Guidelines to completing your
National Certificate Pharmacist’s
Assistance Course:
Institutional Sector
Unleashing Human Potential
G ui de l i n e s t o c om pl e t i ng yo ur P ha r m a c i s t ’ s As s i s t a n c e
Basic Training
Welcome to the Pharmacists’ Assistant Basic Training course. We hope that you will find the
training enjoyable, exciting and challenging.
1.
REGISTRATION
In order to train with HSA you must have a tutor and you must both be registered with
the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) as a learner and tutor.
Please make sure that your Pharmacist’s Assistant Basic Learner and your tutor’s registration
with SAPC remains valid until you complete your training. If either of these expires before you
are complete all your modules the SAPC will NOT recognise your training.
2.
TRAINING MODULES
The course is structured on a modular basis and you will receive a Resource Guide and a
Learner Guide for each module. The Resource Guide contains all the theory you need to
complete the module. The Learner Guide contains all the questions and activities you have to
complete. Your tutor receives a Tutor Guide for each module, which tells him/her what you
need to do to complete the training.
Enclosed please find all the modules required to complete your basic training. Each module is
based on a registered Unit Standard at NQF level 3, or on specifically designed fundamental
standards. Unit standards tell you exactly what you need to know or be able to do to complete
each module. Details of each unit standard are found at the beginning of each learner guide.
The course comprises of the following modules:
Basic Pharmacist’s Assistant Institutional Sector
Module
No.
Module 1
Module Title
Number of
Credits
21
Contact
session days
3
Module 2
Introduction to the Pharmaceutical Environment
10
2
Module 3
Pharmacy, Practice, Ethics and Law
8
2
Module 4
Research and Data Management
10
2
Module 5
Basic Management Skills
21
3
Module 6
HIV and AIDS in the Workplace
4
1
Module 7
Health and Safety in the Workplace
7
6
Module 8
Drug Supply Management I and II
17
3
Module 9
Health and Medicines
10
2
Module 11
Compounding and Packaging of Pharmaceutical Products
16
3
Module 12
Providing Products in a Pharmacy Hospital Sector
14
2
Module 13
Basic Computer Skills
2
1
140
30 days
Communication and Interpersonal skills
TOTAL CREDITS
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3.
COMPLETING YOUR TRAINING
All modules are to be completed within the registration period of fourteen months. The
practical component of the training is completed at work during work hours, and the theoretical
component is completed in your own time. You must attend 80% of contact sessions on the
dates and at venues indicated in your training programme. Should your Health Science
Academy registration expire, you are entitled to re-register, and pay the associated costs, in
order to complete any outstanding modules.
4.
COMPLETING YOUR PORTFOLIO
You must compile one portfolio for each module. This is completed during the week you take
to finish the module and is done at work where you are completing a practical activity or in
your own time when it is a theory question. To complete a portfolio for a module you must
answer all the ‘Self-evaluation questions’ and all the ‘Learning activities’ that are asked in the
Learner Guide of each module. These must be combined into one portfolio.
Your portfolio must contain:
 A completed portfolio coversheet (A template of this is found in your pack).
 A copy of your South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) Learner Basic registration
certificate.
 A copy of your Tutor’s SAPC approval.
 A completed Self Assessment and Learner Progression form (Found at the end of your
Learner Guide and must be completed by you and your tutor as you complete each
activity).
 Answers to ALL questions and learning activities. If you do not complete even one
question or activity you will be deemed “Not Yet Competent”.
How to complete your portfolio:
Your learner guide functions as the framework for your portfolio which is actually a
written presentation of your own work.
You will notice four different kinds of icons in your learner guide. These mean:
Refer to your Resource Guide
Self-evaluation question
An activity you must complete
Useful information
General rules:
 Read the question well
 Photo-copy or use the page from your learner guide.
 Answer every question / activity on the copy or page of your learner guide
 You must supply evidence for your answers. You can add anything you think is
relevant, e.g. if you use a medicine package insert to answer a question you must
include an A4 size copy of it.
 When answering a question ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is not good enough, you must explain your
answer.
e.g. “No” “We do not do this in our facility because…”
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Presentation of your portfolio:
 NO staples, paper clips, plastic sleeves, permanently bound pages or cardboard may be
used.
 All pages must be clearly labelled and numbered, and in the same sequential order as
your learner guide.
 Any inserts must be photocopied onto A4 size paper and inserted into your portfolio.
 It must be neat, legible and in pen.
 You may ‘bind’ your A4 size pages using file fasteners or cable ties.
If, for any module, you cannot fit your answer in the space provided, please complete your
answer on a separate sheet of A4 paper and insert this into your portfolio in the correct order.
Your portfolio remains the property of HSA and will NOT be given back to you
5.
ASSESSMENTS
You must be assessed and be deemed competent on each module to gain competency for all
of your modules. When you commence training, you will be given a training and assessment
schedule for your class. When you come for assessments you must first submit your
completed portfolio before you can write the written questionnaire. If you do not submit your
portfolio, you will not be allowed to write the written questionnaire.
Assessments comprise of assessment of:
1.
2.
6.
Your portfolio
Written Questionnaire (Closed Book)
RE-ASSESSMENTS
If you are assessed on one module and deemed Not Yet Competent you may be re-assessed
3 times to gain competency. If you do not become Competent after 3 attempts, you will be
instructed to go back to class and then complete the whole portfolio from scratch.
NB! The learner is responsible for payment of all re-assessment fees before the reassessment can take place.
7.
MODERATION
Each assessment is moderated by a moderator at Health Science Academy. This means that
until moderation is completed the assessment decision should not be regarded as final.
For any other information please consult the Health Science Academy Assessment Policy,
your area co-ordinator or Health Science Academy in Randburg.
8.
REFUND
The deposit fee of R 3,500,00 is not refundable. Thus you have to make sure that you have all
the necessary approvals for this training is in place before enrolling with HSA.
HSA will only refund learners if it the fault of HSA that the learner cannot continue with
training.
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HSA Policies
Registration
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Only learners registered with Health Science Academy and the South African Pharmacy
Council (SAPC) as learners (Basic or Post Basic), and who are supervised in the
workplace by a pharmacist approved as a tutor in the pharmacy that the learner is
working in, may be assessed on the Health Science Academy Pharmacist’s Assistant
training modules.
Registration with Health Science Academy for the Basic or Post Basic training is valid for
fourteen months.
Registration as a learner with the SAPC, and the associated costs, is the
responsibility of the learner.
Should Health Science Academy registration expire a learner may re-apply to be
registered at an additional cost. All assessments completed subsequent to reregistration will also be subject to an additional cost.
Should registration be cancelled the training fees are not refundable.
Should a learner be substituted a registration fee, manual replacement costs and costs
for modules already attempted will be payable.
Contact Sessions for Pharmacist’s Assistant training
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Attendance of contact sessions is compulsory.
The attendance register should be signed at every contact session
The log book should be completed for each contact session attended.
Should a learner miss a scheduled contact session and wish to attend another session,
he/she should complete the prescribed form, to attend another “class”.
If illness was the reason for missing a contact session, a certified copy of the sick note,
which was submitted at the workplace, should be attached to the prescribed form.
If death in the family was the reason for missing a contact session, a certified copy of the
death certificate should be attached to the prescribed form.
HSA will only authorize attendance if a contact session was missed for valid reasons.
Attendance register of learners who do not belong the “class” but have authorization to
attend the contact session should be provided for each contact session
A learner must produce the original approval document from HSA to the facilitator or
class coordinator on the first day of the contact session
A learner, who does not have the original approval document may not be allowed to join
the designated “class”
Certificates of qualification will only be issued if 80% of the contact sessions have been
attended.
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Assessments
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Assessments are conducted at the training venue and in Randburg
At the contact sessions, learners outside Randburg will be informed of the assessment
dates and venues.
The following documents must be attached to each portfolio before it can be assessed
o Valid HSA enrolment certificate
o Valid SAPC Learner registration certificate
o Valid Tutor certificate
o Valid premises approval certificate
Learners must submit a completed portfolio, a completed Learner Progression Form
signed by the learner and tutor
If you do not submit your portfolio, you will not be allowed to write the written
questionnaire.
Training fees include one assessment per module within the fourteen month registration
period.
At the summative assessment at the assessment venue learners must complete a
closed book written questionnaire.
Any learner found cheating will be excluded from the assessment immediately, their
registration with Health Science Academy cancelled and SAPC notified.
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Portfolios will be deemed the property of Health Science Academy once submitted and
will not be given back to learners.
Re-assessments
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If you are deemed Not Yet Competent at an assessment you may attend a reassessment.
Re-assessments costs are not included in the training fee and are charged at the current
rate for assessments.
The learner is responsible for the payment of re-assessment fees
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Moderation
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Assessments are moderated according to Health Science Academy Standard Operating
Procedures.
An assessment result is only final once the assessment has been moderated.
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Appeals
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A learner may appeal immediately after the outcome of an assessment decision is made
known.
Appeal form are available at HSA office on request
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Certificates
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Certificates of qualification will only be issued once all assessments have been
moderated and all outstanding monies paid.
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9.
TRAINING COORDINATORS
Eastern Cape,
Free State
Western Cape
Northern Cape
Mpumalanga
North West
Cecilia Ndlovu (011)509-2555
Gauteng & surrounds:
Julia Ndlungwane (011) 509-2555
Limpopo
Julia Ndlungwane (011) 509-2555
Northern Cape:
HSA (011) 509 2555
10.
PROVINCIAL COORDINATORS
Free State:
Kwa-Zulu Natal:
Western Cape (Cape Town):
Mr Mokhothu (083 282 3840)
Mr Rod Schafer (082 747 4470)
Tricia Rix (072 178 7571)
Enjoy your training!
Struland Office Park, 173 Mary Road, The Willows, 0184
Tel: (012) 816 9000
Fax: 086 298 0260
e.mail: hsaenquiries@healthscience.co.za
www.hsa.co.za
The copyright in the documents and software supplied herewith, including but not restricted to the manuals and programs in hard
copy and in machine readable form, vests in Health Science Academy (Proprietary) Limited in terms of the Copyright Act No. 98
of 1978, and the Berne Convention. The client undertakes not to reproduce or permit the reproduction thereof without the prior
written consent of Health Science Academy (Proprietary) Limited.
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