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 gastro-intestinal products and providing information.

Gastro-intestinal product range may include but is not limited to:

laxatives

antidiarrhoea medicine

antispasm medication

fibre supplements

rehydration solutions

heartburn/indigestion medication (eg. antacids, alginates, H2 antagonists)

haemorrhoidal products

anthelmintic (worming) products

anti-nauseants

non-scheduled products

pharmacy medication

pharmacist only medication

prescription only medication.

Product range may come in various forms including:

liquid

tablet, capsule, caplets

ointments/creams

suppositories

granules

mixtures

powders

salines

enemas.

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:

reducing tea and coffee intake

relaxation techniques (for irritable bowel)

increasing fibre intake if it is low in diet

drink 6-8 glasses of water a day

regular exercise, especially walking after a meal

hygiene practices eg. washing hands after toilet, handling animals and before touching food.

avoid rich spicy or fatty food (in case of indigestion also avoid chocolate, citrus fruits, tomato-based foods garlic and onions)

reduce or avoid alcohol & smoking

keep at ideal weight

eat more fruit, vegetables and low fat, high fibre foods.

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

health care information

pharmacy or supplier's product leaflets/manuals

brochures eg. patient information leaflets

manufacturers' information

pharmacist

industry and professional publications

customer feedback

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 term

giving the patient your full attention and maintaining eye contact.

Patients may include but are not limited to:

customers, clients or their agents

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.

Gastro-intestinal symptoms may include but are not limited to:

colic type pain in the gut, often relieved by passing wind or bowel motion

alternate diarrhoea or constipation

strong urge/straining/discomfort to pass a bowel motion/feeling that bowel has not been emptied

irregularity

feeling full or bloated

wind

mucus in bowel motion

nausea

heartburn

indigestion

burping

feeling tired, backache, headache or strong urge to pass urine

stomach cramps and pains

vomiting

dehydration

haemorrhoids

duodenal and gastric ulcers.

Situations requiring referral to 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 and/or vomit, extreme pain

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

requests for excessive quantity as many preparations have a high abuse potential

contra-indications including-

constipation can be worsened by some medication eg. iron tablets, codeine containing medication, aluminium-containing antacids and some prescription medication

diarrhoea can be worsened by laxatives and some antibiotics

lining of stomach and food pipe can be irritated by NSAIDs (including aspirin)

pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take H2 Antagonists as they can pass across the placenta and also into breast milk

antacids containing sugar saccharin and sodium should not be taken by people with diabetes or high blood sugar.

Potential side effects may include but are not limited to:

antacids containing aluminium can cause constipation

antacids containing magnesium salts can cause diarrhoea.

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:

peppermint oil or peppermint oil-based products

herbal teas.

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 gastro-intestinal products.
Consistently asking critical questions of the patient in regard to recommending gastro-intestinal products. These questions should follow industry protocols, for example:
Evidence of the ability to identify products required to treat gastro-intestinal symptoms as listed in the range statement.
Knowledge of the causes of the common gastro-intestinal ailments and the anatomical structure of the gastro-intestinal system.
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, empathy 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 gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal 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/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 gastro-intestinal products and treatments.

Operational skills and techniques in:

communicating ideas and information
maintaining confidentiality and privacy
demonstrating empathy and tact
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 gastro-intestinal 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 products to relieve gastro- intestinal symptoms 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 relevant pharmacy procedures with regard to applying product knowledge for gastro intestinal 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.
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
gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal product needs, providing self care information to patient or information to pharmacist. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By collecting information relative to gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal products. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical ideas and techniques are likely to be involved in gathering and providing information on gastro-intestinal products. (1)

Solving problems
By identifying issues associated with patient needs for gastro-intestinal 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 gastro-intestinal 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)