NZQA Expiring unit standard
9653 version 6
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Title
Advise pharmacy clients on nutritional and dietary requirements for
optimal health
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
2
This unit standard is intended for pharmacy assistants and
pharmacy technicians or people working towards a pharmacy
assistant or pharmacy technician qualification.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: assess
pharmacy clients’ nutritional states, and advise pharmacy
clients on ways to achieve optimal health through nutrition.
Classification
Pharmacy > Pharmacy Services
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Prerequisites: Unit 23673, Demonstrate knowledge of human
nutrition and nutritional states as a pharmacy assistant or
pharmacy technician; and either Unit 23674, Provide written
and oral advice as a pharmacy assistant, or Unit 23675,
Provide written and oral advice as a pharmacy technician; or
demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
This unit standard is
Candidates must demonstrateexpiring
effective oral, written, and non-verbal communication
skills according to the requirements of the recipient, and taking into account any
Explanatory notes
1
language barriers or special needs requirements.
2
Credit for this unit standard may not be awarded unless assessment is supported by
evidence of a minimum of 30 working days practice in a non-simulated pharmacy
workplace environment. This evidence is to be supplied in a pharmacist verifier’s
statement.
3
Pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians must always act under the
supervision of a pharmacist and know when to refer to a pharmacist.
4
Legislation, codes, and standards relevant to this unit standard include:
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993;
Fair Trading Act 1986;
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996;
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
9653 version 6
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Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights), Regulations 1996;
Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, available from the Health
and Disability Commissioner’s office;
Health Information Privacy Code 1994, available from the Privacy Commissioner’s
office;
Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996;
Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003;
Health (Needles and Syringes) Regulations 1998;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995;
Medicines Act 1981;
Medicines Regulations 1984;
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975;
Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977;
New Zealand Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Manufacture and Distribution
of Therapeutic Goods, Part 3 (Compounding and Dispensing), available from
Medsafe;
The New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule, available from
http://www.pharmac.govt.nz;
Pharmacy Council of New Zealand Code of Ethics 2004, available at
http://www.pharmacycouncil.org.nz;
Privacy Act 1993.
Other requirements applicable to this unit standard may include but are not limited to:
Pharmacy Practice Handbook and Quality Standards for Pharmacy in New Zealand,
both available from the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Inc.
Any legislation or other requirement superseding any of the above will apply, pending
review of this unit standard.
5
6
This unit standard is
Candidates must be aware of,expiring
and comply with, standard operating procedures and
Organisational Quality Specifications listed in the District Health Board Pharmacy
Definition
Standard operating procedures – written documentation of the specified way to
perform an activity.
Services Agreement in their workplace.
7
Access to the reference resources specified by the Pharmaceutical Society of New
Zealand Inc. to be held in every pharmacy is required for completion of assessment
against this unit standard.
8
Clients may present with nutritional states ranging from optimal health to lifethreatening. This unit standard requires candidates to identify when a client’s
condition may be more serious than should be addressed by a pharmacy assistant or
pharmacy technician. Candidates must refer clients to a pharmacist or appropriate
health practitioner in any such case.
Reasons for referral may include but are not limited to when clients – are infants
(under 2 years) or older persons (over 60 years); are taking prescribed medicines;
have a pre-existing medical condition; have a history of adverse reactions to
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
9653 version 6
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treatment or medicines; have not benefited from previous treatment; may need
further diagnostic investigation; may require treatment which is not available in a
pharmacy; or may have an unrecognised and/or serious disease and/or medical
condition.
9
Recognised health promoting models for nutrition are as in current published
information from the National Heart Foundation, the Cancer Society, or the Ministry of
Health.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Assess pharmacy clients’ nutritional states.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Clients’ requirements for nutrition are established in a clear, polite, and
professional manner, and using an appropriate range of questions.
Range
1.2
Clients’ nutritional states are assessed in accordance with the diet, general
appearance, and lifestyle information available about the clients.
Range
1.3
may include but is not limited to question of – details of symptoms,
existing medication, other health conditions and/or states.
general appearance may include but is not limited to – skin, hair,
nails, weight, eyes, posture;
lifestyle may include but is not limited to – client environment,
exercise habits, alcohol intake, smoking, sleeping patterns.
This unit standard is
expiring
Assessment of clients’ nutritional states determines whether their requirements
are within the range of health care available in the pharmacy, and/or whether
referral to a pharmacist and/or other health practitioner is required.
Outcome 2
Advise pharmacy clients on ways to achieve optimal health through nutrition.
Range
foods, vitamins, minerals, special diet (eg – vegetarian, vegan, intolerance,
allergen avoidance, diets to address excesses and/or deficiencies), evidencebased specialised nutrition (eg – electrolytes and rehydration, infant and
convalescent food, sports nutrition, nutrition for weight loss and weight gain).
Evidence requirements
2.1
Diet, nutritional products, and services appropriate to clients’ requirements are
identified, and described to clients in terms of achieving and maintaining their
optimal health.
2.2
Advice given to clients on nutrition and diet is consistent with a recognised
health-promoting model of nutrition.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
2.3
9653 version 6
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Advice given to clients on the use and care of selected nutritional products is in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
30 January 1997
N/A
Revision
2
18 December 1997
N/A
Review
3
22 September 2000
N/A
Review
4
23 April 2007
N/A
Revision
5
24 August 2007
N/A
Review
6
16 April 2015
31 December 2017
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0128
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
This unit standard is
expiring
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016