Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to assist pharmacists maintain all types of dispensary stock including scheduled medicines, perishable goods and raw materials for compounding. It requires the ability to order, receive and store stock, maintain its quality and administer stock control records.
This unit applies to senior dispensary assistants working in community pharmacies. When maintaining dispensary stock, they work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist and their role is limited to those functions that do not require them to exercise professional pharmaceutical judgement or discretion.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Order dispensary stock. | 1.1.Follow organisational procedures for stock maintenance activities. 1.2.Identify dispensary stock maintenance requirements. 1.3.Refer to and interpret preferred supplier arrangements and confirm stock availability, cost and delivery times. 1.4.Seek direction or clarifications from pharmacist and obtain pharmacist approval for stock orders. 1.5.Place clear, unambiguous documented orders for dispensary items within required timelines. 1.6.Complete and keep accurate purchase and costing records. |
2. Take delivery of dispensary stock. | 2.1.Check incoming dispensary stock against orders and delivery documentation, and identify, record and report discrepancies. 2.2.Inspect items for damage, quality and use by dates and record and report findings. 2.3.Check cold chain items have been maintained at optimum temperature and report unacceptable quality to pharmacist. 2.4.Record details of incoming stock. 2.5.Alert pharmacist to delivery of controlled drugs. |
3. Store dispensary stock. | 3.1.Use safe manual handling techniques when moving and storing stock to avoid injury. 3.2.Identify dispensary product layout and store stock promptly in appropriate storage location. 3.3.Choose and maintain appropriate environmental conditions for storage of perishable items. 3.4.Ensure special dispensary items are stored according to security requirements. |
4. Maintain dispensary stock. | 4.1.Check and adjust environmental conditions of storage regularly to maintain perishable dispensary stock at optimum quality. 4.2.Check quality of other stock regularly and make adjustments to ensure stock protection. 4.3.Rotate stock for maximum use and minimum wastage. 4.4.Assist pharmacist to manage-out stock of branded medicines when introducing generic equivalents. 4.5.Monitor, calculate and maintain working stock levels in consultation with pharmacist and with consideration of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) price disclosure system. 4.6.Organise and participate in stocktakes at appropriate intervals. 4.7.Produce accurate stocktake reports within designated timelines and maintain accurate stock control records. 4.8.Investigate, resolve and report stock losses and discrepancies. 4.9.Use stock control system to maintain stock control records. |
5. Dispose of dispensary stock waste. | 5.1.Sort waste and obtain pharmacist approval to reject out-of-date, damaged and excess dispensary stock. 5.2.Dispose of waste under pharmacist supervision, according to environmental and special waste disposal requirements. 5.3.Update dispensary stock records following disposal. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
order and take delivery of each of these types of dispensary stock for three supply periods:
Prescription Only Medicine (S4)
branded medicines
bio
drops
insulin
liquids
ointments and creams
pessaries
suppositories
tablets and capsules
vaccines
maintain dispensary stock in optimum condition across three supply periods
safely dispose of the following types of dispensary waste:
hazardous substances
expired stock
damaged stock
medicines returned by customers
participate in a stocktake
generate each of the following stock reports over the above supply periods:
stock level reports
stock performance reports
stock loss reports
stocktake reports.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
role boundaries and responsibilities of dispensary assistants and pharmacists for maintaining dispensary stock
organisational procedures for maintaining dispensary stock:
ordering dispensary stock
recording incoming stock
recording and reporting discrepancies and quality deficiencies
recording stock levels
monitoring and maintaining quality of stock
maintaining security of dispensary stock
work health and safety for stock control
dispensary stocktakes
waste handling, sorting and disposal
organisational stock reorder cycles
safe manual handling techniques for moving and storing dispensary stock; those for bending, lifting and carrying heavy items
principles of stock control:
rotation and replenishment
product life cycle and maximising the use of all stock
managing out stock of branded medicines when introducing generic equivalents
checking for slow moving items
financial implications of stock level control
sources of product and supplier information
sources of information on negotiated cost of supply, contractual arrangements and preferred supplier arrangements
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) price disclosure system, and how this impacts on stock management
when scheduled reduction days occur and how this affects the amount of stock held and its value
types of medicines subject to price disclosure
purpose of batch numbering and expiry dates on pharmaceutical products
dispensary layout and storage requirements for dispensary items:
alphabetical arrangement of medications
sequential positioning of medications along shelves
controlled substances under specific secured storage conditions
grouping of Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3)
hazardous substances
refrigeration
optimum environmental storage conditions, including temperature, light and humidity controls, for perishable and cold chain dispensary items
reasons for stock loss and damage and methods to control these
disposal methods for dispensary waste:
returning to supplier
using a disposal service
environmentally sound disposal methods for hazardous waste:
pharmaceutical raw materials
cleaning products
pharmaceutical sharps
formats for, use and contents of:
order and delivery documentation
stock recording documentation
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) forms
stock level reports
stock performance reports
stock loss reports
stocktake reports
features and functions of dispensary stock control software.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a pharmacy with a designated operational dispensary area and stock control and storage facilities for perishable and non-perishable dispensary stock. This must be in an industry workplace, which meets Pharmacy Board of Australia and relevant industry standards for dispensary operations.
Assessment must ensure use of:
information technology hardware and software
dispensary stock control software currently used by the community pharmacy industry
refrigerator or freezer dedicated to pharmaceuticals
secured storage locations for dispensary items requiring secured storage conditions
pharmacy shelving, shelf facings and signage for dispensary medicines
a diverse commercial product range of pharmacy medicines:
Prescription Only Medicine (S4)
branded medicines
bio
drops
insulin
liquids
ointments and creams
pessaries
suppositories
tablets and capsules
vaccines
waste disposal bags and containers for pharmaceutical waste including sharps containers
template dispensary stock control documents:
order and delivery documentation:
purchase orders
standing orders
packing slips
stock recording documentation
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) forms
template dispensary stock control reports:
stock level reports
stock performance reports
stock loss reports
stocktake reports
organisational procedures for maintaining dispensary stock
pharmacists with whom the individual can interact
assessment activities that allow the individual to work with commercial speed, timing and productivity to complete stock control activities within nominated deadlines.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisation’s requirements for assessors, and:
have worked in the pharmacy sector for at least two years.
Foundation Skills
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Sectors
Community Pharmacy
Competency Field
Dispensary