This unit applies to community pharmacy employees working as pharmacy assistants or dispensary assistants. It restricts them to suggesting Pharmacy Medicines and unscheduled medicines, aids and equipment to customers. In situations where customers require referral to a pharmacist for therapeutic advice, or where the supply of Pharmacist Only Medicines 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 pregnancy and maternal health conditions and products. | 1.1.Identify the physical and physiological effects of pregnancy. 1.2.Identify pregnancy and maternal health conditions. 1.3.Identify and locate the pharmacy range of pregnancy and maternal health products. 1.4.Identify and access sources of information, specialist services and practitioners. |
2. Identify customer needs. | 2.1.Follow pharmacy protocols and procedures to interact with the customer and identify the customer and their needs and symptoms, including duration and severity. 2.2.Determine what medicines and products have been tried to assist with the specific condition. 2.3.Follow pharmacy protocols to identify triggers for referral to a pharmacist. 2.4.Follow pharmacy procedures to respect and protect customer privacy. |
3. Provide information and advice to customers. | 3.1.Finalise supply of scheduled medicines and products to customers, or after pharmacist provision of therapeutic advice where required. 3.2.Provide customers with information on lifestyle, self-care practices and specialist services to support pregnancy and maternal health. 3.3.Recommend pregnancy and maternal health products appropriate to customer symptoms and needs. 3.4.Provide the customer with information and directions for product use. 3.5.Identify and act on opportunities to suggest companion products 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 pregnancy and maternal health services recommend and supply pregnancy and maternal health medicines, 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 pregnancy and maternal health medicines and products literacy skills to: interpret product and self-care information use specialist information and services to support pregnancy and maternal health conditions follow pharmacy procedures planning and organising skills to organise own work to meet customer service requirements technology skills to access and use information systems required by the role 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 |
common factors that can contribute to maternal health needs and related lifestyle and self-care information common symptoms of pregnancy and maternal health conditions personal role boundaries and responsibilities and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff is required pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to the supply of pregnancy and maternal health medicines, aids, kits and equipment, 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 physical and physiological changes that occur during and following pregnancy pregnancy and maternal health aids and equipment pregnancy and related health conditions principles of evidence-based assessment as they apply to assessing the efficacy of medicines used to treat pregnancy and maternal health conditions and awareness of credible sources of information on product range relevant product and health condition terminology sources of information, advice and specialist services relating to pregnancy and maternal health 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: access relevant sources of information to assist the customer and maintain currency of knowledge apply knowledge of medicines, aids and equipment when recommending and selling products for pregnancy and maternal health conditions follow pharmacy protocols and procedures when selling pregnancy and maternal health medicines, aids and equipment provide information to customers in ways appropriate to customer needs and demonstrating appropriate techniques to confirm understanding recognise personal role boundaries 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: a range of real or simulated customers with different pregnancy or maternal health requirements a range of products and equipment for pregnancy and maternal health conditions relevant pharmacy protocols and procedures relevant documentation, such as: pregnancy and maternal health, products and service information self-care and lifestyle advice. |
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: seeking information to establish customer requirements recommending and supplying pregnancy and maternal health medicines, aids and equipment to a range of customers identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist selling pregnancy and maternal health medicines, aids and equipment to a range of customers 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. | |
Pregnancy and maternal health conditions may include: | backache breast and nipple changes changes in hair condition constipation headache haemorrhoids indigestion or heartburn gestational diabetes fatigue postnatal depression pre morning sickness swelling of hands and feet varicose veins weakened nails. |
Pregnancy and maternal health products may include: | breast expressing kits complementary medicines dietary supplements maternity pads morning sickness treatments nipple care products, including: nipple shields nursing pads nursing accessories, such as pillows unscheduled medicines pharmacy medication pregnancy testing kits stretch mark and related skincare products. |
Sources of information, specialist services and practitioners include: | doctors health-care information manufacturer information medicines databases industry and professional publications other health-care specialists pharmacist pharmacy or supplier product leaflets, brochures and manuals support organisations relevant websites. |
Pharmacy protocols and procedures must include: | interacting with the customer to establish: who the product is for symptoms duration of symptoms other existing health conditions other medications being used by the customer 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. |
Triggers for referral to a pharmacist must 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 asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure used the product before but is not satisfied with its efficacy requested a large quantity of one or more medicines or products 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).