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 women's and men's health products and providing information.

Product range may include but are not limited to:

tampons, pads, panty liners

HRT, oral contraceptives, condoms, lubricants, spermicides, diaphragms, ovulation test kits, home pregnancy test kits

nipple creams, anti-fungal medication, thrush treatments

absorbent pads, pants and sheets

footwear and related foot care products

scalp solutions, cortisone treatments

durable products

non-scheduled products

pharmacy medication

pharmacist only medication

prescription only medication.

Product range may come in various forms including but are not limited to:

liquid, sprays, tablet

suspensions, gels, lozenges

creams, powders, lotions, ointments.

Location may include but is not limited to:

front of shop

professional services area

dispensary.

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:

breast self-examination, regular pap smears, being aware of changes in the body

healthy diet, regular exercise, exercising pelvic floor muscles

smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake and caffeine intake

being informed, having regular medical check-ups

increasing calcium intake and reducing salt intake

practising safe sex

wearing a hat on a balding head

wearing well-fitting, comfortable shoes.

Relevant information sources of product knowledge/information 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.

Common women's and men's health problems may include but are not limited to:

pregnancy

reproductive problems, menstrual and menopause conditions, hormone replacement

feminine hygiene, thrush

sexually transmissible diseases

back care

incontinence

osteoporosis

contraception

cardio vascular disease

impotence, prostate

hair loss

weight loss

foot care.

Patients may include but are not limited to:

customers, clients or their agents, varying in age, gender

customers with routine or special requests

customers with special needs eg. elderly, non-English speaking background, infants 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 treatment for him/herself or another person

specified brand/manufacturer

function/usage

cost or lifestyle

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

the need to drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery.

Women's symptoms may include but are not limited to:

onset/cessation of menstruation, swelling in breasts, abdominal pain

irregular vaginal bleeding or discharge

itching or soreness around vagina

burning when passing urine or other urinary difficulties such as incontinence

abdominal cramping, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, stomach bloating, headache, occasional shakiness, dizziness

pallor, poor skin health, fatigue, decreased stamina, poor resistance to infection, shortness of breath on exertion, lack of healthy pink/red colour inside lower eyelid.

Men's symptoms may include but are not limited to:

urinary difficulties, incontinence

hair loss

feeling unwell

low/high blood pressure

loss of confidence, low self-esteem, anxiety, insomnia.

Contraception choices may include but are not limited to:

oral, products for male or female.

Sexually Transmissible Diseases may include but are not limited to:

chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), syphilis, trichomoniasis.

Self-diagnostic aids may include but are not limited to:

home testing pregnancy or ovulation kits.

Menstruation and menopause indicators may include but are not limited to:

onset of menstruation in adolescents, abdominal pain, sore breasts, irritability, mood swings, anxiety

cessation of menstruation in middle-aged women, hot flushes/flashes, night sweats, dryness or itching in the vagina, rapid beating of the heart, crawling or itching sensations under the skin, headache, joint, neck or back ache, emotional changes, difficulty sleeping.

Types of incontinence may include but are not limited to:

urge incontinence

stress incontinence or overflow incontinence

reflex, transient and functional incontinence.

Osteoporosis, weight loss, back care and cardio vascular treatments may include but are not limited to:

ingested products

durable products, aids to independent living

referral.

Causes of hair loss may include but are not limited to:

serious illness, thyroid problems

poor nutrition including a lack of protein, iron and zinc

family pattern related to hormone levels in the blood.

Situations requiring referral to pharmacist may include but are not limited to:

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 and/or vomit, extreme pain

situations where the pharmacy staff member may require further advice or is uncertain

requests for excessive quantity

contra-indications

drug interactions

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:

aerosols and talcs

analgesic tablets

vitamin and mineral supplements

hot water bottles

pain and fever treatments

wigs, tinted hairsprays, hats

inner soles

heel cushions

corn, bunion pads.

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 and industry legislation and codes of practice in regard to sales/customer service procedures including the sale of unscheduled and scheduled women's and men's health medication/products.
Consistently asking critical questions of the patient in regard to recommending women's and men's health medication/products. These questions should follow industry protocols, for example:
Evidence of the ability to identify products required to treat women's and men's needs/symptoms as listed in the range statement.
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 women's and men's health 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.
Demonstration of the ability to source, record and disseminate women's and men's health information.
Recognition of the situations requiring referral to the pharmacist and/or an alternative product based on the patient's condition and according to relevant information sources.

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 women's and men's health product range
contributing factors and treatments for conditions requiring women's and men's health products
patient self care practices.

Operational skills and techniques in:

communicating ideas and information
maintaining confidentiality and privacy
demonstrating empathy and tact
demonstrating/simulating (where applicable) the application of women's and men's health products
working with others and in teams
planning and organising activities
following set routines and procedures
handling customers with special needs, including difficult customers
solving problems
collecting, analysing and organising information from a variety of sources
preparing and organising information in regard to women's and men's health 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 and/or other pharmacy staff 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 women's and men's health products as requested by the customer
applying product knowledge to provide accurate information to assist customers 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 knowledge and understanding of vitamin and mineral supplements and actions as described in relevant information sources. Questions will be asked in a manner appropriate to the language and literacy level of the pharmacy staff member.
Role play to demonstrate appropriate questioning, tact and situations requiring referral to a more senior pharmacy staff member or the pharmacist.
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
women's and men's health product information, eg. leaflets, brochures, relevant information sources
industry codes of practice and relevant legislation.
Access to a range of customers with different requirements (real or simulated).
Access to a range of women's and men's health 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 women's and men's health product needs, providing self care information to patient or information to pharmacist. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By collecting information relative to women's and men's health 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 women's and men's health 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 women's and men's health products. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical ideas and techniques are likely to be involved in gathering and providing information on women's and men's health products. (1)

Solving problems
By identifying issues associated with patient needs for women's and men's health 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 women's and men's health 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)