This unit applies to community pharmacy employees working as pharmacy assistants. Pharmacy assistants work directly with customers, providing information on and supplying Pharmacy Medicines and unscheduled medicine products for cough and cold relief. In situations where customers 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.
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. Collect information regarding customer cough and cold needs. | 1.1.Approach and question customer to establish who will be using the product. 1.2.Confirm relevant symptoms, their duration and their severity. 1.3.Determine customer satisfaction with cough and cold medicines and products that have been tried to relieve symptoms. 1.4.Identify any other health conditions and medicines the customer is taking. 1.5.Follow pharmacy protocols and procedures to respect and protect customer privacy. |
2. Identify and respond to customer needs and requirements. | 2.1.Assess customer information and determine response. 2.2.Act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist. 2.3.Select and suggest Pharmacy Medicine or unscheduled medicines and products where suited to customer cough and cold symptoms and requirements. 2.4.Follow pharmacy procedures relating to conditions of supply for cough and cold products. |
3. Provide relevant product, self-care and lifestyle information. | 3.1.Explain manufacturer’s product information and confirm customer understanding of directions for product use. 3.2.Suggest companion products relevant to desired health outcomes. 3.3.Offer lifestyle and self-care advice where relevant to desired health-care outcomes. 3.4.Access and provide relevant sources of self-care information to customers. |
4. Maintain and build own knowledge of cough and cold products. | 4.1.Identify the pharmacy range and location of cough and cold products. 4.2.Maintain currency of knowledge with respect to new additions or changes to the pharmacy range. |
Required skills |
communication skills to: interact with the customer to: ask questions to identify and confirm requirements provide information confirm understanding suggest and supply products to relieve coughs and colds refer customers to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences use and interpret non-verbal communication learning skills to maintain currency of knowledge on the pharmacy range of Pharmacy Medicines and unscheduled medicines used to relieve the symptoms of coughs and colds literacy skills to: interpret medicine, product and self-care information follow pharmacy protocols and procedures numeracy skills to calculate dosage or quantity requirements planning and organising skills to meet customer service timelines problem-solving skills to assess and respond to customer information teamwork skills to operate as part of a team, providing relevant information to and seeking advice from a pharmacist and other pharmacy staff as required technical skills to assess cough and cold 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 cough and cold-related medicines |
Required knowledge |
aids and equipment that may be of assistance to customers seeking relief from coughs and colds, such as steam vaporisers common risk factors that can contribute to coughs and colds and related lifestyle and self-care information common side effects of taking cough and cold medicines common symptoms and conditions for which cough and cold medicines and products may be of assistance personal role boundaries, responsibilities and circumstance under which referral to a pharmacist and other pharmacy staff is required pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to the supply of cough and cold medicines and 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 terms applied to medicines and products used to treat or manage coughs and colds pharmacy range and locations of Pharmacy Medicines, Pharmacist Only Medicines and unscheduled medicines used to treat coughs and colds |
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: collect information from and inform customers in ways appropriate to their needs follow pharmacy protocols and procedures for identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist apply knowledge of the common symptoms and indicators of cough and cold conditions and the pharmacy product range to suggest suitable medicines and products to customers apply pharmacy protocols and procedures relating to conditions of supply for cough and cold medicines and products. |
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 cough and cold requirements a range of Pharmacy Medicines, unscheduled medicines and aids used to treat and support customers with cough and cold conditions relevant pharmacy protocols and procedures relevant documentation, such as: medicine and product 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: collecting and assessing information to establish customer needs and requirements identifying and acting on triggers for referral to a pharmacist suggesting and selling products to treat or manage cough and cold conditions 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, for example: SIRXSLS201 Sell products and services. |
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. | |
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. |
Cough and cold medicines and products may include: | cough suppressant cough expectorant and mucolytic sympathomimetic decongestants analgesics sedating and non-sedating antihistamines medicines and products in various forms, including: liquid capsules and tablets inhalants ointments and rubs lozenges and capsules nasal sprays and drops steam vaporisers complementary medicines unscheduled medicines Pharmacy Medicines. |
Protocols and procedures may include: | interacting with the customer to establish: who the product or service is for symptoms duration of symptoms other existing health conditions 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. |
Response may include: | referral to: a more experienced team member a pharmacist recommending medicine or products |
Triggers for referral to a pharmacist may include: | customer who is: a child under 6 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 cough and cold treatment medicines 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. |
Directions for product use may include: | how to use the medicine correctly how often to use the medicine correct dose and maximum dose not to be exceeded most common and important adverse effects other lifestyle or management tips for the condition to contact the pharmacy if the medicine does not help or the symptoms persist. |
Companion products may include: | vitamins and mineral products fish oils aids and equipment. |
Sources of self-care information may include: | customer self-care cards health-care fact sheets pharmacy or supplier product leaflets, brochures and manuals product support material, such as: booklets relevant internet resources. |
Community Pharmacy
Pharmacy Product Knowledge
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 sale of Pharmacy Medicines (S2) and Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3).