FIELD                 HEALTH

 

Review of Pharmacy qualifications

 

National Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Hospital, and Community [Ref: 0423]

National Certificate in Pharmacy (Assistant) (Level 3) [Ref: 0469]

 

The Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation (PITO) has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

 

Date new versions published                                                          December 2007

 

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2012.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The review involved consultation with industry and providers, including a formal industry survey conducted in 2004, and included the now completed review of Pharmacy Services unit standards.  Final changes were made by an Industry Working Group representing industry sectors and other stakeholders.  The Working Group recommendations were endorsed in 2007 by PITO's Qualifications Advisory Group.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

National Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Hospital, and Community [Ref: 0423]

National Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Community, and Hospital [Ref: 0423]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·           The title was modified to list the Community strand ahead of the Hospital strand.

·           Overall credit range was reduced from 148 or 149 depending on strand to 129 or 137 depending on strand.

·           Addition of special notes covering entry requirements.

·           Standards 57, 376, 403, 406, 496, 525, 1277, 1279, 1304, 2989, 4258, 9643, 9652, 9653, 9655, 9657, 11831, 12348, 12349, and 12355 were removed from the core compulsory.

·           Standards 23656-23673, 23675, 23676, 23681, and 23682 were added to the core compulsory.

·           Standard 9648 was removed from the Hospital strand.

·           Standards 23677 and 23678 and an elective requiring a minimum of 10 credits from the Pharmacy Services domain were added to the Hospital strand.

·           Standards 9645, 9646, and 9654 were removed from the Community strand.

·           Standard 9643 and an elective requiring a minimum of 10 credits from the Pharmacy Services domain were added to the Community strand.

·           The certification section was updated to include the logos of NZQA and the Pharmacy ITO.

 

Transition

People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 4 of this qualification may either complete that version or transfer to version 5.

 

The National Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Community, and Hospital [Ref: 0423] contains standards that replace earlier standards.  For the purposes of this qualification people who have gained credit for the expiring standards are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standards.

 

Expiring Standards

Replacement Standards

9648

23654 and 23655

9650

23656

9652

23657

 

The last date for assessment for version 4 of the National Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Hospital, and Community [Ref: 0423] is 31 December 2012.

 

National Certificate in Pharmacy (Assistant) (Level 3) [Ref: 0469]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·           Overall credits were reduced from 108 to 89.

·           Addition of special notes covering entry requirements.

·           Standards 57, 419, 496, 525, 1277, 1279, 1304, 2989, 4258, 9650, 12348, 12349, and 12355 were removed.

·           An elective section was added.

·           Standards 6418, 11940, 11970, 23656, 23673, 23674, and 23681 were added to the compulsory section.

·           Standard 14139 was moved from the compulsory section to the elective section.

·           The certification section was updated to include the logos of NZQA and the Pharmacy ITO.

 

Transition

 

People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 3 of this qualification may either complete that version or transfer to version 4.

 

The last date for assessment for version 3 of the National Certificate in Pharmacy (Assistant) (Level3) [Ref: 0469] is 31 December 2012.

 

Anyone who feels they have been disadvantaged by these arrangements may contact:

 

Pharmacy Industry Training Organisation

PO Box 11 640

WELLINGTON

 

Telephone              04 802 0030

Email                       info@pito.org.nz

 

Key to Qualification Review Categories

 

Category A

The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID

Changes are made to SSB name, contact details or purpose statement

No change is made to title, rules or components of the qualification

No transition arrangements are required

Category B

The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID

Changes are made to title, rules or components

The new version of the qualification recognises a similar skill set to that recognised by the previous version

The SSB is confident that people awarded the new or previous version are comparable in terms of competence

Transition arrangements are required if candidates must gain additional/different credits for the new version

Category C

A new (replacement) qualification is published with new NQF ID

Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level

The SSB views people with the replacement qualification as being significantly different in terms of competence from those with the replaced qualification

Transition arrangements are required

Transition may be limited to phase-out dates

Category D

Qualification will expire.

There is no replacement qualification

Qualification is no longer required by industry

The qualification is designated as expiring and a last date for meeting the qualification requirements is set