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WORKSHOP II
Monday 23 June -
Thursday 25 June
2008
NGT Training Rooms,
175 Collins Street,
Hobart
The
timetable for the
second block of
workshops (four days
this time) is
attached.
Pharmacy Management
The first two days
of this week will be
devoted to sessions
related to pharmacy
business management,
including managing a
hospital pharmacy,
locum
responsibilities and
insurance matters.
Remember this is not
Uni. We are trying
to get away from
didactic lectures so
the more you put in
the more you will
get out of it.
The
timetable is
attached to allow
you to research the
session topics. You
should have some
questions prepared
for the speakers and you are
expected to complete
evaluations and
learning journals
for each session.
The workshops are
also a valuable time
for you to interact
with your peers and
share stories and
experiences, as well
as talk through any
issues, concerns or
'good news stories'
with the Clinical
Tutors.
Presentations
The June workshops
will include
graduate
presentations.
This will be an
opportunity to
showcase your
communication
skills. The
presentation is to
be on a topic of
your choice;
something work
related of interest
that you wish to
share with your
colleagues. You may
choose to educate
your peers, share a
scenario or discuss
an issue.
Presentations,
including group
discussion, may not
exceed 5 minutes.
APEC Trial Testing
There will be a half
hour APEC trial test
on Thursday 26 June.
Results gained in
the trial test do
not form part of
your assessment for
the year, but do
provide you with a
valuable opportunity
to evaluate your
progress and gain an
insight into what
the format of the
APCAT examination
will be like.
About APEC
(Australian Pharmacy
Examining Council)
APEC is the
organisation that
assesses overseas
pharmacists wanting
to practice in
Australia. To become
a registered
pharmacist, there
are two stages of
the APEC examination
process.
1. Stage 1 exams,
are to assess the
candidate's baseline
knowledge i.e. it
assesses
undergraduate
knowledge, as there is
so much variety in
the quality of
pharmacy degrees in
different countries.
If a candidate
passes Stage 1
exams, including an
English test, they
can then apply for a
working visa to
enter Australia and
work under
supervised practice
in order to complete
the Stage 2 exams.
2. Stage 2 exams
consist of a
practical exam, the
APCAT exam, the NFEC
exam and the oral
Pharmacy Board exam.
The
trial testing, which
GAP graduates have
been taking part in
for many years, is
to assist in
validating questions
for use in the APEC
Stage 1 exam. This
helps APEC to ensure
that the questions
are suitable for
assessing the
competency of
overseas pharmacists
in comparison with
local graduates.
APAC & NFEC
EXAMINATIONS
Guides
for both
examinations are now
available for
download at the
Australian Pharmacy
Council (APC)
website. The
direct links to each
guide are
APCAT
and
NFEC
TIPS FOR REFLECTIVE
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
& COMPETENCIES
When you are
identifying the
competencies to
which your RLE
relates, please
refer to your
booklet
Competency Standards
for Pharmacists 2003
rather than relying
on the summary table
in your manuals. The
table can be
misleading because
it is so brief, the
booklet will clarify
the competency and
allow you to be more
accurate in your
reporting.
The
following is an
example of how to
get more out of your
RLE’s:
A graduate came
across a request to
supply an obscure
galenical and was
not sure how the law
related to its
supply.
The RLE further
learning was to
become familiar with
that product and
other obscure
galenicals (which
are occasionally
requested), their
uses and how the law
handles their
supply.
Consider, though,
that these products
are rarely requested
and most pharmacists
and staff are not
familiar with them
and their supply
restrictions.
If the graduate
extended the RLE to
include staff
education, a written
summary to keep in
the dispensary and
perhaps even a
written protocol
then not only are a
number of the
section 8
competencies
demonstrated but the
level of service to
patients is very
likely to rise
significantly. Your
preceptor will also
greatly appreciate
this type of help.
(Do make sure you
work in
collaboration with
them.)
The
moral of this story
is “Knowledge is of
far more use if it
is shared”. 8.6:
Plan and manage
pharmacy services
and the work
environment - look
into this
competency!
SCHEDULE OF DATES
A revised
schedule of dates is
attached to this
newsletter. Please
note that some dates
may be subject to
change. |