at the international level to become a reality, and for the profession to be re-professionalized, students need to build a solid identity, and this work must begin at the undergraduate level. With the publication of the recent Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/782, a window of opportunity has opened for both the university and the profession to discuss where the profession should go and, more specifically, what the professional role of the pharmacist should be.