Elements and Performance Criteria

consumer law, environmental law, OHS and welfare law specific to federal, state or territory and local legislation
the Pharmacy/Pharmacists Act and related regulations
drugs, poisons and controlled substances legislation
Therapeutic Goods Act
Health Act and related regulations
privacy legislation
Trade Practices and Fair Trading Acts
Pharmacy Board Guidelines and directives
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards
codes of conduct and ethics.

federal and state or territory legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice, standards and guidelines
community pharmacy policies, protocols and procedures relating to accepting prescriptions and delivering dispensed medication.

general medicines (non-scheduled)
pharmacy medicines (S2)
pharmacist-only medicines (S3)
prescription-only medicines (S4)
controlled medicines (S8).

customers or their agents
customers visiting the pharmacy, contacting the pharmacy by phone or in their own home
customers with special needs, e.g. elderly, non-English-speaking background and infants
people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities
customers who may be unwell, drug-affected, grieving or upset.

seeking product or information for self or another person
requests for a specified brand or manufacturer
requests related to condition, function and usage
cost or lifestyle factors
physical characteristics, including allergic reactions, physical disability or a need or desire to use natural products
requirement to drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery.

CARE:
check
assess
refer or recommend
explain
WHAT/STOP/GO:
who is the patient?
how long have they had the symptom?
actual symptoms?
treatment
symptoms?
totally sure?
overuse or abuse?
pharmacy medicine or pharmacist referral?
GO: provide information or explain reason for referral to pharmacist.

self-care and health care information
product brochures and leaflets supplied by a pharmacist
manufacturer information
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) website and phone line
industry and professional publications.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:


applies pharmacy protocols and procedures when selling pharmacy or pharmacist-only medicines, including:

identifying scheduled products and storage locations
applying knowledge of common medicine categories and related health conditions to identify appropriate medicines
collecting the required information from customers
identifying situations or requests requiring referral to a pharmacist and refer appropriately
providing information on self-care and medication to customers
ensuring customers have access to a pharmacist for advice.
respects and protects customer privacy and confidentiality when communicating with customers and maintaining customer records
uses tact and discretion when collecting and providing information to customers
provides information to customers in ways appropriate to customer needs and demonstrates appropriate techniques to confirm understanding
identifies and understands common medical terminology
understands the general legal requirements to be met by community pharmacies as they affect the role of the pharmacy assistant
locates information sources to update technical knowledge
recognises the situations requiring referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff according to pharmacy policy
plans and carries out work to meet workflow requirements and provide timely service to customers.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

demonstration of procedures to support the sale of pharmacy or pharmacist-only medicines over sufficient time to demonstrate her/his handling of a range of contingencies
interaction with customers, including a range of customers typical of the customer base
sale of medicines in response to product and symptom-based requests
performance is observed by the assessor or the technical expert working in partnership with the assessor.
access to a real or simulated workplace environment that meets Pharmacy Board and relevant industry standards for dispensary operations
access to relevant pharmacy protocols and procedures
access to state or territory legislation and guidelines where appropriate
access to relevant documentation, such as advice on pharmacy and pharmacist-only medicines
access to a range of customers with different requirements (real or simulated)
access to a range of S2 and S3 medicines and pharmacy storage locations.

Methods 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 candidate in the workplace supporting the sale of pharmacy and pharmacist-only medicines to a range of customers
written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding
role plays to confirm communication skills to meet diverse customer requirements.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Assessing employability skills
Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification.