Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 5:35 PM AWST
22/07/2026 5:35 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Assist in dispensary administration
Assist in dispensary administration
Unit of competency
National Code
HLTPH414B
HLTPH414B
State Code
D8484
D8484
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
01/08/2011
Field of Education
060501 - Pharmacy
Original Release Date
01/08/2011
Nominal Hours
50
Description
DescriptorThis unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to assist with the administration of dispensary requirements, using knowledge of more advanced aspects of dispensing and dispensary information requirements
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Apply basic drug knowledge
- 1.1 Work with an understanding of the major drug groups
- 1.2 Work with a basic understanding of drugs in each group and their expected effects, including adverse effects
- 1.3 Work with an understanding of drug-drug interactions and incompatibilities
- 1.4 Store and locate drugs according to legal and product specific requirements
- 1.5 Use common medication form abbreviations
2. Perform dispensing administration tasks
- 2.1 Complete tasks using dispensary administrative systems according to organisation procedures, regulatory requirements and legislation
- 2.2 Use barcode technology for the dispensing process in line with local Pharmacy Board guidelines
- 2.3 Enter dispensing data accurately into dispensary information system in accordance with Commonwealth, State and/or Territory legislation
- 2.4 Confirm accuracy of client details and dispensing data entered
- 2.5 Confirm approval or authority numbers for medicines requiring approval
- 2.6 Create and maintain client medication profile for clients using prescription, pharmacist only medicines and/or other medications
3. Maintain dispensary information
- 3.1 Update dispensary system information as required
- 3.2 Back up dispensary system information to ensure secure data, and according to organisation protocols
- 3.3 Extract data (clinical and financial) required for reporting and claiming systems
- 3.4 Inform relevant pharmacist of changes to the data stored in the dispensary information system
- 3.5 Confidentiality of dispensary information is maintained
RANGE STATEMENT
The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.
Major drug groups must include:
Analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents
Viral and anti-bacterial agents, anti-fungals or antibiotics
Anti-coagulants
Anti-depressants
Anxiolytics and hypnotics
Anti-diabetic agents
Anti-epileptics
Anti-gout agents
Corticosteroids
Diuretics
Gastro-intestinal agents
Anti-histamines
Cholesterol and lip lowering agents
Asthma treating agents
Hormonal preparations
Heart preparations
Anti-hypertensives
Osteoporosis preparations
Prescriptions may be for:
Inpatients
Outpatients
Extemporaneous preparations that do not have a fixed formulae, for specific clients, need to be mixed and provided eg dermatological preparation, paediatric formulations
Prescription information may include:
Handwritten
Electronically generated
Include an order by a pharmacist
Medication form and related abbreviations include:
Commonly used abbreviations for dispensing instructions, routes of administration as per Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary abbreviations
Prescription discrepancies and/or situations requiring additional assistance may include but are not limited to:
Incomplete or incorrect prescriber and/or client details
Prescription out of date
Prescriptions marked "cancelled" or otherwise such as to indicate that it has been dispensed and completed
Prescriptions for medicines restricted in their availability including hospital specific restrictions, PBS authority and Section 100
Prescriptions for a narcotic written by the prescriber for self treatment
Questionable dosages and administration method for commonly used drugs
Request for excessive quantities
Regulatory and legislative requirements for each State and Territory may include:
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
Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (S85, S100)
Standards may include:
Pharmacy Board Guidelines and/or directives
SHPA standard of practice
SHPA code of conduct/ethics
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards
Accuracy of client details may include but is not limited to:
Name, current address, date of birth
Concessional/entitlement numbers and categories eg pension
Allergies, medical conditions and other medications taken
Name of client's doctor
Medicare numbers
Ward/clinic/cost centre
Client medication profile may include:
Date of birth
Approximate weight and height of the patient
Any known chronic medical conditions or incapacities
Allergies or history of adverse drug reaction
Any known and relevant lifestyle factors eg history of drug dependency, use of non-pharmacy health care services or therapies
Other medications including OTC, complementary products, prescription etc.
SAS approvals
Restricted drug approvals
Authority numbers
S100 status
Dispensary administrative systems and associated technology may include:
Pharmacy dispensary hardware system:
main hard drive, associated floppy and/or CD/DVD drives
various controller boards for peripheral devices
keyboard, screen, printers, modem, scanners
Pharmacy dispensary software system:
proprietary software
spreadsheets, word processing, accounting packages
customer, supplier, stock, and drug usage databases
Dispensary administrative computerised tasks may include but are not limited to:
Updating patient records - demographic details, entitlement numbers
Maintaining prescriber records
Maintaining medication/drug records
Maintaining dispensing/prescription records
Maintaining supply of cautionary and advisory information ready for use
Financial management reports - number and value of prescriptions dispensed
Drug usage reports
Stock control reports
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims
S100 claims
Government claims
Management accounting - customer accounts
Backing up system and maintaining security - daily, weekly and system backups
Printing consumer product information
The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.
Major drug groups must include:
Analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents
Viral and anti-bacterial agents, anti-fungals or antibiotics
Anti-coagulants
Anti-depressants
Anxiolytics and hypnotics
Anti-diabetic agents
Anti-epileptics
Anti-gout agents
Corticosteroids
Diuretics
Gastro-intestinal agents
Anti-histamines
Cholesterol and lip lowering agents
Asthma treating agents
Hormonal preparations
Heart preparations
Anti-hypertensives
Osteoporosis preparations
Prescriptions may be for:
Inpatients
Outpatients
Extemporaneous preparations that do not have a fixed formulae, for specific clients, need to be mixed and provided eg dermatological preparation, paediatric formulations
Prescription information may include:
Handwritten
Electronically generated
Include an order by a pharmacist
Medication form and related abbreviations include:
Commonly used abbreviations for dispensing instructions, routes of administration as per Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary abbreviations
Prescription discrepancies and/or situations requiring additional assistance may include but are not limited to:
Incomplete or incorrect prescriber and/or client details
Prescription out of date
Prescriptions marked "cancelled" or otherwise such as to indicate that it has been dispensed and completed
Prescriptions for medicines restricted in their availability including hospital specific restrictions, PBS authority and Section 100
Prescriptions for a narcotic written by the prescriber for self treatment
Questionable dosages and administration method for commonly used drugs
Request for excessive quantities
Regulatory and legislative requirements for each State and Territory may include:
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
Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (S85, S100)
Standards may include:
Pharmacy Board Guidelines and/or directives
SHPA standard of practice
SHPA code of conduct/ethics
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards
Accuracy of client details may include but is not limited to:
Name, current address, date of birth
Concessional/entitlement numbers and categories eg pension
Allergies, medical conditions and other medications taken
Name of client's doctor
Medicare numbers
Ward/clinic/cost centre
Client medication profile may include:
Date of birth
Approximate weight and height of the patient
Any known chronic medical conditions or incapacities
Allergies or history of adverse drug reaction
Any known and relevant lifestyle factors eg history of drug dependency, use of non-pharmacy health care services or therapies
Other medications including OTC, complementary products, prescription etc.
SAS approvals
Restricted drug approvals
Authority numbers
S100 status
Dispensary administrative systems and associated technology may include:
Pharmacy dispensary hardware system:
main hard drive, associated floppy and/or CD/DVD drives
various controller boards for peripheral devices
keyboard, screen, printers, modem, scanners
Pharmacy dispensary software system:
proprietary software
spreadsheets, word processing, accounting packages
customer, supplier, stock, and drug usage databases
Dispensary administrative computerised tasks may include but are not limited to:
Updating patient records - demographic details, entitlement numbers
Maintaining prescriber records
Maintaining medication/drug records
Maintaining dispensing/prescription records
Maintaining supply of cautionary and advisory information ready for use
Financial management reports - number and value of prescriptions dispensed
Drug usage reports
Stock control reports
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims
S100 claims
Government claims
Management accounting - customer accounts
Backing up system and maintaining security - daily, weekly and system backups
Printing consumer product information
EVIDENCE GUIDE
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of workplace performance is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible
Resources essential for assessment include:
Access to relevant workplace or appropriately simulated environment where assessment can take place
Relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines
Relevant policies
Method of assessment may include:
Observation in the work place
Written assignments/projects
Interviewing and questioning
Formal appraisal systems
Supporting statement of supervisor(s)
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of workplace performance is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible
Resources essential for assessment include:
Access to relevant workplace or appropriately simulated environment where assessment can take place
Relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines
Relevant policies
Method of assessment may include:
Observation in the work place
Written assignments/projects
Interviewing and questioning
Formal appraisal systems
Supporting statement of supervisor(s)
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| C9428 | HLTPH414A | Assist in dispensary administration | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WD261 | HLTPH411A | Provide assistance in dispensary administration | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| D057 | HLT40507 | Certificate IV in Hospital/Health Services Pharmacy Support | Qualification |