NZQA Expiring unit standard
23657 version 4
Page 1 of 4
Title
Provide advice on the use of dispensed medicines as a pharmacy
technician
Level
5
Purpose
Credits
3
This unit standard is intended for pharmacy technicians or
people working towards a pharmacy technician qualification.
People credited with this unit standard are able to provide
advice on the use of dispensed medicines as a pharmacy
technician.
Classification
Pharmacy > Pharmacy Services
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Open.
Explanatory notes
1
2
Candidates must demonstrate effective oral, written, and non-verbal communication
skills taking into account any language barriers or special needs requirements of the
client.
This unit standard is
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
expiring
workplace environment. This evidence is to be supplied in a pharmacist verifier’s
statement.
3
Pharmacy technicians must act within the legislative limits of their role as specified by
the Medicines Regulations 1984 and must always act under the supervision of a
pharmacist and under the direct personal supervision of a pharmacist when
dispensing or compounding. They must know when to refer to a pharmacist in
accordance with these limits.
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;
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’
Rights), Regulations 1996;
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23657 version 4
Page 2 of 4
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
Definition
Standard operating procedures – written documentation of the specified way to perform an
activity in the candidate’s employing organisation.
6
7
Candidates must be aware of, and comply with, standard operating procedures and
Organisational Quality Specifications listed in the District Health Board Pharmacy
Services Agreement in their workplace.
This unit standard is
Access to appropriate reference resources in accordance with Medsafe audit
requirements is required for completion
of assessment against this unit standard.
expiring
Evidence presented by the candidate must be in accordance with reference
resources.
8
This unit standard is designed to cover knowledge sufficient to provide, under direct
personal supervision of a pharmacist, client counselling when dispensed medicine is
handed out.
The Pharmacy Council advises the public that before leaving the pharmacy they will
receive counselling that confirms and explains:
who the medicine is for
what the medicine is for
the directions for proper use and what special precautions to take
foods or medicines to avoid
common side effects or interactions, what to expect and how to treat, if needed
how soon to expect the medicine to work
what to do if you miss a dose
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23657 version 4
Page 3 of 4
how to store your medicine and dispose of unused medicines safely
if there are repeats or a balance owing and how and when to collect them.
This information is available on the Pharmacy Council website:
www.pharmacycouncil.org.nz.
9
Evidence must be provided for a minimum of ten dispensed medicines including but
not limited to – liquid oral preparation, solid oral preparation, eye preparation, vaginal
preparation, inhaler, topical preparation, sustained release preparation.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Provide advice on the use of dispensed medicines as a pharmacy technician.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Assessment of advice requirements determines whether the requirements are
within the range that may be provided by a pharmacy technician and/or whether
referral to a pharmacist is required.
1.2
The client is identified according to prescription details and/or use of dispensed
medicines.
1.3
An appropriate location is selected for providing advice in terms of facilitating
communication and maintaining client privacy.
1.4
Suitable questioning techniques are used to determine the knowledge the client
already has, and the advice that is required.
1.5
Communication is clear, polite, and professional, and uses terminology
appropriate to the client.
1.6
This unit standard is
Written advice is provided for the dispensed medicine according to legislative
requirements and standard
operating procedures.
expiring
Range
prescription label; may include but is not limited to – cautionary
and advisory label, manufacturer’s product information, patient
information leaflets and/or cards, self care cards, information from
reference texts and/or online services.
1.7
Oral advice and/or practical demonstrations are used to reinforce and
supplement written advice.
1.8
Advice provided to clients promotes optimal benefit from the dispensed
medicine and is in accordance with prescription requirements and Pharmacy
Council requirements.
1.9
Advice covers any additional accessories, devices and/or services which
promote optimal use of the dispensed medicine.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
may include but is not limited to – applicators, compliance
packaging, dose measures, inhaler aids, spacers, tablet cutters,
diagnostic devices (blood glucose, peak flow), support services.
Range
1.10
23657 version 4
Page 4 of 4
Questioning and feedback methods are used to ensure that the client has
correctly understood the advice, and determine if the client has any further
needs for advice on the use of dispensed medicines.
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
23 April 2007
31 December 2017
Revision
2
24 August 2007
31 December 2017
Review
3
21 November 2008
31 December 2017
Review
4
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
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.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
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 Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016