Elements and Performance Criteria

The Range Statement provides details of the scope of the Elements and Performance Criteria to allow for differences within enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The Range Statement also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

State/Territory/Commonwealth:

legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice, standards and guidelines, pharmacy policies, procedures and protocols in regard to selling skin care and anti-fungal products and providing information.

Skin care and anti-fungal product range may include but is not limited to:

anti-fungal treatments, clotrimazole, econazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, bifonazole, nystatin, terbinafine, tolnaftate

soap alternatives

anti-bacterials, anti-pruritics

sun screens and preventative sun damage products

hats, sun glasses, protective clothing

after sun moisturisers

skin care products for face and body

moisturisers

foot care products

home care skin treatments

head lice treatments, combs

non-scheduled products

pharmacy medication

pharmacy only medication

prescription only medication

controlled drugs.

Product range may come in various forms including:

liquid, sprays

tablet

powder

ointments, gels, lotions

cream

oil.

Location may include but is not limited to:

dispensary

professional services area

front of shop.

Regulatory requirements:

vary between States and Territories which may affect the extent to which pharmacy staff members are able to perform some of the functions.

Regulatory and legislative requirements as applicable for each State and Territory may include but are not limited to:

Consumer Law, Environmental Law, Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare Law specific to Local Government, State and Federal Legislation

The Pharmacy/Pharmacists Act and related regulations

Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances/Poisons Act and related regulations

Therapeutic Goods Act

Health Act and related regulations

Privacy legislation

Pharmacy Board Guidelines and/or directives

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards

Codes of conduct/ethics.

Patient self care practices may include but are not limited to:

use sunscreens and protective clothing to avoid sun damage

avoid soap, dry skin thoroughly

use fresh towel

maintain healthy diet and regular exercise

wear 100% cotton or wool next to the skin.

Relevant information sources of product knowledge may include but are not limited to:

health care information

pharmacy or supplier product leaflets/manuals

brochures eg. patient information leaflets

manufacturers' information

pharmacist

industry and professional publications

customer feedback

support organisations

training and education.

Effective communication techniques may include but are not limited to:

using open and/or closed questions

speaking clearly and concisely

using appropriate language i.e. avoiding highly technical terms

giving the patient your full attention and maintaining eye contact.

Patients may include but are not limited to:

patients, clients and their agents

all age groups

customers with routine or special requests

customers with special needs eg. elderly, non-English speaking background, infant etc.

regular and new customers

people from a range of social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities and may be unwell, drug affected or upset.

Patient needs may include but are not limited to:

seeking product/information for him/herself or another person

specified brand/manufacturer

function/usage

brand/manufacturer function/usage

cost or lifestyle

physical characteristics which may include allergic reaction, physical disability and/or a need or desire to use natural products

the need to drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery.

Skin conditions and symptoms may include but are not limited to:

sunburn

bruises

head lice

psoriasis

acne

cold sores

heat rash and prickly rash

itching, inflamed skin, irritation

crusting and scaling of the skin, papules and pustules surrounding the hairs on the body

lesions, patches of opposite coloured skin

vaginal discharge.

Fungal conditions and common sites may include but are not limited to:

vaginal thrush, oral thrush, jock itch, fungal meningitis, ringworm

feet, under breasts, hands, body, head, nail folds, nail bed.

Situations requiring referral to the pharmacist may include but are not limited to:
children under 12 years
patients who are breast-feeding or pregnant
patients taking any other medication including over-the-counter and complementary medicines
patients with known heart, renal or liver problems
patients presenting with any sign or symptom that indicates serious disease eg. weight loss, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, blood in stools, extreme pain
burns, cuts
trauma to skins
significant scarring
herpes
scabies
eczema and dermatitis
red itchy skin
unusual freckle, mole or spot
ringworm, measles, chicken pox
other visible non-normal skin.
patients with diabetes and circulation problems
situations where the pharmacy staff member may require further advice or is uncertain
requests for excessive quantity
contra-indications including-
product reactions
increased sensitivity to sun
contra-actions including-
pregnancy/breast feeding
contagious and non contagious skin diseases/disorders
trauma to skin
sunburn
swollen or weeping skin
drug interactions
potential side effects.

Infection control guidelines may include but are not limited to:

handwashing

wearing gloves and appropriate protective clothing

sterilising, disinfecting and/or cleaning equipment.

Companion products may include but are not limited to:

vitamins and/or herbal supplements.

The following components of the Evidence Guide relate directly to the Performance Criteria and the Range Statement for the Unit of Competency and will inform and provide guidance for assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program.
Critical Aspects of Evidence
Evidence of the following knowledge and skills is considered essential to demonstrate competency in this unit. This includes demonstration of the Key Competencies at the performance level identified at the end of this unit:
Consistently applying pharmacy policy, standards and guidelines, industry legislation, and codes of practice in regard to sales/customer service procedures including the sale of unscheduled and scheduled skin care and anti-fungal products.
Consistently asking critical questions of the patient in regard to recommending skin/anti fungal treatments. These questions should follow industry protocols, for example:
Evidence of the ability to identify products required to treat skin and fungal conditions as listed in the range statement.
Knowledge of the causes of skin and fungal conditions and the anatomical structure of the skin.
Evidence of the ability to consistently use effective communication techniques to provide information to patients while maintaining an awareness of the need for discretion, tact and confidentiality.
Consistently applying product knowledge and appropriate terminology according to relevant information sources, pharmacy policy and procedures, to provide accurate information on types of skin care and anti-fungal products to assist patients in making a choice.
Consistently applying legislative requirements in line with pharmacy policies and procedures in referring to the pharmacist all queries requiring therapeutic advice.
Recognition of the situations requiring referral to the pharmacist and/or an alternative product based on patient's condition and according to relevant information sources.
Demonstration of the ability to source, record and disseminate skin care and fungal information.

Underpinning Knowledge and Skills
The following knowledge, understanding and skills are essential to perform work to the required standard in this unit:

Knowledge and application of pharmacy policies, standards and guidelines, industry codes of practice, legislative and regulatory requirements in regard to:

sales/hire/customer service
methods of dealing with special needs/requests of customers
product returns
product storage
product display
product location
selling products and services.

Knowledge and application of knowledge to provide information to patients related to :

pharmacy skin care and anti-fungal products.

Operational skills and techniques in:

communicating ideas and information
maintaining confidentiality and privacy
demonstrating empathy and tact
demonstrating/simulating the application/use of skin/anti-fungal products
working with others and in teams
handling customers with special needs, including difficult customers
planning and organising activities
following set routines and procedures
solving problems
collecting, analysing and organising information from a variety of sources
preparing and organising information in regard to skin care and anti-fungal product knowledge.

Operational knowledge and understanding of customers and their needs including:

buyer motivation
customer behaviour, buying signals and cues
customer types
cultural differences/demographics/lifestyle/income
types of customer needs, eg. functional, psychological, therapeutic, non-therapeutic
complaint resolution.
Language, literacy and numeracy skills relevant to the role and workplace requirements.
Awareness of the circumstances/situations under which referral to the pharmacist is indicated.
Operational skills to consistently use time effectively and provide quality customer service in the pharmacy environment.

Context of Assessment
For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, competency should be consistently demonstrated over a period of time and observed by the assessor and/or the technical expert working in partnership with the assessor. The technical expert may include the pharmacist and/or an experienced person at the workplace.
Competency should be demonstrated in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment in a range of situations which may include customer interruptions and involvement in other related activities normally expected in the pharmacy.
Assessment should be undertaken in an environment that meets pharmacy industry codes of practice and relevant industry regulations and legislation.

Interdependent Assessment of Unit
All units which relate to a job function can be considered as co-requisites to assist with an integrated approach to assessment.
For advice on interdependent assessment of units within and across pharmacy qualifications, refer to the Assessment Guidelines.

Assessment Methods
The following assessment methods are suggested:

Observation of the pharmacy staff member performing a range of workplace tasks over sufficient time to demonstrate her/ his handling of a range of contingencies. Tasks may include:

asking critical pre-determined questions to identify patient needs
identifying products to treat skin and fungal conditions as requested by the patient
applying product knowledge to provide accurate information to assist patients in making a choice
passing on relevant information to the pharmacist and/or other pharmacy staff
recognising and referring requests requiring additional assistance to other pharmacy staff or the pharmacist.
Written and/or oral questioning to assess product knowledge and understanding of the anatomical structure of the skin and the common causes of skin and fungal conditions. Questions will be asked in a manner appropriate to the language and literacy level of the pharmacy staff member.
Role play to demonstrate product knowledge and understanding of pharmacy procedures with regard to recommending a skin and fungal condition treatment products.
Completing relevant workplace documentation.

Assessment Resources
This refers to the resources that are necessary for undertaking the assessment.
All resources must be provided for the assessment. If workplace based, the resources should relate specifically to pharmacy policies, procedures and range of stock and equipment. If an off the job or simulated work environment is used then resources should be applicable to the work environment.
Resources may include:
A real or simulated pharmacy environment.

Relevant documentation such as:

pharmacy policies and procedures
skin and anti-fungal product information, eg. leaflets, brochures, relevant information sources, patient information leaflets
industry codes of practice and relevant legislation.
Access to a range of customers with different requirements (real or simulated).
Access to a range of skin and anti-fungal treatment products.
A qualified workplace assessor and/or a technical expert working in partnership with the assessor.

There are a number of processes that are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies. Key competencies are generic competencies that focus on the capacity to apply knowledge and skills in an integrated way in work situations, but are not specific to any particular industry. Key competencies foster the development of skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to perform work operations. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = competence needed to undertake tasks effectively, 2 = the ability to manage tasks, and 3 = the ability to use concepts for evaluating and reshaping tasks.
Communicating ideas and information
By gathering information from patients on skin and fungal condition product needs, providing self care information to patient or information to pharmacist. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By collecting information relative to skin and fungal condition products and patient self care, analysing requirements relative to provision of information and collating in a useable format.
Also collecting information on patient needs, assessing situations requiring a pharmacist referral and presenting information in a useable format. (1)

Planning and organising activities
By organising the work requirements and planning the required tasks associated with applying knowledge for skin and fungal condition products and patient self care practices, in conjunction with other assigned activities, such that the task is undertaken in a realistic time frame. (1)

Working with others and in teams
By interacting with pharmacy staff in general and the pharmacist in particular to support and enhance pharmacy services in providing skin and fungal condition products. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical ideas and techniques are likely to be involved in gathering and providing information on skin and fungal condition products. (1)

Solving problems
By identifying issues associated with patient needs for skin and fungal condition products, providing information for situations that are routine and involving pharmacy staff in general and the pharmacist in particular, where they are not. (1)

Using technology
By utilising technology in developing knowledge of skin and fungal condition products and patient self care practices. Data or information may be required to be accessed or recorded using technology in relation to the provision of information. (1)