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 allergy products and providing information.

Allergy product range may include but is not limited to:

non - sedating antihistamines

sedating antihistamines

decongestant nasal drops and sprays

histamine preventatives

complementary medication

non-scheduled products

pharmacy medication

pharmacist only medication

prescription only medication.

Product range may come in various forms including:

liquid, lotions

tablets

inhalants and sprays.

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:

keep house and car windows closed during pollen season

use air conditioner and/or filtering systems in both home and car during pollen season

wear sunglasses and face masks when mowing lawns or walking in long grass

remove plants that trigger hay fever from garden

remove mould from walls curtains

keep air conditioners and filters clean

keep pets outdoors

remove carpets or place plastic covers over carpeted areas/replace carpet areas with a hard surface

enclose bedding products in special zippered plastic covers or use low allergy bedding products

wash bed linen in hot water and leave blankets in sun for at least 4 hours to kill dust mites

remove sheepskins, hides, feather pillows and quilts

make whole house or some parts smoke free

dust with damp cloth avoid sweeping

remove dust collectors such as books, dried flowers, curtains upholstered furniture from bed room

reduce use of room deodorisers, mothballs and insect sprays or use low irritant formulas

avoid wood burning fires and kerosene heaters in home

exercise to help clear the nose - swim in an indoor pool or work out in an air-conditioned gym if pollens etc, trigger hayfever.

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

specialist organisations

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, infant 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 products/information for him/herself or another person

specified brand/manufacturer

function/usage

cost or lifestyle

physical characteristics which may include allergic reactions, physical disability and/or a need or desire to use natural products

the need to drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery.

Allergy symptoms may include but are not limited to:
hayfever and sinus
sneezing
runny nose (rhinorrhoea)
blocked nose and sinuses - nasal congestions (sinusitis)
pain pressure and aching across the sinuses, around the cheeks, eyes and forehead, especially when bending forward
itchy nose
tickling burning throat
puffy, itchy, watery and red eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
itchy or lumpy skin
shortness of breath wheezing (asthma)
food allergies
swelling of skin around lips/nose
red swollen rash around mouth and other areas
swelling of larynx with life threatening difficulty in breathing
severe vomiting
high temperature
earache
swollen glands in the neck
yellow or creamy discharge form nose or eyes
yellow or green mucus in the nose
shortness of breath wheezing
reactions to hives, insect bites or stings.

Situations requiring referral to pharmacist may include but are not limited to:
children under 12 years
patients who are breast-feeding or pregnant
patients with known heart, liver or prostate/bladder problems
patients with glaucoma, peptic ulcers or epilepsy
patients taking other medication
patients presenting with any sign or 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

patients with thyroid disease

patients with scabby or dry lining of nose

requests for excessive quantities.

contra-indications including-

heart disease

liver disease

prostate/bladder problems

glaucoma

peptic ulcers

epilepsy

pregnancy or breastfeeding

thyroid disease

high temperature for more than 24 hours

child or older person
drug-interactions including-

sedating antihistamines should be used with care in patients who are taking medications which may cause drowsiness or CNS depression such as benzodiazepines, phenothiazines and some antidepressants (eg. Tricyclics)

anticholinergic effects of the sedating antihistamines (ie dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation and urinary retention) may be increase if given concurrently with other anticholinergic drugs such as hyoscine or drugs with anticholinergic properties such as tricyclic antidepressants and some antiparkinson medications
interactions including sedating antihistamines and alcohol.

Potential side effects may include but are not limited to:

drowsiness

rebound congestion if nasal decongestant sprays are used longer than 5 days.

Companion products may include but are not limited to:

antihistamine/decongestants

eye-drops

saline nasal spray

corticosteroid nasal spray ( to be used as preventative) for sinus

paracetamol or ibuprofen

complementary medication, eg. horseradish and garlic.

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 of unscheduled and scheduled allergy products.
Consistently asking critical questions of the patient in regard to recommending allergy products. These questions should follow industry protocols, for example:
Evidence of the ability to identify products required to treat allergic conditions as listed in the range statement.
Knowledge of the causes of the common allergies and patient self care practices.
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 allergy products, 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 an alternative product based on patient's condition and according to relevant information sources.
Demonstration of the ability to source, record and disseminate allergy 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 patients
product returns
product storage
product display
product location
selling products and services.

Knowledge and application of knowledge to advise patients related to:

pharmacy allergy product range
patient self care practices.

Operational skills and techniques in:

communicating ideas and information
maintaining confidentiality and privacy
demonstrating empathy and tact
demonstrating/simulating (where applicable) the application of allergy medicinal products
working with others and in teams
handling 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 allergy 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 treat allergies 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 the causers of common allergies and patient self care practices. 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 with regard to recommending allergy treatment products.
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
allergy 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 allergy 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 allergy treatment product needs, providing self care information to patient or information to pharmacist. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By collecting information relative to allergy treatment 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 allergy treatment 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 allergy treatment products. (1)

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

Solving problems
By identifying issues associated with patient needs for allergy treatment 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 allergy treatment 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)