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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Follow pharmacy infection control guidelines.
   • Identify pharmacy activities that require use of infection control practices and implement appropriate response.
   • Follow organisational procedures for infection control throughout relevant activities.
   • Report and provide clear information on incidents where precautions have failed and follow organisational procedures for care after exposure to risk of infection.
2. Use hygienic and safety practices to control cross-transmission.
   • Select and use personal protective equipment to avoid cross-transmission of infection.
   • Follow hand hygiene and washing procedures before and after customer contact, cleaning and waste disposal.
   • Cover own cuts and abrasions with occlusive dressings and change regularly.
   • Avoid unhygienic personal contact with other people, work surfaces and equipment.
   • Follow procedures for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
   • Handle sharps with care to avoid stick injury and transmission of infection to self and dispose of immediately in sharps container.
3. Clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces.
   • Select and prepare appropriate cleaning products, disinfectants and equipment according to manufacturer instructions.
   • Clean and disinfect work surfaces and equipment before and after use.
   • Use and replace surface covers when required.
   • Clean spills of bodily fluids using infection control methods.
   • Decontaminate equipment requiring special processing after customer contact.
   • Dispose of waste and sharps safely, according to specific disposal requirements and organisational waste management procedures.

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:

select and use personal protective equipment for two different situations

clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces on four occasions

safely dispose of each of these types of waste:

contaminated waste

cleaning products

pharmaceutical sharps

respond to two different spills

demonstrate the following procedures to respond to two infection control incidents:

appropriate and timely verbal reports

organisational procedures for care after exposure to risk of infection.

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Knowledge Evidence

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

aspects of infection at an overview level:

opportunistic organisms; bacteria, fungi and viruses

pathogens

sources of infection and means of transmission

susceptible hosts; immune suppressed people, those with chronic diseases, the very old or very young

community pharmacy industry and organisational:

types of activities that require use of infection control practices

infection control guidelines and procedures

waste management procedures for sharps and contaminated waste

reporting procedures for infection control incidents

care requirements after incidents to manage risk of infection

types and correct use of personal protection equipment for controlling cross transmission of infection:

gloves

gowns

masks

protective glasses

procedures for hand hygiene and care:

reasons for and use of routine hand washing and drying practices

use of antiseptic wipes and alcohol based sanitiser for acceptable circumstances

wearing gloves to handle irritant cleaning and disinfection products

use of aftercare hand creams

types of unhygienic personal contact with customers, work surfaces and equipment that may transfer micro-organisms and spread infection:

blowing nose

coughing

scratching skin and hair

sneezing

spitting

touching wounds

safe sharps handling and disposal techniques

cleaning and disinfecting techniques and products used for:

pharmacy health care service work areas and work bench surfaces

pharmacy health care equipment

pharmacy equipment requiring special processing after customer contact and methods to decontaminate

role, use and basic content of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or plain English workplace documents or diagrams that interpret SDS content for cleaning and disinfecting products

safe methods to clean spills of bodily fluids

environmentally sound disposal methods for hazardous waste:

contaminated waste

cleaning products

pharmaceutical sharps.

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