Unit of competency details

Release 

Comments 

First Release

This is a revised unit, based on and equivalent to SIRPPKS015A Provide information, products and services on diet, nutrition and weight management.

New functional area. No change to overall scope or outcomes of the unit.

SIRCHCS201

Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

1. Develop knowledge of diet, nutrition and weight-related conditions and products.

1.1.Identify the role of food, nutrients and other important food substances in relation to the body’s function and maintaining a healthy weight.

1.2.Recognise signs and symptoms of common diet, nutrition and weight-management related conditions. 

1.3.Identify and locate the pharmacy range of diet, nutrition and weight-management products.  

1.4.Ensure that supplier claims and published advertising or research are supported by evidence-based assessment  outcomes.

1.5.Identify and access sources of information, specialist services and practitioners. 

2. Identify customer needs.

2.1.Follow pharmacy protocols and procedures  to determine the customer  and their needs and symptoms, including duration and severity.

2.2.Establish what medicines and products have been tried to assist weight management.

2.3.Identify and act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist .

2.4.Follow pharmacy procedures to respect and protect customer privacy.

3. Provide information and advice to customers on diet, nutrition and weight-management products and services.

3.1.Finalise supply of scheduled medicines  and products to customers, or after pharmacist provision of therapeutic advice where required.

3.2.Provide customers with information on lifestyle, self-care practices and specialist services relating to diet, nutrition and weight management.

3.3.Recommend nutrition and weight-management products appropriate to customer’s symptoms and needs.

3.4.Provide the customer with information and directions for product use.

3.5.Identify and act on opportunities to suggest companion products relevant to desired health-care outcomes.

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication skills to:

• interact with the customer to:

• ask questions to identify and confirm requirements
• provide information
• confirm understanding
• explain pharmacy nutrition and weight-management services
• recommend and supply nutrition and weight-management medicines, products, aids and equipment
• provide advice on lifestyle, self-care practices, specialist services and practitioners

• refer to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff where relevant
• use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences
• use and interpret non-verbal communication

• learning skills to maintain currency of knowledge about diet, nutrition and weight-management medicines and products
• literacy skills to:

• interpret product and self-care information
• use specialist information and services to support the management of diet, nutrition and weight-related conditions
• follow pharmacy procedures

• planning and organising skills to organise own work to meet customer service requirements
• teamwork skills to operate as part of a pharmacy team, providing relevant information and seeking advice from a pharmacist and other pharmacy staff as required
• technology skills to access and use information systems required by the role

Required knowledge 

• common diet, nutrition and weight-related conditions and contributing factors
• common interactions of diet, nutrition and weight-management products with other medicines
• health claims versus evidence-based assessment of the efficacy of diet, nutrition and weight-management related medicines and products
• indicators of weight-related conditions, e.g. body mass index parameters
• impact of diet on health conditions, including:

• principles of a balanced diet
• relationship between diet-related disease and the excessive consumption of saturated fat, sodium and sugar
• role of hydration

• lifestyle factors affecting weight management
• personal role boundaries and responsibilities, and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff is required
• pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to the supply of diet, nutrition and weight-management products, including:

• collecting required information from customers
• collecting and supplying information to an agent acting on behalf of a customer
• identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist
• identifying and supplying the relevant medicines, information, aids and equipment to meet customer needs
• respecting and protecting customer privacy

• principles of nutrition and the healthy diet pyramid, including nutritional composition of the five food groups
• pharmacy range of diet, nutrition and weight-management medicines and products
• relevant product and health condition terminology
• sources of information, advice and specialist services relating to diet, nutrition and weight management

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:

• access specialist sources of information to assist the customer and maintain personal currency of knowledge
• advise customers on the role of a healthy diet in maintaining an ideal body weight
• apply knowledge of medicine and products for nutrition and weight management when recommending and selling products
• follow pharmacy procedures when supplying diet, nutrition and weight-management medicines and products
• provide information to customers in ways appropriate to customer needs and demonstrate appropriate techniques to confirm understanding
• recognise and act on situations or requests requiring referral to a pharmacist.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure that competency is:

• observed by the assessor or the technical expert working in partnership with the assessor as described in the assessment guidelines
• demonstrated across a range of customers over sufficient time to include handling of a range of contingencies
• demonstrated in a real or simulated pharmacy environment, which may include customer interruptions and involvement in other related activities normally expected in the pharmacy.

Assessment must ensure access to:

• a range of real or simulated customers with different diet, nutrition or weight-management requirements
• a range of diet, nutrition and weight-management products
• pharmacy protocols and procedures
• relevant documentation, such as:

• diet, nutrition and weight-management medicines, products and service information
• self-care and lifestyle advice.

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 candidate in the workplace:

• seeking information to establish customer requirements
• recommending and selling diet, nutrition and weight-management medicines and products to a range of customers
• identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist

• written or oral questions appropriate to the language and literacy level of the learner to test relevant underpinning knowledge
• role plays to confirm communication skills to meet diverse customer requirements
• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace 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.

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.

Common diet, nutrition and weight-management related conditions  may include:

• anorexia
• bulimia
• obesity
• overeating
• post-surgery weight loss
• under eating
• weight loss due to illness.

Diet, nutrition and weight-management products  may include:

• complementary medicine meal replacement programs
• nutritional supplements
• pharmacy medication
• vitamins and supplements.

Evidence-based assessment  may include:

• objective technical methods
• clinical testing
• sensory analysis by trained panels or by consumers
• consumer or market research
• published and peer reviewed outcomes.

Sources of information, specialist services and practitioners  may include:

• dieticians
• doctors
• health-care information
• industry and professional publication
• pharmacists
• pharmacy or manufacturer product leaflets, brochures and manuals
• support organisations
• relevant websites.

Protocols and procedures  may include:

• interacting with the customer to establish:

• who the product is for
• symptoms
• duration of symptoms
• other existing health conditions
• other medications being used by the customer

• assessing:

• customer responses to questions
• own confidence that the product or service requested by the customer or envisaged by the pharmacy assistant is right for the customer’s symptoms.

Customer  may include people:

• from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying mental and physical abilities
• visiting the pharmacy, contacting the pharmacy by phone, or in their own home
• with special needs, such as:

• the elderly
• infants

• who are:

• drug or alcohol affected
• emotionally unstable
• mentally unstable
• physically unwell.

Triggers for referral to a pharmacis t must include:

• customer who is:

• a child under 2
• an aged person
• pregnant or breastfeeding
• taking other medicines

• customer who has:

• had the complaint for some time
• other health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure
• used the product before but is not satisfied with its efficacy

• customer appears to be:

• sick
• confused
• uncertain
• dissatisfied
• angry
• under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• pharmacy assistant is unsure and needs confirmation of the product selected, even if the product has been requested by name
• request for Pharmacist Only Medicine.

Scheduled medicine s may include:

• Pharmacy Medicines (S2)
• Pharmacist Only Medicines(S3)
• Prescription Only Medicines (S4).