Unit of competency

Modification History

Not applicable.

Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to package pharmaceutical products in Dose Administration Aids (DAAs). It requires the ability to set up pre-packaged doses of prescribed medicines to be administered over set periods, verify contents with a pharmacist and complete DAA patient records. This may be for new and ongoing individual customers or for multiple customers in residential care settings.

This unit applies to senior dispensary assistants working in community pharmacies. When preparing DAAs they work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist and their role is limited to those dispensing functions that do not require them to exercise professional pharmaceutical judgement or discretion.

This unit incorporates the requirement for pharmacy assistants to comply with federal, state and territory law and Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines for supplying scheduled Pharmacy Medicines (S2) and Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3). At the time of publication, they are not, however, required to hold an occupational licence or to be certified as competent in this unit to dispense scheduled medicines.

Pre-requisite Unit

SIRCDIS001 Assist customers with prescriptions

SIRCDIS003 Assist in dispensing prescriptions

SIRCIND002 Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines

Competency Field

Dispensary

Unit Sector

Community Pharmacy

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Unit Mapping Information

No equivalent unit.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ca051b1b-5101-4ec2-ac1c-49699303188d

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Not applicable.

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

• assist in preparing twelve dose administration aids (DAAs)
• assist in preparing DAA orders for each of these customer types:

• new customers
• ongoing customers.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

• role boundaries and responsibilities of dispensary assistants and pharmacists in the preparation of dose administration aids
• circumstances which require and trigger referral to a pharmacist
• basic aspects of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Professional Practice Standards – provisions relevant to dose administration aids services
• organisational procedures for preparing dose administration aids:

• accessing and maintaining security of the dispensary area
• dealing with new DAA patients
• requirements for pharmacist checks of DAAs
• patient record keeping
• logging of all filled and verified DAAs
• cleaning and maintenance of dose administration area
• disposal of rejected dispensary items to minimise environmental impacts and protect confidentiality of patient information

• formats for, use and contents of:

• drug charts
• patient medication profiles, both simple and complex
• service contracts
• DAA orders

• features, functions and uses of different types of DAAs:

• re-usable dosette boxes
• tamper-proof, sealed DAAs

• features of medications not suitable for packing in a DAA
• features, functions and operating requirements of DAA equipment:

• heat or press sealing equipment
• irons
• pill splitters

• formats for, use and required contents of DAA labels:

• pharmacy name and address
• phone number
• consumer name
• active ingredients
• brand name
• strength
• directions for use
• cautionary and advisory information
• packing and expiry date

• personal hygiene practices to avoid contamination of medicines and dose administration containers
• environmental protection practices for disposal of waste
• features and functions of dispensary software specifically for keeping patient DAA records.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a pharmacy with a designated operational dispensary area. This must be in an industry workplace, which meets Pharmacy Board of Australia and relevant industry standards for dispensary operations.

Assessment must ensure use of:

• information technology hardware and software
• dispensary software currently used by the community pharmacy industry
• pharmacy storage locations for filled customer prescriptions
• pharmacy storage locations, shelf facings and signage for unscheduled medicines, Pharmacy Medicines (S2), and Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3)
• different types of DAAs:

• re-usable dosette boxes
• tamper-proof, sealed DAAs

• DAA equipment
• a diverse commercial product range of solid pharmacy medicines; tablets and capsules
• a range of completed:

• prescriptions
• drug charts
• patient medication profiles
• service contracts
• DAA orders, instructions and checklists

• materials for DAA labelling (for cautionary and advisory details and to print customer details, medicine details and directions for use)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Professional Practice Standards – provisions relevant to dose administration aids services
• organisational procedures for preparing dose administration aids
• customers with whom the individual can interact
• pharmacists with whom the individual can interact
• assessment activities that allow the individual to work with commercial speed, timing and productivity to prepare dose administration aids within nominated deadlines.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisation’s requirements for assessors, and

• have worked in the pharmacy sector for at least two years.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ca051b1b-5101-4ec2-ac1c-49699303188d