SIRCHCS408 Test blood glucose and advise on equipment and services for diabetes management

Release: 1

SIRCHCS408 Test blood glucose and advise on equipment and services for diabetes management

Modification History

The version details of this endorsed unit are in the table below. The latest information is at the top.

Release	Comments
First Release	This is a revised unit, based on but not equivalent to SIRPPKS014A Provide information, products and services on diabetes.

Unit Descriptor

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to test blood glucose and advise on monitoring equipment and services.

The unit covers an elementary knowledge of the diabetes condition, how to test blood glucose levels, recommend home monitoring equipment, and advise on lifestyle and health-care practices to support customers to manage diabetes.

Application of the Unit

This unit applies to community pharmacy employees working as pharmacy assistants or dispensary assistants. Pharmacy assistants frequently work directly with customers in supporting their diabetes management. In situations where diabetics require referral to a pharmacist for therapeutic advice or where the supply of Pharmacist Only Medicines or products is required, the pharmacy assistant gathers information, refers the customer on, and then supports the pharmacist in finalising diabetes services and supplying medicines and products.

A person undertaking this role is required to work under the supervision of a pharmacist.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

All relevant federal, state or territory legislation, Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines, and established practice and quality assurance standards are to be met.

Pre-Requisites

HLTIN402C	Maintain infection control standards in office practice settings
SIRCHCS201	Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines

Employability Skills Information

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements and Performance Criteria

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. Identify customer needs.	1.1.Follow pharmacy protocols and procedures to determine customer requirements. 1.2.Identify and act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist. 1.3.Follow pharmacy procedures to respect and protect customer privacy. 1.4.Recognise diabetes types and related conditions. 1.5.Consult customer, explain that a single test is not an accurate indicator, and that monitoring at regular intervals is required. 1.6.Advise customer on the availability of pharmacy blood glucose testing services.
2. Test blood glucose levels.	2.1.Apply pharmacy procedures and testing equipment to manufacturer’s instructions to prepare for blood glucose testing. 2.2.Apply lancet with glucose to inside of fingertip or alternative selected area. 2.3.Trigger lancet and hold blood against test strip loaded into monitor and wait for monitor to register blood glucose reading. 2.4.Enter results on pharmacy blood glucose testing record and refer to pharmacist for checking, verification and follow-up with the customer where required. 2.5.Provide confirmed record to the customer and file a copy according pharmacy procedures. 2.6.Dispose of used lancets in a sharps container.
3. Provide advice on blood glucose self-testing equipment products and services.	3.1.Inform customer regarding the features and components of home blood glucose testing equipment from the pharmacy range. 3.2.Demonstrate use, care and maintenance of digital home blood glucose testing equipment and recommend specific self-testing equipment to customer. 3.3.Assist customer in identifying common reasons for inaccurate readings. 3.4.Show customer how to keep a personal blood glucose record. 3.5.Recommend and comply with conditions relating to supply of diabetes-related products, aids, test kits and equipment.
4. Provide blood glucose products and self-care information where required.	4.1.Encourage customer to take and record regular blood glucose readings and show them to their doctor, as required. 4.2.Access relevant sources and provide customer with information on lifestyle, self-care practices, specialist services and practitioners to support diabetes management.

Required Skills and Knowledge

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 obtain and provide information confirm customer understanding explain pharmacy blood glucose testing services to customers recommend and supply blood glucose testing equipment provide advice on lifestyle, self-care practices, specialist services and practitioners refer to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff where required use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences use and interpret non-verbal communication learning skills to maintain currency of knowledge about diabetes management and blood glucose testing equipment literacy skills to: follow pharmacy protocols and procedures interpret and explain product and self-care information use specialist information and services to support the management of diabetes planning and organising skills to meet customer service requirements technology skills to: access and use information systems required by the role perform blood glucose testing procedures use equipment for home blood glucose monitoring 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
Required knowledge
basic awareness of how insulin works in the human body common factors that can contribute to diabetes conditions and related lifestyle and self-care information common symptoms of diabetes and related conditions, including: type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes gestational diabetes hyperglycaemia hypoglycaemia common side effects of taking diabetes medicine diabetes aids and equipment diabetes products and health condition terminology key features of the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) personal role boundaries, responsibilities and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff is required pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to: collecting information from customers collecting and supplying information to an agent acting on behalf of a customer respecting and protecting customer privacy identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist providing blood glucose testing services supply of diabetes medicines, aids and equipment safe handling and disposal of sharps related health conditions that can result from diabetes relevant state or territory infection-control guidelines and Skin Penetration Act sources of information, advice and specialist services relating to diabetes use, care and storage requirements for aids and equipment

Evidence Guide

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: demonstrate use, care and maintenance of blood glucose testing equipment and products and confirm customer understanding perform blood glucose testing services according to pharmacy protocols and procedures promote and apply NDSS benefits where relevant recognise and act on situations or requests requiring referral to a pharmacist recommend and sell blood glucose testing equipment to customers refer to relevant sources of information to assist the customer and maintain personal currency of knowledge.
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: relevant pharmacy protocols and procedures a range of real or simulated customers with different requirements a range of products and equipment used in the treatment and management of diabetes relevant documentation, such as: diabetes product and service information self-care advice lifestyle advice NDSS proformas and guidelines.
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: performing blood glucose testing demonstrating use, care and maintenance of blood glucose testing equipment recommending and selling blood glucose testing equipment to a range of customers advising on lifestyle and self-care practices 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.

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. 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.
Pharmacy protocols and procedures may include:	interacting with the customer to establish: who the product is for symptoms duration of symptoms other existing health conditions if the customer has seen the doctor lately insulin or other diabetes medication being used by the customer if the customer is registered under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) when the customer last had food 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 condition and requirements.
Customer requirements may include:	a single blood glucose test assistance with blood glucose testing home testing equipment or products insulin regular blood glucose monitoring at intervals as advised by a doctor.
Triggers for referral to a pharmacist must include:	customer is: a child under 2 an aged person pregnant or breastfeeding taking other medicines customer has: had the complaint for some time other health conditions, such as asthma or high blood pressure used the product before but is not satisfied with its efficacy requested a large quantity of one or more medicines customer appears to be: sick angry confused dissatisfied uncertain under the influence of drugs or alcohol pharmacy assistant is unsure and needs confirmation of the medicine selected, even if the product has been requested by name request for Pharmacist Only Medicine.
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.
Diabetes types and related conditions may include:	type 1 diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes type 2 diabetes or noninsulin dependent diabetes gestational diabetes hyperglycaemia or higher than normal blood sugar levels hypoglycaemia or lower than normal blood sugar levels.
Regular intervals may include:	before: breakfast (for fasting reading) lunch dinner two hours after a meal before rigorous exercise if feeling unwell.
Prepare for blood glucose testing may include:	methods and equipment for disinfection taking the customer to a designated testing area washing hands wearing personal protective equipment, such as gloves setting up equipment, including: digital blood glucose testing equipment adhesive bandages alcohol wipes sharps container loading a trigger lancet device with a disposable lancet.
Alternative selected area may include:	forearm thigh palm of hand.
Pharmacy blood glucose testing record may include:	pharmacy identification and telephone number a customer copy and duplicate pharmacy file copy with the following content: customer’s name and address date fasting or not fasting insulin amounts test time blood glucose level relevant notes regarding individual customer circumstances that may have impacted on the reading.
Use, care and maintenance may include:	caring for strips, such as: storing them in a dry place replacing the cap immediately after use checking that the use-by date is valid operating equipment according to product manufacturer’s instructions, such as: switching on and setting the digital meter matching disposable lancets to machines wiping down equipment with alcohol wipes checking equipment calibration replacing batteries in the digital meter loading the trigger lancet device loading the test strip into the testing meter safely disposing of used lancets.
Common reasons for inaccurate readings may include:	using the wrong strip for the digital meter using strips that have expired or been stored incorrectly using the machine incorrectly not washing hands before testing incorrect calibration or set-up of the digital meter low battery levels in the digital meter.
Personal blood glucose record may include:	day, month and time of day insulin amounts used test times and blood glucose levels for each test comments.
Conditions relating to supply may include:	federal and state or territory legislation industry codes of practice, standards and guidelines the application of NDSS benefits for registered customers pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to the sale of diabetesrelated medicines and products, aids and equipment.
Diabetes-related products, aids, test kits and equipment may include:	insulin syringes pens lancets prescribed diabetic medicines blood glucose monitoring machines, reagent strips urine glucose testing kits.
Relevant sources may include:	Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) website and phone line pharmacist manufacturer information product brochures and leaflets supplied by a pharmacist self-care and health-care information website of support organisations, such as Diabetes Australia.
Specialist services and practitioners may include:	doctors diabetic educators pharmacist support organisations, such as Diabetes Australia other health-care specialists.

Unit Sector(s)

Community Pharmacy

Competency field

Health Care Support