Application
This unit applies to community pharmacy employees working as pharmacy assistants, engaged in a limited range of pharmacy customer service and supply activities.
A person undertaking this role usually reports directly to a pharmacy retail supervisor, working indirectly under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
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. Locate pharmacy product and service areas. | 1.1.Identify types of medicines as defined by Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP) that are found in pharmacies, and requirements relating to their storage and display location. 1.2.Locate and direct customers to key product and service areas within the pharmacy. |
2. Follow pharmacy customer service procedures. | 2.1.Greet and farewell customers according to pharmacy procedures. 2.2.Communicate with customers in a professional, courteous manner according to pharmacy service protocols and procedures. 2.3.Convey a positive, helpful approach if responding to expressed customer dissatisfaction. 2.4.Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to the pharmacist or a relevant experienced staff member according to pharmacy protocols. 2.5.Apply tact and discretion when collecting information and providing information to customers. 2.6.Identify and act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff. |
3. Accept prescriptions. | 3.1.Approach customers and accept prescriptions in a timely manner. 3.2.Collect key customer and dispensing information and record on prescription intake form. 3.3.Refer any prescription queries or discrepancies directly to the pharmacist. 3.4.Lodge prescriptions together with completed prescription intake form for dispensing. |
4. Work within pharmacy requirements. | 4.1.Work within own job role boundaries and recognise roles and responsibilities of colleagues and immediate supervisors. 4.2.Seek advice, direction, and support from appropriate team members where required under pharmacy protocols. 4.3.Interpret staff rosters accurately and provide sufficient notice of unavailability for rostered hours according to pharmacy requirements. 4.4.Develop and use current working knowledge and understanding of employee and employer rights and responsibilities. 4.5.Comply with relevant duty of care, legal responsibilities and support organisational culture. 4.6.Participate in pharmacy safe and sustainable work practices. |
5. Develop effective work habits. | 5.1.Follow pharmacy hygiene, personal presentation and dress code. 5.2.Act promptly on instructions, information and procedures relevant to the particular task. 5.3.Confirm and act on legal requirements in regard to anti-discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. 5.4.Ask questions to seek and clarify workplace information. 5.5.Plan and organise daily work routine within the scope of own job role. 5.6.Prioritise and complete tasks according to required timeframes. 5.7.Identify work and personal priorities and achieve a balance between competing priorities. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: convey a positive and helpful approach towards customers ask questions to identify and confirm customer requirements direct customers to relevant areas in the pharmacy listen to the ideas and opinions of others in the team seek direction from or refer customers to more experienced pharmacy assistants or a pharmacist as relevant use culture appropriate language and concepts use and interpret non-verbal communication literacy skills to: follow rosters follow pharmacy procedures read scheduling information on product labels record customer information follow pharmacy service protocols and procedures planning and organising skills to: identify and meet competing priorities manage tasks within workplace timeframes plan and organise daily work routine technology skills to access and use information systems required by the role |
Required knowledge |
employer and employee responsibilities under an Australian Apprenticeship contract (if applicable) pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to: assisting and directing customers to more experienced staff boundaries and responsibilities of each job role in the pharmacy team dress and personal presentation greeting customers dealing with grievances discriminatory behaviour providing service to customers referring customers to a: pharmacist more experienced pharmacy assistant rosters health privacy principles industry awards and agreements relevant to the job role personal role boundaries and responsibilities and circumstances under which referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff is required reasons why medicines are not normal items of sale and buying in bulk is discouraged relevant legislation and statutory requirements as they affect a community pharmacy, such as: equal employment opportunity work health and safety (WHS) privacy anti-discrimination legislation rights and responsibilities of employees and employers terms and conditions of employment types of medicines found in the pharmacy and their location, including: scheduled medicines unscheduled medicines typical groupings and locations of non-scheduled products in pharmacies |
Evidence Required
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: accept and lodge prescriptions for dispensing apply knowledge of employee and employer rights and responsibilities to own work follow pharmacy personal presentation and dress code direct customers to product and service locations in the pharmacy identify and follow relevant pharmacy service protocols and procedures recognise personal role boundaries and refer customers to a pharmacist or a more experienced staff member where relevant. |
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 pharmacy work team with a variety of roles and responsibilities, and relevant pharmacy protocols and procedures a range of customers with different requirements scheduled and unscheduled medicines and pharmacy stock storage locations. |
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: directing customers to relevant medicine and product locations accepting prescriptions and collecting relevant information from customers referring customers to more experienced pharmacy assistants or a pharmacist where relevant 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. | |
Types of medicines may include: | scheduled medicines, including: Pharmacy Medicine (S2) Pharmacist Only Medicine (S3) Prescription Only Medicine (S4) Controlled Drug (S8) unscheduled medicines. |
Key product and service areas | analgesics and anti-inflammatories baby and infant care coughs and colds continence management eye and ear first aid and wound care health-care support areas for conditions, such as: asthma blood pressure diabetes nutrition and weight management obstructive sleep apnoea smoking cessation oral care professional services area sexual health skin and fungal supply and hire of home health-care aids and equipment unscheduled pharmacy products vitamins, minerals, supplements and complementary medicines. |
Communication | face-to-face contact with customers receiving telephone calls non-verbal communication speaking clearly and concisely using open and inclusive language. |
Customers | 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. |
Pharmacy service protocols and procedures | greeting and assisting customers documented quality system protocols and procedures that address: checking that customers presenting Pharmacy Only and Pharmacist Only Medicines for purchase have been advised by a pharmacy assistant or a pharmacist protecting customer privacy referral to an experienced pharmacy assistant referral to a pharmacist responding to and referring on a customer complaint role boundaries and authorities in the pharmacy team. |
Customer needs | advice on medicines or products for particular conditions lodging or collecting prescriptions pharmacy services seeking products or information for self or another person requests for a specific: scheduled medicine unscheduled medicine or product. |
Tact and discretion | respecting and protecting customer privacy when: communicating with customers or their agents collecting customer information providing information to customers in ways that respond to customer needs referring the customer to a pharmacist or a more experienced pharmacy assistant confirming customer understanding. |
Triggers for referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff | a customer who appears to be: sick confused uncertain dissatisfied angry under the influence of drugs or alcohol requests for large quantities of a particular type of medicine a customer requesting Pharmacist Only Medicine. |
Prescription intake form may include: | indication that the form is confidential sections on which to record: date and time indication that: customer is waiting for the medicine collecting later delivery is required customer details, such as: name and address Medicare number entitlement card and number and type medicine allergies date of birth and weight (child only) indication that this is new medicine to this customer items on the prescription that are to be dispensed customer consent to brand substitution, if available indication that the customer has requested or requires: Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) pharmacist consultation receipt additional notes name of person accepting the prescription and time of taking in prescription form serial number surname of the person collecting the prescription. |
Appropriate team members | more experienced pharmacy assistant pharmacist supervisor. |
Employee rights and responsibilities | attendance confidentiality and privacy of the business, client and colleague information knowing the terms and conditions of own employment obeying lawful orders protection from discrimination and sexual harassment punctuality right to union representation safety and care with respect to WHS. |
Employer rights and responsibilities | responsibility to provide a safe environment free from discrimination and sexual harassment according to relevant state or territory and commonwealth anti right to counsel or dismiss employees if employees: are negligent, careless or cause an accident commit a criminal offence behave in a manner not consistent with established code of conduct, such as revealing confidential information. |
Organisational culture | pharmacy chain of command organisational structure, including own position and role boundaries within the structure organisational goals, values and behaviour pharmacy protocols, procedures and quality assurance manuals relating to: contact with customers interaction with other team members interaction with supervision and management job descriptions and responsibilities. |
Safe and sustainable work practices | discussing and negotiating problems and tasks with other team members identifying and reporting risks or hazards implementing environmental protection procedures, such as: waste minimisation recycling reuse waste disposal water efficiency listening to the ideas and opinions of others in the team sharing knowledge and skills solving problems as a team using equipment according to guidelines. |
Daily work routine | interacting with customers interacting with supervisors and other staff members handling the telephone organising and maintaining work areas maintaining merchandise and displays observing scheduled breaks assisting other team members working within required timelines. |
Work and personal priorities | education home and family cultural practices other jobs social activities. |
Sectors
Community Pharmacy
Competency Field
Industry
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
All relevant federal, state or territory legislation, Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines, and established practice and quality assurance standards are to be met.