The greatest wealth is health.Virgil, Roman Poet
Hello, Kia ora, Talofa, Kamusta, Malo’etau lava, Kia orana, Nĭ hăo, Fakalofa Atu, Namaste, Bula, Sata srī akāla, Marhaba.
Congratulations on continuing on your journey towards becoming a pharmacy technician. Over the next 20 weeks, you will be supported to develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence in all aspects of the role of a pharmacy technician working in the pharmacy environment.
This qualification aims to provide the pharmacy sector with people who carry out a wide range of advanced pharmacy dispensing services and support the provision of safe, patient-centred healthcare under the supervision of a pharmacist.
We know you will enjoy this programme, which is filled with exciting and engaging learning activities. We hope you will grab every opportunity to challenge yourself, build on your learning and develop as a professional. Pharmacy technicians are important team members of the healthcare industry and are vital to the health and well-being of communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. So once again, nau mai, haere mai, welcome to the programme and welcome to the pharmacy industry. We are glad you have joined the team!
This programme covers the following qualifications and courses:
| Weeks | Outcome | Online Module | Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 20 | New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Pharmacy Technician - Advanced) (Level 5) | Modules 1 - 4 | Course 5: Professional Practice 2 |
| Course 6: Anatomy and Physiology | |||
| Course 7: Dispensing 2 | |||
| Course 8: Patient Care 2 |
How will you learn?
Learning hours are asynchronous. This means you complete them in your own time. There is no set class time, and learning takes place at different times for students/ākonga enrolled in the programme. You are encouraged to interact with other students/ākonga through forums and group messaging. Keep in mind that not everyone likes to study when you do, so you may need to wait for a response.
Total learning hours are 650 hours across 20 weeks. That is approximately 32 hours per week of full-time study, which is made up of 20 hours of learning in the workplace and 12 hours of self-directed learning.
The self-directed learning hours include:
- Reading, watching, and completing the activities on the online campus.
- Completing assessments.
- Participating in forum discussions.
Assessments/ Aromatawai
A total of 65 credits are awarded for the programme.
There are 17 assessments to complete in total. Assessments will be awarded an achieved or not-achieved result. All learning outcomes must be met to obtain an achieved result. All assessments must be completed in full, with all answers correct, for an achieved result.
Assessments are recorded as follows:
- Achieved – all work/units have been achieved to the standards set in the assessment and performance criteria.
- Not Achieved – the student/ākonga has yet to complete the relevant work to be awarded the assessment or unit.
Assessment submission
All assessments are due on a Sunday at 11.59pm (there is occasionally a due date on a Friday 11.59pm, however you will be advised of this at the start of the module). You will see the specific due dates for your intake by clicking on each assessment tab in the left navigation panel.
Level 5
| Week | Course 5: Professional Practice 2 | Course 6: Anatomy & Physiology | Course 7: Dispensing 2 | Course 8: Patient Care 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1: Body Systems 1 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | 06A1 | |||
| Module 2: Body Systems 2 | ||||
| 7 | 06A2 | |||
| 8 | 06A3 | 08A1 | ||
| 9 | 06A4 | |||
| 10 |
06A5 06A6 |
|||
| Module 3: Hospital Pharmacy 1 | ||||
| 11 | ||||
| 12 | 06A7 | 08A3 | ||
| 13 | 06A8 | |||
| 14 | 06A9 | |||
| 15 | 08A2 | |||
| 16 | ||||
| 17 | ||||
| Module 4: Hospital Pharmacy 2 | ||||
| 18 | 07A1 | |||
| 19 | 05A1 | 07A2 | ||
| 20 | 05A2 |
|
07A3 | |
Work Placement
You will complete a minimum of 400 hours work placement across the programme as part of your study hours. The purpose of work placement is linking the practical components of the programme to the theoretical content learned. The practical hours are valuable since they give you a taste of the industry and also help you to become job-ready.
You will need to collect evidence of your completed work placement hours – this can be time sheets or signed declarations from your work placement supervisor. You will submit this information the same way assessments are submitted. The page to submit evidence of your completed placement hours is called ‘Placement Check-in WPE’ in the navigation panel on the left.
Please read this information as soon as possible so that you can plan for when you need to submit your timesheets or signed declarations. In this programme you will need to submit your Placement Check-in evidence in:
- Week 10: Placement Check-In 1
- Week 20: Placement Check-In 2
Studying at Level 5
Graduates of this qualification will be able to meet the following outcomes:
- Work ethically and professionally within the Pharmacy Council Code of Ethics as relevant to Pharmacy Technicians
- Apply appropriate communication techniques to inform customers/ patients on health-related matters
- Apply all legislation and regulations as appropriate to Pharmacy Technicians
- Dispense and reconstitute medicines under the supervision of a pharmacist
- Provide advice and guidance on the use of dispensed medicines
- Apply knowledge of medicines as they relate to the treatment of a range of common health disorders
- Manage dispensary stock and inventory using appropriate environmental and storage requirements
- Perform calculations as appropriate to dispensing.
- Communicate appropriately and interact effectively with other healthcare professionals and their staff.
- Apply an advanced level of knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and medicines used in the treatment of health issues.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacology and how medicines work and affect body systems to understand their use as dispensed medicines for the treatment of health issues.
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving processes to achieve appropriate solutions in advanced dispensing techniques and/or optimising patient outcomes.
- Manage inventory and facilitate supply.
A graduate of a level 5 certificate can:
- Demonstrate broad operational or technical and theoretical knowledge within a specific field of work or study.
- Select and apply a range of solutions to familiar and sometimes unfamiliar problems.
- Select and apply a range of standard and non-standard processes relevant to the field of work or study.
- Complete self-management of learning and performance within defined contexts.
- Demonstrate some responsibility for the management of learning and performance of others.
We're here to help
If you're ever unsure about something or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your tutor. You can send them a message via email or via the 💬 messages feature on the top right corner of the online campus.