HLTAMED004 — Manage medications in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care

Elements & performance criteria

Performance evidence

• for three Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients, each with different conditions and medication needs:
• make a recommendation for a medications management review involving an authorised practitioner, review outcomes and update client records
• initiate treatment with medication using standard treatment protocols and practitioner consultation, and document all details in client records
• supervise the administration of medications:
• respond to queries about each of the following client issues referred by health care workers:
• contraindications for use of medications
• potential drug interactions
• adverse drug reactions
• manage access to medications by authorised personnel on four occasions
• check the accuracy of calculated and measured medication dosages prepared by health care workers on four occasions
• check the accuracy of four records of medication administration completed by health care workers
• manage medication stock control:
• discuss supply arrangements with suppliers on two occasions to manage supply and relationships
• review stock on hand and process two bulk orders for medication stock
• on receipt of two incoming deliveries, store and secure a total of six different types of medications including those that require refrigeration
• rotate stock on two occasions
• check existing stock for damaged and out of date medications on two occasions and dispose of two different types of medications safely
• prepare and pack three different types of medications for transportation including one that requires cold chain management
• document all details of stock control activities.

Knowledge evidence

• the role of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in classifying medicines into Schedules and what types of medicines are covered by each Schedule
• the role of Therapeutic Goods Orders in managing medicines, how to access these and maintain currency of knowledge
• local state or territory, and federal legal requirements, and associated organisational policies and procedures for:
• labelling medications
• dispensing medications
• storing and maintaining security of medication stocks, and requirements for scheduled medicines
• managing access to medications by authorised personnel
• disposing of medication stocks, and requirements for scheduled medicines
• documenting management of medications including requirements for client records, stock control and security
• legal and organisational responsibilities and role boundaries of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health practitioners for:
• authorising access to medications
• monitoring and supervising primary health care workers in their administration of medications
• assessing clients, initiating medication treatment and dispensing medications
• requirements for medical consultations prior to initiating treatment with medications:
• types of practitioners who are authorised to provide advice and authorisation for treatment
• methods that can be used to consult including phone, radio and video conference
• information that must be documented in client records
• the role of authorised practitioners, including pharmacists in:
• medication management reviews, including what these involve and how outcomes are documented and used
• preparing dose administration aids
• assisting with the management of medication stores
• stock control methods and associated documents used to:
• manage risks in the control of medication stock
• monitor patterns of medication usage
• record stock levels, order stock and check incoming stock
• organise medication stocks in a logical and accessible order
• secure bulk stocks of medications
• rotate stock for maximum use and minimum wastage
• dispose of bulk amounts of medications safely
• optimum environmental storage conditions for commonly used medications:
• temperature, light and humidity controls
• differences between purpose built vaccine and domestic refrigerators
• the importance of cold chain management in medication quality control
• methods used to prepare and pack medications for transport, including those for cold chain management.

Foundation skills

• Reading skills: interpret detailed and potentially complex organisational policies and procedures covering legal requirements for managing medications interpret detailed and sometimes unfamiliar client records, medication instructions and standard treatment manuals involving medication terminology and abbreviations.
• Writing skills: use fundamental sentence structure, medication terminology and abbreviations to complete forms and reports that require factual information.
• Oral communication skills: ask open and closed probe questions using plain language and actively listen to determine client health need and medication options provide clear and unambiguous information to consulting practitioners, and ask clear questions to seek instructions.
• Numeracy skills: extract, interpret, calculate and record numerical information of varying complexity for different types of medications use fractions, percentages, ratios and volumes interpret, use and communicate temporal data, including minutes, hours, days and weeks interpret and complete order, delivery and disposal documentation involving addition and multiplication calculations.

Unit content sourced from training.gov.au — © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Auditori is not affiliated with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Questions about assessing HLTAMED004