THE NEW APPROACH TO THE TRAINING OF PHARMACIST’S ASSISTANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA 

Pharmacists’ assistants are accepted as an integral part of the delivery of pharmaceutical services in both the public and the private sectors. The role of pharmacist’s assistants is one of providing support to the pharmacist. It is essential that pharmacist’s assistants are suitably trained in the functions which form part of their scope of practice. A new approach to the training of pharmacist’s assistants has been developed by Council.  The new regulations to the Pharmacy Act, 1974, as amended, make provision for the new approach to the education and training of pharmacist’s assistants.  The full set of regulations may be viewed on Council’s web-site at www.pharmcouncil.co.za under the section dealing with legislation. 

Pharmacist’s assistants perform a wide variety of functions within the various sectors of pharmacy. Two categories of pharmacist’s assistants have thus been identified; viz 

• pharmacists' assistants (basic); and
• pharmacists' assistants (post-basic). 

Pharmacist’s assistants who are undergoing training prior to registration as a pharmacist’s assistant (basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (post-basic) will be registered as pharmacist’s assistants (learner basic) and pharmacist’s assistants (learner post-basic) respectively. The scope of practice of the two categories of pharmacists' assistants is included in the Regulations relating to the practice of pharmacy published in terms of the Pharmacy Act, 1974, as amended. 

The scope of practice determines the activities, responsibilities and accountability of pharmacists' assistants in the practice setting.  In order to ensure that pharmacist’s assistants are competent within their scope of practice, unit standards or competency standards were developed.  The unit standards have been registered on the National Qualifications Framework.  The training of pharmacist’s assistants must ensure competence in the unit standards identified.

TRAINING OF PHARMACIST’S ASSISTANTS 

The new training courses for pharmacist’s assistants will be offered by providers who are approved by Council.  Council has laid down the minimum standards with which a provider must comply in order to ensure that the training provided is of a good quality.  The providers will be registered with Council. 

The new approach to the training of pharmacist’s assistants is in line with the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework. Anyone will be able to undergo training.  Training programmes will be based on the unit standards or competency standards for the two categories of pharmacists’ assistants.  Assessments will be based on the competence of the pharmacist’s assistant to perform functions within their scope of practice

Unit Standards 

Providers will determine the learning programmes for pharmacist’s assistants.  The Unit Standards provide for the outcomes (competencies/capabilities) required, the entry-level assumptions, the embedded knowledge and the ranges in which these capabilities should be demonstrated. 

The complete set of Unit Standards for pharmacist’s assistants (basic) and pharmacist’s assistants (post-basic) is as follows: 

Unit Standards for Basic Level pharmacists’ assistants: 

UNIT BL1:    Provision of health advice, information and pharmacy products directly to the consumer;

UNIT BL2 :   Provision of pharmacy products in hospital pharmacy;

UNIT BL3 :   Pharmacy marketing;

UNIT BL4 :   Stock control;

UNIT BL5 :   Manufacturing/compounding of pharmaceutical products;

UNIT BL6 :   Packaging and/or pre-packing of pharmaceuticals;

UNIT BL7 :   Control and distribution of finished pharmacy products;

UNIT BL8 :   Collect and organise information for research purposes. 

Unit Standards for Post-Basic Level pharmacists’ assistants: 

UNIT PBL1:  Issuing of pharmacy products;

UNIT PBL2:  Stock control;

UNIT PBL3:  Manufacturing/compounding of pharmaceutical products;

UNIT PBL4:  Packaging and/or pre-packing of pharmaceuticals;

UNIT PBL5:  Control and distribution of finished pharmacy products;

UNIT PBL6:  Collect information for research purposes. 

The Unit Standards form the pharmacy specific core-learning units for the training of pharmacists’ assistants and provide guidelines for providers to develop suitable training courses.  To make up a national qualification, additional learning units would be required. The additional competencies will be incorporated into the training programmes developed by the providers. 

Different combinations of competencies are required by a pharmacist’s assistant depending on whether he/she practises in a community pharmacy, a hospital pharmacy, a manufacturing pharmacy or a wholesale pharmacy. 

Pharmacist’s assistants (basic level) in all sectors must be competent in –  

UNIT BL4 :   Stock control;

UNIT BL5 :   Manufacturing/compounding of pharmaceutical products;

UNIT BL6 :   Packaging and/or pre-packing of pharmaceuticals;

UNIT BL7 :   Control and distribution of finished pharmacy products;

UNIT BL8 :   Collect and organise information for research purposes. 

In addition to the above, pharmacist’s assistants (basic) practicing in community pharmacy must also be competent in - 

UNIT BL1:    Provision of health advice, information and pharmacy products directly to the consumer;

UNIT BL3:    Pharmacy marketing. 

Pharmacist’s assistants (basic level) in hospital pharmacy must in addition to units BL4 – BL8 also be competent in UNIT BL2 : Provision of pharmacy products in hospital pharmacy 

Pharmacist’s assistants (post-basic level) in all sectors must be competent in - 

UNIT PBL2:  Stock control;

UNIT PBL3:  Manufacturing/compounding of pharmaceutical products;

UNIT PBL4:  Packaging and/or pre-packing of pharmaceuticals;

UNIT PBL5:  Control and distribution of finished pharmacy products;

UNIT PBL6:  Collect information for research purposes.

In addition to the above-mentioned unit standards pharmacist’s assistants (post-basic) practicing in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy must also be competent in UNIT PBL1:  Issuing of pharmacy products. 

In addition to the above-mentioned core unit standards, pharmacist’s assistants (basic and post-basic) may also obtain competence in fundamental unit standards relating to, for example, communication, basic management and computer literacy. 

An important aspect of the training of pharmacist’s assistants is that a competency obtained by a pharmacists’ assistant is portable. The meaning of this is that credit obtained in one sector may be transferred to another sector. Only the additional unit standards applicable in a different sector would have to be completed by a pharmacist’s assistant in order to allow him/her to move from one sector to another. Thus a pharmacist’s assistant who has achieved a certificate of qualification in hospital pharmacy and wants to transfer to community pharmacy, would only have to complete the additional or community pharmacy specific unit standards to practice in community pharmacy. 

IN-SERVICE TRAINING 

The training of pharmacist’s assistants consists of a theoretical and a practical component.  The in-service practical learning is important in order to reinforce the theoretical knowledge gained and facilitate the integration of theory and practice in the workplace. 

A minimum period of 12 months of in-service training must thus occur.  This training must take place under the supervision of a tutor approved by Council.  The training must take place in either a community pharmacy, institutional (hospital) pharmacy, manufacturing pharmacy or wholesale pharmacy approved by Council for purposes of the training of pharmacist’s assistants. 

In terms of the new regulations, one tutor may supervise the training of three pharmacist’s assistants (learner basic) or two pharmacist’s assistant’s learner (post-basic).  A tutor may also supervise one pharmacist intern in addition to any pharmacist’s assistants that are supervised. 

PHARMACIST’S ASSISTANTS REGISTERING FOR THE FIRST TIME 

Anyone who wants to register as a pharmacist’s assistant (learner) for the first time will have to enroll with an approved provider of training for pharmacist’s assistants.  The provider will assess the person for prior learning and experience and help him/her to decide whether he/she should register in the category pharmacist’s assistant (learner basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (learner post-basic).  There will thus be recognition of learning undertaken or courses done as well as previous work experience. 

The tutor and the pharmacy where the practical training will be undertaken will also have to be approved by Council for purposes of training.  Applications for registration as a pharmacist’s assistant (learner basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (learner post-basic) must be submitted to Council on the applicable form and accompanied by the registration fees.  Documentary evidence of enrolment with a provider will also have to be provided to Council with the application. 

Once a pharmacist’s assistant (learner basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (learner post-basic) has become competent in a particular unit standard, Council must be informed that the assistant is competent in that standard.  Once a pharmacist’s assistant (learner basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (learner post-basic) has obtained a certificate of qualification from a provider he/she will be able to register as a pharmacist’s assistant (basic) or pharmacist’s assistant (post-basic). 

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