Unit of competency details

HLT07 Version 4

HLT07 Version 5

Comments

HLTARO607B Operate an aromatic medicine dispensary

HLTARO607C - Operate an aromatic medicine dispensary

Unit updated in V5.

ISC upgrade changes to remove references to old OHS legislation and replace with references to new WHS legislation. No change to competency outcome.

Descriptor 

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to manufacture and dispense essential oils and aromatic extracts treatments and remedies according to aromatic medicine framework

Application 

This unit requires an extensive level knowledge of essential oils, including those suitable for ingestive purposes and a wide range of health conditions and must be undertaken within relevant legal and regulatory requirements

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Identify medicinal plants in their natural and dry state

1.1 Recognise all poisonous aromatic plants in their natural state and as the essential oils or aromatic extracts

1.2 Recognise major aromatic plants in their natural state

1.3 Recognise essential oils and aromatic extracts organoleptically

1.4 Describe main botanical features of the major medicinal plants

2. Manufacture aromatic medicines according to pharmacy guidelines

2.1 Preserve fresh medicinal plants

2.2 Store essential oils and aromatic extracts correctly

2.3 Manufacture various types of aromatic medicines

3. Operate and monitor the dispensing process

3.1 Ensure materials, equipment and work environment are available to meet processing and dispensing requirements

3.2 Dispense raw materials according to manufacturing instructions

3.3 Monitor out-of-specification product, production process and equipment performance to ensure quality standards are met

3.4 Collect, treat, dispose of or recycle waste generated by both the process and cleaning procedures according to organisation procedures

4. Complete documentation

4.1 Record workplace information in the appropriate format

4.2 Label aromatic medicines correctly

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes knowledge of:

• Chemical and physical incompatibilities
• Clinical indications of medicines relevant to specific circumstances e.g. infectious diseases, First Aid and injuries
• Common causes of variation and corrective action required
• Dispensing procedures
• Drug abuse - signs, consequences, treatment; community resources available, in particular those with emphasis on drug-related problems
• Drug use in pregnancy, specific diseases and disorders of each system of the body
• Equipment and instrumentation components, purpose and operation
• External therapy products - baths, bath oils, creams, lotions, gels, sprays, irrigations, compresses, ointments, perfumes, poultices
• Groups of medicines and how to distinguish between them according to actions, active constituents, body systems and plant families
• Handling requirements for dangerous goods
• How the dispensing process affects the end product
• Hygiene standards
• Identification and application of good manufacturing practice and standard operating procedures
• Internal preparations - water-based preparations using dispersing agents, capsules, absorbent tablets, sub-lingual, eye, ear, nose and throat preparations, inhalations, mixture with herbal tinctures.
• Legislative requirements in dispensing aromatic products
• Major aromatic medicines with respect to their use for general symptoms, psychological and physiological indications
• Medical terminology
• Methods and compounds used to adulterate essential oils and aromatic extracts
• Minor aromatic medicines in respect to their most important indications
• Non-aromatic ingredients used in the preparation of aromatic medicines
• WHS hazards and controls
• Pharmacodynamics of aromatic medicines and pharmaceutical drugs - drug administration, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion
• Pharmacodynamics of aromatic medicines and pharmaceutical drugs and the theory of drug action; factors modifying drug effect and dosage; drug toxicity and toxicology

continued...:

Essential knowledge (contd):

• Pharmacology of aromatic medicines and pharmaceutical drugs, their classifications, usage and side effects
• Prescription of medicines - legal restrictions, therapeutic goods administration, health and safety, labelling requirements, scheduled essential oils and aromatic extracts, principles of manufacturing remedies, testing of natural therapy products
• Process specifications, procedures and operating parameters
• Purpose and basic principles of the dispensing process
• Purpose and requirements of raw materials segregation
• Quality Assurance/Analytical Tests, gas chromatography (GC), GC/Mass Spectometry (GC/MS), Refractive index, optical rotation, specific gravity and organoleptic
• Quality characteristics to be achieved
• Recording requirements and procedures
• Significance and methods of monitoring control points within the dispensing process
• Types and characteristics of manufacturing raw materials
• Waste handling requirements and procedures

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes the ability to:

• Access workplace information to identify requirements for the dispensing process
• Assess essential oils and aromatic extracts quality by organoleptic methods
• Calculate assay/potency adjustment
• Confirm equipment status and condition
• Correctly identify plants in natural states
• Describe major features of plants
• Ensure supply of necessary materials and services to the dispensing process
• Identify and describe actions for a minimum of 100 essential oils and aromatic extracts
• Implement manufacturing and dispensing process
• Maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards
• Measure and segregate materials
• Monitor the dispensing process and equipment operation to identify out-of-specification results or non-compliance and may include:

• labelling
• stock flow/quantity
• measuring devices
• materials faults
• equipment faults
• service faults

And may include the ability to:

• clean and sanitise equipment
• take samples and conduct tests
• carry out routine maintenance

• Pack and label dispensed materials
• Prepare aromatic medicines for clients in pharmaceutical forms (capsules, emulsions, creams, ointments, suppositories etc)
• Record workplace information
• Sort, collect, treat, recycle or dispose of waste, taking into account opportunities to address waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and sustainable practice issues
• Take corrective action in response to out-of-specification results or non-compliance
• Verify clearance and cleanliness

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 performance in the workplace or a simulated workplace (defined as a supervised clinic) is essential for assessment of this unit
• Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over a range of workplace situations
• Assessment may contain both theoretical and practical components and examples covering a range of clinical situations
• Evidence is required of both knowledge and skills application
• 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
• Assessment must be undertaken by an assessor who has skills and knowledge to the standard required for recognition by an appropriate aromatherapy peak body
• Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender
• Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:

• interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace
• scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units
• holistic/integrated assessment including:
• working within the practice framework
• performing a health assessment
• assessing the client
• planning treatment
• providing treatment

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

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

• An appropriately stocked and equipped clinic or simulated clinic environment
• Manufacturing and dispensing resources
• Relevant texts or medical manuals
• Relevant paper-based/video assessment instruments
• Appropriate assessment environment
• Skilled assessors

Method of assessment

• Observation in the work place
• Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge
• Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice.
• Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting (supervised student clinics). If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision.
• Explanations of technique
• Oral questioning and discussion

Related units:

This unit should be assessed after or in conjunction with the following related unit:

• HLTIN504D Manage the control of infection

This unit should be assessed in conjunction with the following related unit:

• HLTARO606C Prepare and dispense aromatic medicine

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.

Various types of aromatic medicines may include:

• Creams
• Capsules
• Ointments
• Suppositories
• Gels
• Pessaries
• Dispersing agents for ingestion, douches, irrigations, eye, ear, nose and throat preparations
• Sub-lingual
• Inhalation preparations

Equipment may include:

• Measuring instruments
• Blender
• Containers
• Beakers, pipettes
• Labeller

Manufacturing instructions may include:

• Organisation procedures
• Licensing requirements
• Legislative requirements and industrial arrangements
• Aromatic medicine manufacturing instructions
• Hygiene and sanitation standards
• Safety procedures

Workplace information may include:

• Details of manufacturing and processing undertaken
• Stock documentation
• Details of person(s) conducting manufacturing
• Dispensing information for prescriptions