NZQA Expiring unit standard
23669 version 4
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Title
Demonstrate knowledge of pathogens, infections, and anti-infective
therapy
Level
5
Credits
Purpose
6
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 demonstrate
knowledge of: micro-organisms; pathogenic micro-organisms
and human infections; minimising and controlling contamination
by pathogenic micro-organisms; and the uses, actions, and
limitations of antimicrobial agents used for the treatment and
prevention of infections.
Classification
Pharmacy > Pharmacy Services
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Open.
This unit standard is
expiring
Explanatory notes
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.
2
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;
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 (Needles and Syringes) Regulations 1998;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995;
Medicines Act 1981;
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23669 version 4
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Medicines Regulations 1984;
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975;
Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977;
Privacy Act 1993, and any subsequent amendments;
New Zealand Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Manufacture and Distribution of
Therapeutic Goods, Part 3 Compounding and Dispensing (1993), 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.
3
Access to appropriate reference resources in accordance with Medsafe audit
requirements is required for completion of assessment against this unit standard.
Evidence presented by the candidate must be in accordance with reference resources.
4
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
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 unit standard is
Outcomes and evidence requirements
expiring
Outcome 1
This information is available on the Pharmacy Council website:
www.pharmacycouncil.org.nz.
Demonstrate knowledge of micro-organisms.
Range
includes but is not limited to – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, threadworms, viruses.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Micro-organisms are described according to structure.
1.2
Factors affecting micro-organisms are explained in terms of effects on growth
and reproduction.
Range
may include but is not limited to – light, moisture, nutrients,
oxygen, pH, temperature.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23669 version 4
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Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of pathogenic micro-organisms and human infections.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Pathogenic micro-organisms associated with infections of human body systems
are identified.
Range
2.2
systems may include but are not limited to – blood, central
nervous system, gastrointestinal, eye, respiratory, skin, urinary,
reproductive.
Transmission of infection is explained according to mechanisms.
Range
includes but is not limited to – direct contact, ingestion, inhalation,
skin penetration.
Outcome 3
Demonstrate knowledge of minimising and controlling contamination by pathogenic microorganisms.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Methods to minimise and control contamination by pathogenic micro-organisms
are identified and explained according to processes.
Range
3.2
includes but is not limited to – disinfection, hygiene, preservatives,
sterilization.
This unit standard is
expiring
Disinfectants and preservatives are identified and explained according to uses,
actions, and limitations in minimising and controlling contamination by microorganisms.
Outcome 4
Demonstrate knowledge of the uses, actions, and limitations of antimicrobial agents used
for the treatment and prevention of infections.
Range
includes but is not limited to – anthelmintics, antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals,
antiprotozoals.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Antimicrobial agents are identified according to their use for treatment and/or
prevention of infections.
4.2
The actions of the antimicrobial agents are compared to determine the effects
on pathogens and on body function.
4.3
The uses of antimicrobial agents are identified in terms of their limitations
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
may include but is not limited to – cautions, contra-indications,
clinically significant adverse effects, drug interactions.
Range
4.4
Empirical choice of antimicrobial agents is explained.
includes but is not limited to – prevalent organisms, resistance,
superinfection, bactericidal versus bacterostatic activity, broad
versus narrow spectrum.
Range
4.5
23669 version 4
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Microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents is explained according to
mechanisms.
includes but is not limited to – innate resistance, acquired
resistance.
Range
4.6
Measures that can be taken to minimise development of microbial resistance
are identified and explained according to minimisation of risk factors and
guidelines for use of antimicrobial agents.
4.7
Type of advice required by the Pharmacy Council for pharmacy clients is
identified.
Range
evidence is required for a minimum of one treatment for an
infection.
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
Revision
Review
Review
This
unit
is2017
1
23
April 2007 standard
31 December
2
24 August 2007
31 December 2017
expiring
3
21 November 2008
31 December 2017
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.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23669 version 4
Page 5 of 5
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.
This unit standard is
expiring
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016