Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Pharmacy processmay include:
confirming that contents of items to be packed are suitable for placing in a DAA
creating packing records
providing:
information about the service
advice about how to use the DAA.
Safety requirements and personal hygiene procedures may include:
hand washing
tying back long hair or using hairnets
using antibacterial wipes
using tweezers
wearing gloves and other protective clothing.
Dose administration and packaging documentation may include:
drug charts
industry guidelines for packing DAAs
patient or patient medication profiles
service contracts
orders.
Packaging containersmay include:
tamper-proof DAAs and containers
blister packs
re-usable dosette boxes.
Equipmentmay be operated manually or automatically and may include:
automated filling equipment
counter trays
heat or press sealing equipment
irons
pill splitters
tweezers.
Labels may include:
ancillary cautionary and advisory labels for the particular substance, where appropriate
required DAA label information, including:
pharmacy name and address
phone number
consumer name
active ingredients
brand name
strength
directions for use
packing date
date of commencement
typical characteristics of the medicine, such as shape or colour
signature of packer and checker.
Pharmacy proceduresfor cleaning andmaintainingmay include:
disinfecting equipment
cleaning work surfaces and equipment
checking that work surfaces and equipment are undamaged
checking equipment calibration
storing packaging equipment.
Dispensary systemmay include:
a record for each patient that includes:
current medications and their doses
items not supplied in the DAA
details of any significant communications with the prescriber
a log of all DAAs packed, and then checked by the pharmacist.
Wastemay include:
packaging materials
unused medications in returned DAAs
unused hard copy DAA packing records
unwanted:
used DAA header cards
packing records.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
apply personal hygiene practices and maintain housekeeping and waste disposal standards in the dispensary packing area
follow pharmacy procedures relating to filling DAAs
pack medicines into DAAs, prepare and attach labels, and reconcile dispensed medicines with DAA packed medicines
locate DAAs and ensure that dispensed medicines for filling meet DAA packing workflow requirements
maintain dispensary DAA record system.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure that competency is:
consistently demonstrated over a period of time and observed by the assessor or the technical expert working in partnership with the assessor as described in the assessment
demonstrated in a real workplace environment that meets Pharmacy Board of Australia and relevant industry standards for the preparation of DAAs.
Assessment must ensure access to:
relevant pharmacy procedures
relevant industry guidelines
dispensary stock control recordkeeping systems
relevant documentation, such as:
drug charts
industry guidelines for packing DAAs
patient or customer medication profiles
prescriptions
service contracts
a range of dispensed medicines
DAAs and related packaging equipment.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
observation of the learner working as part of a dispensary team to:
set up and maintain DAA preparation area
prepare and check filled DAAs
perform DAA-related dispensary tasks
written or oral questions appropriate to the language and literacy level of the learner to test relevant underpinning knowledge
review of portfolios of evidence and third-party reports of on-the-job performance.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.