This unit applies to community pharmacy employees working as pharmacy assistants or dispensary assistants. Pharmacy assistants work directly with customers, supporting their asthma management. In situations where asthma sufferers 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 by finalising the supply of medicines and products.
A person undertaking this role is required to work under the supervision of a pharmacist.
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 the asthma condition and related products. | 1.1.Recognise signs and symptoms of the asthma condition. 1.2.Identify contributing factors and groups at risk of the asthma condition. 1.3.Identify and locate the pharmacy range of asthma-related medicines and products. 1.4.Identify and access sources of information on asthma management. |
2. Identify customer asthma management needs. | 2.1.Follow pharmacy protocols and procedures to identify the customer, and customer needs and symptoms, including common triggers, duration and severity. 2.2.Check if customer is on an asthma action plan. 2.3.Confirm relevant symptoms, their duration and their severity. 2.4.Identify and act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist. 2.5.Follow pharmacy procedures to respect and protect customer privacy. |
3. Supply and advise on asthma medicines, products and services. | 3.1.Finalise supply of scheduled medicines and products to customer or follow pharmacist therapeutic advice where required. 3.2.Explain and demonstrate use, care and maintenance of aids and equipment as appropriate to customer needs. 3.3.Explain to customer the pharmacy services available to support asthma management. 3.4.Suggest sources of lifestyle and self-care advice where relevant to desired health-care outcomes. |
Required skills |
communication skills to: interact with the customer to: ask questions to identify and confirm requirements provide information confirm understanding explain pharmacy asthma services recommend and supply asthma medications, 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 asthma and related medicines and products that can be supplied without the involvement of a pharmacist literacy skills to: interpret product and self-care information use specialist information and services to support the management of asthma health conditions follow pharmacy procedures planning and organising skills to organise work to meet customer service requirements technology skills to: access and use information systems required by the role demonstrate procedures for using relevant aids and equipment that may assist customers requiring asthma medicines or products 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 |
aids and equipment that may be of assistance to customers in managing asthma-related conditions common triggers that can contribute to or exacerbate asthma common symptoms of asthma and related conditions common side effects of taking asthma medicines personal role boundaries, responsibilities and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff is required pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to the supply of asthma-related 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 physiological effects of asthma on the body product and health condition terminology role boundaries and responsibilities and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist is required sources of information, advice and specialist services relating to asthma, including: Asthma Council of Australia Asthma Foundation Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) state and territory children’s hospital online health information fact sheets use of asthma management plans to support management of asthma use, care and storage requirements for aids and equipment |
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: follow pharmacy protocols and procedures when supplying asthma-related medicines, aids and equipment apply knowledge of the common symptoms and basic causes of asthma apply knowledge of medicine, aids and equipment appropriate to treat or manage asthma when demonstrating, recommending and supplying products identify and refer to relevant sources of information, assist the customer and maintain personal currency of knowledge 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: pharmacy protocols and procedures relevant documentation, such as: asthma medicines, products and service information self-care and lifestyle advice a range of real or simulated customers with different asthma treatment or care requirements a range of asthma medicines and products. |
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: following pharmacy procedures to establish customer requirements demonstrating use and care of asthma management equipment to customers, such as spacers and inhalers recommending and supplying asthma-related medicines and equipment 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. | |
Symptoms may include: | shortness of breath wheezing a dry, irritating and continual cough: at night in the morning when active. |
Asthma-related medicines and products | relievers inhaled bronchodilators preventers symptom controllers equipment, including: spacer devices nebulisers pressurised aerosols (puffers) masks for adults and children breath-activated metered dose inhalers or other delivery devices peak flow meters. |
Sources of information | Asthma Council of Australia Asthma Foundation CMI children’s hospital online health information fact sheets. |
Protocols and procedures | interacting with the customer to establish: who the product is for condition symptoms duration of symptoms if the customer has seen a doctor for other existing health conditions other medicines that the customer is currently using 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. |
Common triggers may include: | colds exercise changes in the weather cigarette smoke house dust mites pets pollens. |
Triggers for referral to a pharmacist may 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 diabetes and high blood pressure used the product before but is not satisfied with its efficacy 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. |
Scheduled medicines | Pharmacy Medicines (S2) Pharmacist Only Medicines(S3) Prescription Only Medicines (S4). |
Community Pharmacy
Health Care Support
This unit contains employability skills.
All relevant federal, state or territory legislation, Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines, and established practice and quality assurance standards are to be met relating to the promotion and supply of Pharmacy Medicines (S2) and Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3).