Pharmacy Technician

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Pharmacy Technician (PT). This occupational qualification is intended to equip the learner with the knowledge and skills required as PSP at the level of a PT. The occupational certificate will allow for two part qualifications, Pharmacist's Assistant B at Level 4 and Pharmacist's Assistant Post Basic (PB) at Level 5, thus fulfilling the need for different levels of well-trained Pharmacy Support Personnel (PSP). This occupational qualification will improve learner access to PSP qualifications and provide an opportunity to those learners who do not wish to pursue the academic (Council on Higher Education) PT qualification and/or wish to remain in the workplace while achieving the qualification. Successful completion of this qualification, and each of the part qualifications, may enable the learner to register in the relevant PSP category with the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC). Learners exiting with the PT qualification will be able to assist with: • Medicine supply management. • Manufacturing of medicines. • Dispensing (supplying) of medicine to patients. • Providing patient care. • Managing pharmacy resources. • Apply health and safety regulations, human rights, relevant medical and pharmaceutical law and ethics in the performance of their pharmaceutical duties. • Housekeeping and administration relative to pharmaceutical services. A PT is a generalist who can operate in the four categories of pharmacy: community, institutional (private or public), manufacturing and wholesale. While the PT works under the direct personal supervision of a pharmacist in a pharmacy they may also work in a primary health care clinic or any other facility approved by Council under the indirect personal supervision of a pharmacist. A qualified learner will be able to: • Manage medicine supply. • Manufacture, package and repackage medicines and scheduled substances. • Compound, manipulate and prepare extemporaneous preparations. • Dispense medicine to patients. • Manage pharmacy resources.

South Africa currently has nine pharmacy schools producing a limited number of pharmacists. It is recognised that medicine supply is key to effective delivery of healthcare. Consequently, it is imperative that pharmacy human resources are effectively and efficiently managed to meet the healthcare needs of this country. There is an urgent need to increase pharmacy human resources and following a global trend, pharmacy support personnel can fill that manpower gap. The South African Pharmacy Council must ensure that these Pharmacy Support Personnel (PSP) are suitable for the National Health Insurance, the re-engineering of primary healthcare services and for facilitating the State President's initiative, Operation PHAKISA for the ideal clinic realisation. The need to increase the productivity and responsibilities of the PSPs especially in areas around medicine supply chain and dispensing became apparent with the thrust to release the pharmacist to focus more on patient care. The evolution of a more patient-centric role for the pharmacist is a global phenomenon and it is critical that the PSP support this change. PSPs may practice in both private and public sector pharmacies. The scope of practice for PSPs allows them to work, under the direct personal supervision of a pharmacist, in four categories of pharmacies i.e. community, institutional (private or public hospital), manufacturing and wholesale pharmacy provided that they are competent to practise and are appropriately registered with Council to practise in that category of pharmacy. Typical learners will be school leavers and those working in various categories of pharmacy, but who have no qualification. Benefits to the learner include a nationally recognised qualification and part qualifications that will improve current knowledge skills and competencies in performing support functions in a pharmacy. Further, this qualification provides improved access to acquiring skills as full time employment is no longer a requirement for registration of a learner. Lastly, career pathing and progression is built into the qualification. Benefits to the country include the fact that this qualification will serve as a national benchmark for PSP at all three levels Basic (B), Post Basic (PB) and Pharmacy Technician (PT). In addition, there will be improved utilisation of pharmacy human resources and an improvement in the quality of PSP. Society will benefit from an occupational qualification which, combined with its part qualifications will increase employment opportunities for many. The increased productive capacity of PSP means that the pharmacists are free to focus more on patient care.

Recognition of Prior Learning: RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record. RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements. Entry Requirements: • Level 4 with Mathematics and Life Sciences.

• Apply scientific knowledge to provide technical support in delivering pharmaceutical services.
• Provide technical support for the ordering, managing, despatching and disposing of medicines, scheduled substances, medical supplies and devices in compliance with Good Wholesaling and Distribution Practice (GWDP) and legal requirements.
• Provide technical support for the manufacture, packaging and re-packaging of sterile and non-sterile medicines and scheduled substances in compliance with GMP guidelines under the supervision of a Pharmacist.
• Provide technical support for the compounding, manipulation and preparation of sterile and non-sterile medicines and scheduled substances (extemporaneous compounding) in compliance with standards as described in the GPP rules and GMP guidelines under the supervision of a Pharmacist.
• Provide technical support to dispense prescriptions and to sell Schedule 0, 1 and 2 medicines in compliance with legal requirements, including GPP.
• Provide technical support in the management of pharmacy resources.