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:

HLTIN504C Manage the control of infection

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

HLTARO606B Prepare and dispense aromatic medicine

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

OHS 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

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