NZQA Expiring unit standard
23656 version 3
Page 1 of 4
Title
Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for handling hazardous
substances in the pharmacy
Level
2
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 demonstrate
knowledge of handling hazardous substances in the pharmacy,
and removing hazardous substances from the pharmacy for
disposal.
Classification
Pharmacy > Pharmacy Services
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Open.
Explanatory notes
1
2
This unit standard is
Legislation, codes, and standards
relevant to this unit standard include:
expiring
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993;
Pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians must always act under the
supervision of a pharmacist and know when to refer to a pharmacist.
Fair Trading Act 1986;
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO 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 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;
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23656 version 3
Page 2 of 4
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.
3
Definitions
Hazardous substances include potentially hazardous substances.
Standard operating procedures – written documentation of the specified way to
perform an activity.
4
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.
5
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.
6
This unit standard covers handling of potentially hazardous substances in the general
pharmacy work area. It does not include handling potentially hazardous substances
in the dispensary and the compounding or manufacturing area.
7
This unit standard is
Hazardous substances (Medicines
Act 1981 and HSNO Act 1996 refer) include –
expiring
pharmaceuticals, sharps, chemicals (caustic, flammable, volatile), cytotoxic drugs;
and may include but are not limited to – clinical and biological waste (blood, swabs,
urine, vomit).
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of handling hazardous substances in the pharmacy.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Hazardous substances and equipment are identified in accordance with
legislation, codes, standards, and standard operating procedures.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
1.2
23656 version 3
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Procedures for handling hazardous substances in accordance with legislation,
codes, standards, and standard operating procedures are described.
includes but is not limited to – receive, unpack, store, supply,
isolate spills, immediate response to trauma.
Range
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of removing hazardous substances from the pharmacy for
disposal.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Procedures for removing hazardous substances from the pharmacy for disposal
in accordance with legislation, codes, standards, and standard operating
procedures are described.
includes but is not limited to – secure, dispose, product recall.
Range
Replacement information
This unit standard replaced unit standard 9650.
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
This
unit standard
is
3
16 April 2015
31 December 2017
expiring
Consent and Moderation Requirements
(CMR) reference
0128
Review
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.
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.
Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
23656 version 3
Page 4 of 4
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 Code102150
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016