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WORKSHOPS
Your feedback from
the April Block week
has now been
collated. Thanks for
taking the time to
fill in the forms,
the information we
get from them really
does help when we
organise the
workshops.
The next block week
is scheduled for
Monday 23 June -
Thursday 26 June
inclusive. The
first two days of
this week will be
devoted to business
management and
related topics.
The June block week
will also include a
half hour
trial testing
programme run by
Australian Pharmacy
Council (APC). While results
gained in the trial
test do not form
part of your
assessment for the
year, it does
provide you with a
valuable opportunity
to evaluate your
progress and gives
an indication of
what the APCAT
examination will be
like. Additionally
it provides APC
with valuable
feedback on the
suitability of the
questions.
HEALTH PROMOTION
ASSIGNMENT
Graduates, in
consultation with
their Preceptor, are
to choose a ‘health
topic’ or select
from any upcoming
health week/day and
prepare a promotion
for their workplace.
This may include
posters or a window
or in-store display
designed to generate
community interest
and provide health
information for
customers. It could
also include staff
training in
preparation for the
week, community
presentations or
setting up
appointments for
individual
consultations.
You can access
support material
from health
organisations, PSA
Self Care,
Government, Reps
etc, or prepare your
own
flyers/information
sheets/posters. The
project should not
be directly product
related but may
incorporate
promotional
materials from a
selection of
available
alternatives. Please
refer to Page 9 of
your manual for
further detail.
The due date for
submission of this
assignment is 31
JULY 2008.
Below are some
community websites
which may help with
selecting a suitable
health topic:
Arthritis Australia
Cancer Council
National Heart
Foundation
Asthma Tasmania
Diabetes Australia
QUIT Tasmania
MS Tasmania
Nitpickers - Head
Lice
ASSIGNMENT 2
The second written
assignment will be
distributed in the
first week in July
and is due in the
week before the
September workshops.
GAP FEES
Accounts for GAP
fees have now been
issued and should be
paid by 30th June
2007. Graduates
should be aware that
the Graduate
Accreditation
Program is self
funding. The Board
endeavours to keep
the fees as low as
possible, while at
the same time
maintaining a high
quality program.
FIRST AID COURSE
Graduates will
be aware it is a
prerequisite of
registration that
they hold a Level
II First Aid
certificate. It is
your responsibility
to ensure you
undertake a suitable
course in first aid,
this is not provided
as part of GAP.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW
I’M GOING, WHERE I’M
AT AND
WHERE I NEED TO BE??
First - take a deep
breath, don't panic
and make sure you do
the following:
1. Check through
the GAP TRAINING
PLAN in your manual;
2. Check yourself
against the
competency
standards, ask your
Preceptor to assist
you;
3. Have a feedback
session with your
preceptor, after
which you should set
aside time with your
preceptor to either
utilise the training
plan template or
develop one of your
own;
4. Feedback sessions
must be documented
and included in the
Section 4 assessment
summary of your
portfolio.
And remember as you
go through the year:
No one
expects you to know
everything on the
first day – or even
after the first few
months! If you don’t
know – ASK.
But as a rough
guide:
1. To begin
with you should
learn about;
• Orientation
• Computer skills
• Simple customer
interaction
• Serving all
customers, not just
those with
prescriptions.
2. Then you
should move to;
• Counselling
and professional
interaction
3. Finally,
in consultation with
your Preceptor, you
could move on to
such things as;
• Dispensary
orders
• Staff meetings
• Staff training (eg,
scheduled over the
counter medications)
• Interdisciplinary
Communications
• NHS claims etc
Remember though
that everyone learns
at a different rate
and in different
ways. This list is
meant to be a guide
only. If there are
things you haven’t
touched on yet, this
is a good time to
sit down and go over
them with your
Preceptor.
There are some other
things you could and
should do:
1. Ask
your preceptor to
involve you every
time a person with a
commonly occurring
minor ailment
presents to the
pharmacy and ask him
or her to discuss
the problem with
you;
2. Always
carry a notebook!
All queries should
be written down if
there is
insufficient time to
discuss them
immediately. These
notes should be
referred to and
discussed at a more
convenient time and
may require you to
research the issue
first. Make sure you
follow up these
issues with your
Preceptor and report
back to him or her
on your findings and
conclusions;
3.
Overcome potential
problems early -
plan and manage your
time effectively.
Avoid developing a
‘leave it until the
end of the year’
attitude. Maintain a
balance of personal
commitments and
training
commitments;
4.
Don’t stress about
the exam at the end
- remember every
script you fill is a
sample exam
question.
Concentrate on those
throughout the year
and by the time you
get to the exam,
you’ll be confident
in your ability to
dispense;
5.
Research new
products and brief
your Preceptor and
other pharmacy staff
members on them.
It’s a great way to
develop confidence
in your knowledge
and will save your
preceptor time.
Finally if you are
still unsure - ask
your Clinical
Tutors, they are
there to help you.
CONTACT DETAILS
If
you move house,
change your phone
number or get a new
email address make
sure you advise the
Board straight away.
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