Elements and Performance Criteria

The Range Statement provides details of the scope of the Elements and Performance Criteria to allow for differences within enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The Range Statement also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

State/Territory/Commonwealth:

legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice, standards and guidelines, pharmacy policies, procedures and protocols in regard to selling and hiring home health care products and providing information.

Home health care product range may include but is not limited to:
daily living aids

eating and drinking, (enlarged grips, moulded plates, plate guards, one handed knives, splayds, stabilising aids such as weighted mugs and rubber mats)

dressing and undressing, (long handled shoe horns, combs and dressing sticks, reachers or "pick up sticks", pantihose and sock aids, button hooks and zip pullers

household activities, (rubber jar openers or twisters, large handled sink plugs, tap turners, key turners, doorknob turners)

leisure and recreation (built up pens and pen grips, magnifying sheets to assist reading time tables road maps etc. hands free book stands, playing card holders, needle threaders)
bathroom and toilet aids

toiletting aids (continence products, over toilet frames with seat, toilet surrounds, toilet seat raisers, children's toilet items, commodes - folding, non-folding and adjustable, urinals and bed pans)

bathing aids (safety/grab rails, shower seats, bath seats, taps, hand shower hoses)
walking and mobility

walking frames (folding and non-folding and reciprocal frames)

mobile frames (three wheel design, four wheel design) crutches (axilla or underarm, elbow, gutter or forearm)

walking sticks (wide range in shapes sizes handgrips) quad sticks or quadropods

wheelchairs (standard weigh rear wheel drive -a pprox. 20kg, lightweight rear wheel drive - approx. 18kg, economy wheelchair, front wheel drive, amputee, transit/push, one arm drive, reclining, heavy duty, children's bush/beach, sports style, 3 and 4 wheeled scooters 2*24v. batteries)
pressure care products

cushions and mattresses, for example, foam and air based cushions and mattresses, rings and keyhole relief items

blood pressure, blood pressure monitor or sphygmomanometer (manual or hand pump operation, fully automatic with memory or print out and compact for finger pulse only)

blood glucose blood glucose monitoring machines, insulin injection devices

asthma aids pressurised meter dose inhalers (puffers), spacer devices, breath-activated metered dose inhalers, jet nebulisers, ultrasonic nebulisers, nebuliser bowls, peak flow meter s
maternal infant range

breast pumps, baby car seats/capsules
footwear products.

Product range:
may come in various brands and designs for each product category according to specific needs eg. axilla/underarm crutches, elbow crutches, and forearm/gutter crutches.

Location may include but is not limited to:

dispensary

professional services area

front of shop.

Regulatory requirements:

vary between States and Territories which may affect the extent to which pharmacy staff members are able to perform some of the functions.

Regulatory and legislative requirements as applicable for each State and Territory may include but are not limited to:

Consumer Law, Environmental Law, Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare Law specific to Local Government, State and Federal Legislation

The Pharmacy/Pharmacists Act and related regulations

Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances/Poisons Act and related regulations

Therapeutic Goods Act

Health Act and related regulations

Privacy legislation

Pharmacy Board Guidelines and/or directives

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards

Codes of conduct/ethics.

Patient self care practices may include but are not limited to:

correct adjustment of products where applicable

cleaning and sterilising of products where applicable

wearing well-fitting, comfortable shoes.

Relevant information sources of product knowledge/information may include but are not limited to:

health care information

pharmacy or supplier product leaflets/manuals

brochures eg. patient information leaflets

manufacturers' information

pharmacist

industry and professional publications

customer feedback

training and education.

Effective communication techniques may include but are not limited to:

using open and/or closed questions

speaking clearly and concisely

using appropriate language i.e. avoiding highly technical terms

giving the patient your full attention and maintaining eye contact.

Patients may include but are not limited to:

customers, clients or their agents

customers with routine or special requests

customers with special needs eg. elderly, non-English speaking background etc

regular and new customers

people from a range of social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities and may be unwell, drug affected or upset.

Patient needs may include but are not limited to:

seeking product/information for him/herself or another person

specified brand/manufacturer

function/usage

cost or lifestyle

physical characteristics which may include a range of disabilities and/or a need or desire to use natural products.

Symptoms for home health care products may include but are not limited to:

incontinence

arthritis

osteoporosis

permanent or temporary disability due to illness, age, accident or surgery

congenital disability

foot discomfort.

Situations requiring referral to the pharmacist may include but are not limited to:

children under 12 years

patients who are breastfeeding or pregnant

patients with known medical conditions

patients presenting with any sign of symptom that indicates serious disease eg. weight loss, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, blood in stools and/or vomit, extreme pain

situations where the pharmacy staff member may require further advice or is uncertain.

Infection control guidelines may include but are not limited to:

handwashing

wearing gloves and appropriate protective clothing

sterilising, disinfecting and/or cleaning equipment.

Companion products may include but are not limited to:

anti inflammatory medications

pain relieving medications

strapping, bandaging, sports tape

braces

cold/hot pack

inner soles

heel cushions

corn, bunion pads.

The following components of the Evidence Guide relate directly to the Performance Criteria and the Range Statement for the Unit of Competency and will inform and provide guidance for assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program.
Critical Aspects of Evidence
Evidence of the following knowledge and skills is considered essential to demonstrate competency in this unit. This includes demonstration of the Key Competencies at the performance level identified at the end of this unit:
Consistently applying pharmacy policy, standards and guidelines, industry legislation and codes of practice in regard to sales/customer service procedures including the sale and hire of home health care products.
Consistently asking critical questions of the patient in regard to recommending home health care needs. These questions should follow industry protocols, for example:
Evidence of the ability to recognise home health care related ailments/conditions as listed in the range statement.
Knowledge of the situations/circumstances requiring home health care products/services.
Evidence of the ability to consistently use effective communication techniques to provide information to patients while maintaining an awareness of the need for discretion, tact and confidentiality.
Consistently applying product knowledge and appropriate terminology according to relevant information sources, pharmacy policy and procedures, to provide accurate information on types of home health care products and services to assist patients in making a choice.
Consistently applying legislative requirements in line with pharmacy policies and procedures in referring to the pharmacist all queries requiring therapeutic advice.
Recognition of the situations requiring referral to the pharmacist and/or and alternative product based on patient's condition and according to relevant information sources.
Demonstration of the ability to source, record and disseminate home health care information.

Underpinning Knowledge and Skills
The following knowledge, understanding and skills are essential to perform work to the required standard in this unit:

Knowledge and application of pharmacy policies, standards and guidelines, industry codes of practice, legislative and regulatory requirements in regard to:

sales/hire/customer service
methods of dealing with special needs/requests of customers
product returns
product storage
product display
product location
selling products and services.

Knowledge and application of knowledge to provide information to patients related to :

home health care products.

Operational skills and techniques in:

communicating ideas and information
maintaining confidentiality and privacy
demonstrating empathy and tact
demonstrating/simulating (where applicable) the application of home health care products
working with others and in teams
handing customers with special needs, including difficult customers
planning and organising activities
following set routines and procedures
solving problems
collecting, analysing and organising information from a variety of sources
preparing and organising information in regard to home health care product knowledge.

Operational knowledge and understanding of customers and their needs including:

buyer motivation
customer behaviour, buying signals and cues
customer types
cultural differences/demographics/lifestyle/income
types of customer needs, eg. functional, psychological, therapeutic, non-therapeutic
complaint resolution.
Language, literacy and numeracy skills relevant to the role and workplace requirements.
Awareness of the circumstances/situations under which referral to the pharmacist and/or other pharmacy staff is indicated.
Operational skills to consistently use time effectively and provide quality customer service in the pharmacy environment.

Context of Assessment
For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, competency should be consistently demonstrated over a period of time and observed by the assessor and/or the technical expert working in partnership with the assessor. The technical expert may include the pharmacist and/or an experienced person at the workplace.
Competency should be demonstrated in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment in a range of situations which may include customer interruptions and involvement in other related activities normally expected in the pharmacy.
Assessment should be undertaken in an environment that meets pharmacy industry codes of practice and relevant industry regulations and legislation.

Interdependent Assessment of Unit
All units which relate to a job function can be considered as co-requisites to assist with an integrated approach to assessment.
For advice on interdependent assessment of units within and across pharmacy qualifications, refer to the Assessment Guidelines.

Assessment Methods
The following assessment methods are suggested:

Observation of the pharmacy staff member performing a range of workplace tasks over sufficient time to demonstrate her/ his handling of a range of contingencies. Tasks may include:

asking critical pre-determined questions to identify patient needs
identifying products to support home health care as requested by the patient
applying product knowledge to provide accurate information to assist patients in making a choice
passing on relevant information to the pharmacist and/or other pharmacy staff
recognising and referring requests requiring additional assistance to other pharmacy staff or the pharmacist.
Written and/or oral questioning to assess product knowledge and understanding of relevant pharmacy procedures with regard to applying product knowledge for home health care. Questions will be asked in a manner appropriate to the language and literacy level of the pharmacy staff member.
Role play to demonstrate product knowledge and understanding of pharmacy procedures.
Completing relevant workplace documentation.

Assessment Resources
This refers to the resources that are necessary for undertaking the assessment.
All resources must be provided for the assessment. If workplace based, the resources should relate specifically to pharmacy policies, procedures and range of stock and equipment. If an off the job or simulated work environment is used then resources should be applicable to the work environment.
Resources may include:
A real or simulated pharmacy environment.

Relevant documentation such as:

pharmacy policies and procedures
home health care product information, eg. leaflets, brochures, relevant information sources
industry codes of practice and relevant legislation.
Access to a range of customers with different requirements (real or simulated).
Access to a range of home health care products.
A qualified workplace assessor and/or a technical expert working in partnership with the assessor.

There are a number of processes that are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies. Key competencies are generic competencies that focus on the capacity to apply knowledge and skills in an integrated way in work situations, but are not specific to any particular industry. Key competencies foster the development of skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to perform work operations. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = competence needed to undertake tasks effectively, 2 = the ability to manage tasks, and 3 = the ability to use concepts for evaluating and reshaping tasks.
Communicating ideas and information
By gathering information from patients on home health care product needs, providing self care information to patient or information to pharmacist. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By collecting information relative to home health care products and patient self care, analysing requirements relative to provision of information and collating in a useable format.
Also collecting information on patient needs, assessing situations requiring a pharmacist referral and presenting information in a useable format. (1)

Planning and organising activities
By organising the work requirements and planning the required tasks associated with applying knowledge for home health care products and patient self care practices, in conjunction with other assigned activities, such that the task is undertaken in a realistic time frame. (1)

Working with others and in teams
By interacting with pharmacy staff in general and the pharmacist in particular to support and enhance pharmacy services in providing home health care products. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical ideas and techniques are likely to be involved in gathering and providing information on home health care products. (1)

Solving problems
By identifying issues associated with patient needs for home health care products, providing information for situations that are routine and involving pharmacy staff in general and the pharmacist in particular, where they are not. (1)

Using technology
By utilising technology in developing knowledge of home health care products and patient self care practices. Data or information may be required to be accessed or recorded using technology in relation to the provision of information. (1)