Guidelines for dispensing of medicines

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2

Who needs to use these guidelines?.................................................................................... 2

What happens if I do not comply with these guidelines? .................................................. 2

Summary of guidelines .......................................................................................................... 2

Guidelines ................................................................................................................................ 3

1 The dispensing process ................................................................................................. 3

2 Dispensing precaution - safety of prescriptions .......................................................... 4

3 Dispensing multiple repeat prescriptions at one time ................................................ 5

4 Hard-copy prescriptions that are copied and transmitted electronically .................. 5

5 Internet, mail-order idspensing and other indirect supply of medicines .................. 6

6 Incident records............................................................................................................... 6

7 Labelling of dispensed medicines ................................................................................. 6

8 Counselling patients about prescribed medicines ...................................................... 8

9 Privacy and confidentiality ............................................................................................. 9

10 Dispensing errors and near misses .......................................................................... 10

11 Pharmacists' workloads ............................................................................................. 11

12 Dispensary assistants/dispensary technicians and hospital pharmacy

technicians ........................................................................................................................ 12

13 Patients' rights to choose where to access medicines ........................................... 16

14 Return of unwanted medicines .................................................................................. 16

Definitions ............................................................................................................................. 16

References ............................................................................................................................. 17

Review .................................................................................................................................... 17

Pharmacy Board of Australia

G.P.O. Box 9958 | Melbourne VIC 3001 | www.pharmacyboard.gov.au | 1300 419 495
Introduction

These guidelines have been developed by the Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board) under
section 39 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and
territory (the National Law). They provide guidance to pharmacists in relation to the dispensing
of medicines, not set out in the legislation or a registration standard.

Note: As part of the agreement by the Council of Australian Governments to provide for the
National Law, pharmacy ownership, regulation of premises, inspections and related matters
do not form part of the National Law. Each jurisdiction will have separate legislation and
guidelines for these purposes.

Who needs to use these guidelines?

These guidelines were developed to provide guidance to registered pharmacists or those

seeking to become registered pharmacists. They apply to all pharmacists holding the following
types of registration:
• general
• provisional, or
• limited.

These guidelines do not apply to pharmacists holding non-practising registration or to

students. However, students should become familiar with these guidelines prior to undertaking
supervised practice placements.

What happens if I do not comply with these guidelines?

Pharmacists must comply with all legislation relevant to the practice of pharmacy in the
jurisdiction where the practice occurs. Additionally, pharmacists are expected to be aware of
and comply with the profession’s standards and guidelines (including any other standards or
guidelines referred to in those documents), as relevant to their scope of practice and type of
registration. The pharmacy practice standards and guidelines can be accessed on the
websites of the relevant professional bodies:
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) (www.psa.org.au), and
• The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (The SHPA) (www.shpa.org.au).

Non-compliance with these guidelines and the practice standards and guidelines relevant to
dispensing may be notified to the Board for appropriate action under the National Law. Under
section 41 of the National Law, these guidelines can be used in disciplinary proceedings under
the National Law or law of a co-regulatory jurisdiction as evidence of what constitutes
appropriate professional conduct or practice for pharmacists.

When considering notifications (complaints) against pharmacists, including those which might
relate to a dispensing error, the Board will give consideration to whether a breach of these
guidelines has taken place. The Board will also have regard to the legislation and practice
standards and guidelines relevant to pharmacy practice.

Further information for pharmacists regarding the possible outcomes of notifications is

available on the website of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
(www.ahpra.gov.au).

Summary of guidelines

These guidelines focus on safe dispensing and labelling of medicines, including compounded
(or extemporaneously prepared) medicines, and on providing a good pharmacy service. They
also address the role of dispensary assistants/technicians in assisting pharmacists.

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Pharmacists who dispense compounded medicines should also refer to the Board’s Guidelines
on compounding of medicines.

Guidelines

1 The dispensing process

For the purpose of these guidelines, the Board defines dispensing as:
The review of a prescription and the preparation, packaging, labelling, record keeping and
transfer of the prescribed medicine including counselling to a patient, their agent, or another
person who is responsible for the administration of the medicine to that patient.

Guideline

The pharmacist should ensure that the prescription is valid, that the medicine is clinically
appropriate for the patient, and that information is provided to ensure safe and appropriate use
of the medicine.

The process of dispensing includes:

a. receiving a prescription
b. ascertaining the authority of the prescriber to prescribe
c. obtaining any supplementary information to enable:
i. the patient to be properly identified so the medicine is dispensed to the
person for whom it is intended, and
ii. the medicine to be dispensed safely
d. determining the prescriber's intentions as to the patient's medicine, including the
dosing instructions
e. reviewing the medication history and other relevant patient information, to ensure
that the medicine is safe and proper for the patient to use and that where possible,
all other relevant considerations of the patient's health, including the use of any other
prescription and non-prescription medicine such as complementary and alternative
medicine, are taken into account
f. entering the prescription details on the pharmacy computer and recording any other
aspect of the dispensing according to the requirements of the law
g. generating a label for the dispensed medicine and a repeat authorisation where
required
h. selecting or preparing the product intended by the prescriber
i. clearly labelling the container of the medicine with the directions for its use as
intended by the prescriber along with any other information that facilitates its proper,
safe and effective use
(Note: Cautionary/advisory labels and instructions of the ‘Australian Pharmaceutical
Formulary and Handbook’ should always be used unless in a particular case there is
good reason not to. Where a cautionary/advisory label is required by law for a
particular medicine, this must always be used)
j. using a barcode scanner (where packaging includes a barcode) to verify the
selection of the correct product for the patient
(Note:
1. Scanning of the product barcode towards the end of the dispensing process
may be more effective in minimising selection errors
2. The scanning of the product barcode is a separate step in the dispensing
process to the scanning of a barcode on a prescription or repeat
authorisation)
k. carefully checking and re-checking all dispensing for accuracy and completeness
l. counselling the patient, or the patient's agent, sufficiently to allow a proper
understanding of all the information required by the patient to use the medicine
safely and effectively and to motivate the patient to comply with that advice (which

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 may include provision of printed supplementary information when required), and to
allow for a final check of the dispensed medicine, and
m. ensuring that the entire dispensing process has been carried out according to good
pharmacy practice, and accepting that responsibility by placing his or her initials or
signature in the prescription records of the pharmacy and any other place according
to relevant legislation.

(Note:
1. If more than one pharmacist is involved in the dispensing and counselling process,
suitable processes should be in place to ensure that the involvement of each
pharmacist is identifiable through a suitable record.
2. The Pharmacy Board of Australia ‘Guidelines on dose administration aids and
staged supply of dispensed medicines’, address the responsibilities of pharmacists
when dose administration aids (DAAs) are supplied, including when they are packed
by a third party.
3. A dispensary assistant/technician may assist the pharmacist in the dispensing
process by carrying out the functions of data entry and assembling medicines.
However, the pharmacist is responsible for:
• assessing the appropriateness of the medicines in relation to the medication
history and other relevant patient information (step e above)
• confirming the required formulation for medicines that have been
compounded
• checking the dispensed medicine (step k above), and
• counselling the patient or the patient’s agent and performing the final check
(step l above).
4. Pharmacists should refer to the Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL) and
Australian Journal of Pharmacy’s (AJP) ‘Guide to good dispensing’.
5. Pharmacists are expected to comply with Standard 5 – Dispensing of the
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Professional Practice Standards. This
standard refers to the SHPA standards of practice for the provision of oral
chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer, whose principles are applicable to the
treatment of conditions other than cancer, and must be complied with given the
significant risks associated with dispensing these medicines.)

2 Dispensing precaution – safety of prescriptions

A pharmacist must take reasonable steps during the dispensing process (detailed in Guideline
1 The dispensing process) to ensure that the dispensing of a medicine in accordance with a
prescription or order is consistent with the safety of the person named in that prescription or
order.

Guideline

In dispensing a prescription, a pharmacist has to exercise an independent judgement to

ensure the medicine is safe and appropriate for the patient, as well as that it conforms to the
prescriber’s intentions. Where clarification is required, the patient or their agent should be
consulted and if necessary, the prescriber contacted.

Good practice involves seeking consent from patients before disclosing information, where
practicable (refer to Guideline 9.1 Disclosure of information). If the prescriber cannot be
contacted, or if on consultation with the prescriber there is a difference in opinion regarding
the safety of the prescription, professional judgement must be exercised by the pharmacist in
deciding appropriate action to take.

At all times the dispensing of a prescription or any other action taken by the pharmacist, must
be consistent with the safety of the patient. If the pharmacist decides not to dispense the
prescribed medicine, the patient must be informed about the reasons for the decision and the

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alternative options available to the patient regarding their medication needs. Appropriate
documentation should be kept to support the action taken.

In conforming to the above principle, dose, frequency and route of administration, duration of
treatment, the presence or absence of other medicines, the patient’s illness, medication
history, allergies, and other relevant circumstances need to be taken into account. When this
information is collected by the pharmacist, relevant details should be recorded in the
dispensing record, and where possible in the patient’s health record, so that the safety of any
future medicines that are prescribed and/or dispensed for that patient can also be assured.

3 Dispensing multiple repeat prescriptions at one time

Dispensing multiple quantities of particular medicines (whether or not directed by the

prescriber) may not be consistent with the safety of the patient (refer to Guideline 2 Dispensing
precaution – safety of prescriptions).

The supply of multiple repeats at the one time is permitted under Regulation 49 of the National
Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017 (previously Regulation 24 of the National
Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960). 1 An authorised prescriber must endorse
each prescription for multiple supplies if satisfied that the patient’s circumstances meet the
criteria outlined in the regulations. In the case of non-Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (non-
PBS) medicines, prescribers may specify quantities that suit the patient’s circumstances.

When not directed by the prescriber, the simultaneous supply of multiple quantities of a
particular medicine (i.e. the supply of multiple repeats at once) may be contrary to the Quality
Use of Medicines principles outlined in the National Medicines Policy. It does not promote
regular review of therapy and effective provision of medicine information by pharmacists,
which may assist in minimising medication misadventure. It may also be contrary to state or
territory legislation.

Guideline

Dispensing multiple quantities of any prescription should only occur at the specific direction of
the prescriber on each occasion, unless exceptional circumstances exist to the satisfaction of
the pharmacist. An appropriate notation should be made to that effect on the prescription, in
the dispensing record and where possible, in the patient’s health record. Examples of
exceptional circumstances may include a patient going away for an extended period of time,
or a patient who cannot easily attend the pharmacy because of disability and/or a mobility
issue. State and territory legislation must be complied with.

4 Hard-copy prescriptions that are copied and transmitted electronically

Hard-copy prescriptions and other written authorisations that are copied and transmitted
electronically (e.g. scanned and transmitted by facsimile or email) may be a source of
dispensing errors, and are a frequent source of forgeries and fraudulent behaviour to
unlawfully obtain medicines.

Guideline

Before dispensing a medicine detailed on a hard-copy prescription which has been copied and
transmitted electronically (e.g. scanned and transmitted by facsimile or email), a pharmacist
must take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the order is bona fide and in accordance
with relevant state or territory legislation. Pharmacists must be familiar with any jurisdictional
requirements regarding the supply in these circumstances, which may include sighting the
original order or receiving oral instruction from the prescriber before the supply is made, and
obtaining and retaining the original prescription or other accepted written authorisation.

1 Amended on 2 June 2017 to reflect 2017 regulations.

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5 Internet, mail-order dispensing and other indirect supply of medicines

The Board views the indirect supply of medicines, such as Internet and mail-order dispensing,
as less than the optimal way of delivering a pharmacy service because communication,
including opportunities for counselling, may be compromised.

However, the Board recognises that particular patient circumstances may exist where these
forms of communication are necessary or appropriate (e.g. in remote areas). The Board also
recognises that some consumers may prefer to access particular pharmacy services in this
way.

Guideline

A pharmacist should encourage face-to-face contact with patients as the preferred option for
supplying medicines. If medicines are supplied indirectly to a patient, the pharmacist must
comply with all relevant state or territory and Commonwealth legislation, these guidelines, and
established practice standards including Standard 2 Managing Pharmacy Practice and
Standard 6 Indirect Pharmacy Services of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s
Professional Practice Standards.

As with the direct supply of medicines, where face-to-face contact is not possible a pharmacist
should communicate with the patient to obtain any required information, and to offer
counselling. Written information and other suitable materials should be provided to reinforce
the oral counselling provided (refer to Guideline 8 Counselling patients about prescribed
medicines).

6 Incident records

Dispensing errors, significant other errors, omissions and other non-compliances, including
complaints of a non-commercial nature arising both within and external to the pharmacy, may
be the subject of investigation. A risk management procedure including appropriate record
keeping of events, assists pharmacists in managing such incidents.

Guideline

Pharmacists are to ensure that incident records are maintained that show when the incident
was recorded, when it occurred, who was involved (both actual and alleged), the nature of the
incident or complaint, what actions were taken, any outcomes and who recorded the incident.
If contact was made with third parties, such as government departments, prescribers, lawyers
or professional indemnity insurance companies, details of the conversation should be
recorded.

Regardless of how serious the incident may appear, comprehensive detailed records need to
be kept.

7 Labelling of dispensed medicines

The requirements for labelling dispensed medicines are specified in legislation in force in the
jurisdiction in which a pharmacist is practising. Practice standards and guidelines (including
these guidelines), address the labelling of dispensed medicines, with a view to:
• ensuring lawful possession by the patient
• maximising the benefits of the therapy
• improving the patient’s understanding of the treatment

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 • enhancing adherence, and
• minimising adverse effects.

Guideline

7.1 Labels

Placement

The placement of the dispensing label on the medicine packaging is largely determined by the
design of the packaging and the manufacturer’s label.

The dispensing label is to be firmly attached to the immediate container (including each
component of multiple-therapy packs) unless the immediate container is so small or is so
constructed that the label would compromise the patient’s ability to use the medicine (e.g.
metered aerosols, insulin pen cartridges and some eye drops). In such instances, the label
should be attached to the primary packaging or alternatively, purpose-designed labelling tags
or ‘winged’ labels may be used.

Legibility

The label should be clearly and legibly printed in plain English. Other languages that are
accurate translations of the English may be used in addition to English. Pharmacists should
ensure that the label is durable and legible for the expected duration of use of the medicine.
The special needs of patients with disabilities, such those with poor eyesight, should be
accommodated and the patient adequately informed.

The label should be placed to leave visible any of the manufacturer’s statements that may be
important to the patient, including the expiry date, storage conditions and where possible, the
name and strength of the medicine.

7.2 Label content

The label of each medicine dispensed must include the particulars required under state and
territory legislation, and include:
• in the case of proprietary medicines, the brand and generic names of the medicine,
the strength, the dose form and the quantity supplied
• in the case of compounded medicines, the name and strength of each active
ingredient (especially if a formulation other than a standard pharmacopoeial
formulation is used), the name and strength of any added preservatives, the name of
the formula as described in a standard pharmacopoeial reference book (where
applicable), the dose form and the quantity supplied
• specific directions for use, including frequency and dose
• the patient’s name or, in the case of an animal, the owner’s name and the kind of
animal
• the date of dispensing or supply
• the initials of the dispensing pharmacist (and if different, the initials of the pharmacist
checking and issuing the medicine)
• a unique identifying code for the dispensed medicine
• the name, address and telephone number of the pharmacy or pharmacy department
at which the medicine was dispensed
• the applicable storage directions and expiry date of the medicine which are required
to facilitate the safe and effective use of the medicine by the patient
• the words ‘Keep out of reach of children’, and
• for compounded medicines, the words ‘This product has been compounded by the
pharmacist’.

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7.3 Ancillary labels

Some ancillary labels are mandatory – these are listed in the Standard for the Uniform
Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP). State and territory legislation may also
mandate additional labelling requirements of medicines, which must also be complied with.
The routine use of other ancillary labels in the current edition of the Australian Pharmaceutical
Formulary and Handbook is recommended, taking into consideration the individual patient
circumstances.

8 Counselling patients about prescribed medicines

Patient counselling is part of the process of dispensing medicines and provides an opportunity
to elicit the necessary information from a patient, and to provide the required information to
enable safe and effective use of medicines. Patients have the right to expect that the
pharmacist will counsel them privately about their medicines.

Counselling is also the final checking process to ensure the correct medicine is supplied to the
correct patient. Lack of counselling can be a significant contributor in failing to detect
dispensing errors. In this regard, the Board endorses the current patient counselling guidelines
produced by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and The Society of Hospital Pharmacists
of Australia, including the use of ‘Consumer medicines information’ (CMI) leaflets.

Guideline

The pharmacist should make every effort to counsel, or to offer to counsel the patient
whenever a medicine is supplied, but the patient reserves the right not to be counselled.

More detailed advice is especially important when certain medicines are supplied and in
certain circumstances. Examples include:
• the supply of medicines that can cause drowsiness or sedation
• the supply of medicines that have a narrow therapeutic index (e.g. cytotoxics and
other immunosuppressants, warfarin, digoxin, insulins)
• the taking of medicines that require therapeutic monitoring or specific biochemistry
or haematology monitoring (e.g. warfarin and other anticoagulants, antithrombotics,
digoxin, clozapine)
• unusual dose forms (e.g. fentanyl patches)
• unusual frequency of use (e.g. alendronate, methotrexate)
• when a new medicine is prescribed
• when there is a change in the dose or frequency of administration
• when the brand of medicine has changed
• when the medicine is a Controlled Drug
• with each supply of medicine for which there are valid reasons for regular
reinforcement of information (e.g. teratogenics, cytotoxics or other medicines that
are reported to pose a risk to patients and carers through inappropriate use or
handling; anticonvulsants; major contraindications; special patient needs, such as
language preference, vision, hearing or cognitive impairment, or cultural issues)
• at regular intervals (e.g. six monthly) for medicines used for long-term therapy
• when the medicine is for a child
• if the patient is taking many medicines, and
• when there is an acute illness or event (e.g. hospital admission).

In the case of patients taking repeat prescriptions, counselling provides the opportunity to
inquire if the patient is taking the medicine correctly, if the medicine is having the desired
outcome or if there are unwanted effects. It offers a further opportunity to detect any errors.

The contents of a CMI, such as mention of certain diseases or side effects, may cause
confusion or even alarm among some patients. Therefore, the pharmacist may need to work
through the CMI with the patient in order to relate its contents to the individual circumstances.
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Face-to-face counselling is the best way of communicating information about medicines, but
where that is not possible or practicable, written information and/or a telephone call are
recommended while making sure that the information is provided directly to the patient.

9 Privacy and confidentiality

Commonwealth, state and territory privacy laws set out the privacy principles applicable to
health providers, including pharmacists.

Guideline

Pharmacists should ensure that all pharmacy services are provided in a manner that respects
the patient’s privacy requirements, and is in accordance with relevant legislation and
professional and quality assurance standards.

9.1 Disclosure of information

Information about a person that a pharmacist obtains in the course of their professional
practice is confidential and may be disclosed only:
1. with that person’s permission
2. to other persons authorised to the extent of the latter person’s lawful jurisdiction, or
3. on a court order.

If, in the pharmacist’s opinion, it is in the patient’s best interest to divulge pertinent information
to another health practitioner who is treating the patient, the pharmacist should seek consent
from the patient to disclose that information. If the patient refuses, the pharmacist should
ensure that the patient has been made fully aware of the risks of this information not being
disclosed and ensure that any action is consistent with the safety of the patient (refer to
Guideline 2 Dispensing precaution – safety of prescriptions).

In accordance with the relevant Australian Privacy Principles, if a patient is unable to consent
to the disclosure of information (e.g. they are unconscious), the pharmacist may disclose the
information to another health practitioner who is treating the patient provided that:
• the pharmacist is satisfied that the disclosure is necessary to provide appropriate
care or treatment of the patient, and
• the disclosure is not contrary to any wish of the patient.

Appropriate documentation should be kept to support any action taken.

Authorised persons to which information may be disclosed include:

• an investigator or an inspector appointed under the National Law
• an officer of the state or territory pharmacy premises registering authority
• a person authorised under the state or territory poisons law (including a member of
the police force to the extent authorised)
• a member of an enforcement agency in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth),
or state or territory privacy laws
• an authorised officer of Medicare Australia for the purposes of examining
prescriptions supplied as pharmaceutical benefits under the National Health Act
1953 (Cth), or
• an authorised officer of state or territory statutory authorities that administer laws of
work or road traffic related insurance.

It may be an offence for a pharmacist to refuse to disclose requested information to an

authorised person.

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Particular care should be exercised if other official bodies seek information. State or territory
privacy authorities should be contacted in cases of uncertainty.

The inadvertent disclosure of the identities of patients’ medicines (and therefore the patients’
medical conditions) to third parties must be avoided.

Examples of situations where information may be inadvertently disclosed could include:

• payment of a family account
• provision of information to third party organisations (including service companies)
that process accounts
• provision of information to organisations collecting statistical data for marketing
purposes
• provision of information on clinical functions to software providers
• provision of information on points earned in a customer loyalty program
• allowance of access to pharmacy computers by third party software providers
• allowance of third party software onto computers for data transference, and
• use of overseas cloud data storage.

9.2 Protection of electronic data

Data collection and electronic storage by pharmacists poses significant risks to patient privacy.
Pharmacy proprietors and pharmacists in charge of a dispensary or pharmacy department
must:
• ensure that appropriate measures are in place to ensure electronic data is stored
securely
• ensure that software programs used by pharmacies only access and transmit the
data permitted by law
• ensure that appropriate backup and disaster recovery processes are in place and in
accordance with any state or territory pharmacy premises registering authority
requirements, to ensure the integrity of data is maintained
• refer to and comply with Section 8.4 Health records of the Board’s Code of conduct
for pharmacists, which describes good practice in maintaining health records,
including that pharmacists should ensure that records are held securely and are not
subject to unauthorised access
• ensure that pharmacists are aware of threats to maintaining secure electronic data,
such as malicious software, which can be used to block access to a computer
system and encrypt data such as patient records
• ensure that pharmacists take reasonable steps to ensure that electronic data is
protected, and
• consult with their computer software and hardware providers to ensure that
appropriate protection measures are in place.

10 Dispensing errors and near misses

Various strategies can be employed to minimise the occurrence of dispensing errors.

Guideline

Pharmacists should take all reasonable steps to minimise the occurrence of dispensing errors.

Good practice dictates there should be a systematic approach in dealing with errors and near
misses so that lessons can be learned from them and corrective action taken.

Pharmacists should refer to Section 6.2 Risk management of the Board’s Code of conduct for
pharmacists, which describes good practice in relation to risk management.

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10.1 Scanners

Pharmacists should use barcode scanners when dispensing medicines in pharmacies and
pharmacy departments. Barcode scanners are an aid to minimising selection errors but not a
substitute for other checking procedures.

When dispensing medicines, pharmacists should refer to and follow the guidance regarding
use of scanners contained in:
• the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Professional Practice Standard 5:
Dispensing
• The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia’s Standards of Practice for Hospital
Pharmacy Outpatient Services, and
• the Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL) and Australian Journal of Pharmacy’s
(AJP) Guide to good dispensing.

Barcodes should be scanned:

• on prescriptions and repeat authorisation forms where available for eHealth
processing
• on products where barcodes exist, and
• on the dispensing label in circumstances where a barcode is printed.

10.2 Checking dispensed medicines

Routine checking throughout the dispensing process is necessary, with particular emphasis
being attached to the final check at the time of actual supply or dispatch of the medicine from
the pharmacy. Counselling of the patient or carer about the dispensed medicines prior to
supply provides an additional check.

Where automated dispensing systems are utilised, vigilance must be maintained by

pharmacists and their dispensary staff when managing such systems to ensure that the
occurrence of errors is minimised. This needs to occur when stocking the system as well as
at the point of checking the dispensed medicine.

10.3 Workload and workflow

Adequate time must be allowed to safely and accurately dispense every prescription (see also
Guideline 11 Pharmacists’ workloads).

Arrangements should be in place to minimise distractions during the dispensing process,

which can lead to dispensing errors. Pharmacists responsible for the dispensing of medicines
need to ensure that the operation of the pharmacy dispensary is such that the risk of errors is
minimised to their professional satisfaction.

11 Pharmacists’ workloads

Workload should be at a reasonable and manageable level to:

• ensure the safety of the patient
• provide an appropriate pharmacy service in an accurate, professional and timely
manner
• cope with fluctuations in workflow, and
• support a safe working environment.

Guideline

Pharmacist owners and pharmacists in charge of a dispensary or pharmacy department are

to have in place suitable quality-assurance systems and procedures for the management of
pharmacist workload.

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To support the delivery of an appropriate pharmacy service, pharmacists and their staff should
give realistic waiting times to patients for dispensed medicines, and should not impose
maximum prescription waiting times.

The Board recommends that if dispensing levels for a pharmacist are in the range of 150–200
items per day, consideration needs to be given to the use of trained dispensary
assistants/technicians and/or intern pharmacists to assist the pharmacist. If the dispensing
workload exceeds 200 items per day, additional pharmacists or dispensary
assistants/technicians may be required to ensure adequate time is allowed to dispense
properly every prescription in accordance with the practice standards and guidelines, and
Board guidelines. Arrangements should ensure adequate supervision by pharmacists of non-
pharmacist staff.

Additional pharmacists or dispensary assistants/technicians may be required:

• to coincide with spikes in activity during specific times, days or months
• depending on the workload created by the types of prescriptions received (e.g.
harm-minimisation therapy, cytotoxics, compounded medicines, repeat prescriptions,
prescriptions for dose administration aids)
• depending on whether advanced dispensing technologies are available to assist the
pharmacist(s)
• to ensure the pharmacy-dispensing model utilised in the pharmacy is successful
(e.g. ‘forward dispensing pharmacy’)
• to ensure sufficient staff with suitable experience and familiarity with systems are
rostered to work
• to ensure that all dispensing-related responsibilities are met (e.g. counselling, review
of the patient’s medication history, medication reviews, adherence programs)
• to ensure that other non-dispensing responsibilities are met (e.g. Schedule 3
poisons (Pharmacist Only Medicines), preceptor responsibilities and patients’
expectations), or
• to accommodate new initiatives in practice (e.g. pharmacists gathering or verifying
information before it is placed in the patient's health record).

The Board acknowledges that pharmacists may be required to dispense above this rate in
unforeseen circumstances, such as staff shortage due to sudden illness or unpredicted
demand. The Board recognises that in such circumstances pharmacists can take effective
short-term measures to deal with the workload while continuing to meet their professional
obligations.

The Board refers pharmacists to a resource titled ‘Managing Stress in Pharmacy: creating a
healthier working environment in pharmacy by managing workplace stress’ published by the
Pharmacists’ Support Service, which contains useful guidance on workplace pressures,
including workload. 2

12 Dispensary assistants/dispensary technicians and hospital pharmacy

technicians

Pharmacists may be assisted in the preparation, dispensing and supply of medicines, and
other tasks in a pharmacy business or pharmacy department, by suitably trained dispensary
assistants, dispensary technicians or hospital pharmacy technicians.

For the purposes of these guidelines, ‘dispensary assistant/technician’ will be used. In different
industrial relations circumstances, various terms are used in different awards.

2
Minor amendment made on 7 May 2018. Previously stated “The Board refers pharmacists to a resource titled
‘Workplace Pressures in Pharmacy: Practical advice for New Zealand pharmacists, pharmacy staff and employers’
by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand, which contains useful guidance on workplace pressures, including
workload, that is also relevant to the Australian pharmacy context.”

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The descriptions, ‘dispensary assistant’, ‘dispensary technician’ or ‘hospital pharmacy
technician’ do not apply to a pharmacist, a provisionally registered intern pharmacist or a
registered pharmacy student.

Guideline

Pharmacists who are responsible for employing a dispensary assistant/technician in practice

must employ or engage suitably trained and experienced individuals to perform duties under
pharmacist supervision, and ensure that the tasks correspond to and are limited to their level
of education, training and experience. The responsible pharmacists should comply with the
guidance outlined in this guideline and ensure that other pharmacists working with these
individuals are also able to comply during their course of practice.

12.1 Ensuring competence

Certificate qualifications, competencies and/or workplace training/practice experience can be

used to ensure individuals are suitably prepared for their role as dispensary
assistants/technicians. Pharmacists who employ dispensary assistants/technicians should
carefully asses the most appropriate option(s) to achieve the level of skilled support required
in practice and be able to demonstrate the evidence to support their decision. The following
options (A, B and C) should be considered:

A. Certificate qualifications

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) provides the standards for nationally
recognised qualifications. The following certificate qualifications under the AQF are the current
recognised qualifications for dispensary assistants/technicians:
a. Certificates III and IV in Community Pharmacy from SIR07 the Retail Services
Training Package (http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SIR07), and
b. Certificates III and IV in Hospital/Health Services Pharmacy Support from HLT07
the Health Training Package (http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/HLT07).

(Note: The qualifications from these training packages are updated from time to time.
Updated qualifications were published by the Board in Appendix A on 15 March 2023).

Where Certificates III and IV are undertaken, these should incorporate the minimum
competencies outlined below. As an alternative to requiring dispensary assistants/technicians
to complete one of the above full certificate qualifications, pharmacists may also accept the
minimum competencies outlined below. Successful completion of the required competencies
should be evidenced by a certificate of the qualification, or a statement of attainment of the
minimum competencies, which has been issued by the registered training organisation (RTO).

B. Competencies

The following essential competencies delivered by RTOs are recommended when

pharmacists employ individuals as dispensary assistants/technicians in the relevant area of
practice:

Community practice - Essential competencies (from SIR07 the Retail Services Training
Package):

• Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines

(SIRCHCS201)
• Accept prescriptions and return dispensed medicines to customers (SIRCDIS301)
• Assist in dispensing prescriptions (SIRCDIS303)
• Assist in dispensary stock control (SIRCDIS404)
• Assist in dispensary administration (SIRCDIS405)
Guidelines for dispensing of medicines/September 2015
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Hospital practice - Essential competencies (from HLT07 the Health Training Package):

• Maintain pharmaceutical imprest stock (HLTPHA001)

• Pack pharmaceutical products (HLTPHA002)
• Assist with dispensing of prescriptions and medication orders (HLTPHA003)
• Order, maintain and distribute pharmaceutical stock (HLTPHA004)

(Note: Essential competencies may be completed as a “skill set” where identified as such in
the relevant training package and offered by a training provider).

The following additional competencies delivered by RTOs are recommended when

pharmacists employ individuals as dispensary assistants/technicians in the relevant area of
practice in order to deliver these additional services:

Community practice - Additional competencies (from SIR07 the Retail Services Training
Package):

• Deliver medicines to customers outside the pharmacy (SIRCDIS302)

• Assist in preparing dose administration aids (SIRCDIS406)
• Assist in preparing extemporaneous prescriptions (SIRCDIS407)
• Coordinate service to patients in residential care settings (SIRCDIS408)

Hospital Practice - Additional competencies (from HLT07 the Health Training Package):

• Conduct small-scale compounding and labelling of pharmaceutical products

(HLTPHA005)
• Provide assistance in dispensary administration (HLTPHA006)
• Conduct small-scale compounding and labelling of aseptic pharmaceutical products
(HLTPHA007)
• Support pharmacist communication with clients and other health professionals
(HLTPHA008)
• Support pharmacists in the collection and presentation of workplace data and
information (HLTPHA009)

(Note: The competencies listed above, as available through the relevant training package,
were correct at the time of publication of these guidelines. Updated competencies were
published by the Board in Appendix A on 15 March 2023.)

C. Workplace training and practice experience

Pharmacists must determine whether an individual is appropriately educated, skilled and/or

experienced to perform in the role of a dispensary assistant/technician. This should involve
establishing whether, to perform in their role, the individual has:

• sufficient relevant practice experience, and/or

• completed relevant education and workplace training.

The employing pharmacist may determine that to perform in their role, the individual would:

• need to commence workplace training or undertake further workplace training,

and/or
• need to undertake education (e.g. any of the relevant competencies outlined in this
guideline), and/or
• benefit from undertaking part or all of an updated qualification if the individual
previously completed education or attained a qualification from a superseded
training package under the AQF.

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When assessing an individual’s completed education (which may include overseas
qualifications), training and/or experience, an employing pharmacist may benefit from
obtaining information to determine whether previously achieved competencies are equivalent
to the competencies in the current certificate qualifications in this guideline. Further advice and
expertise may be sought from the RTOs. The assessment of competency should be
documented and form part of the individual’s training record.

12.2 Assignment of duties

A pharmacist must assign to a dispensary assistant/technician, duties commensurate with the

individual’s education, training and/or experience.

The scope of duties that may be assigned by a pharmacist to a dispensary assistant/technician

and articulated in his/her job description is limited by:

a. the competencies achieved by completion of one of the above listed current or

equivalent full qualifications; and
b. the specific combination of competencies achieved which have been selected
from any of the above listed qualifications or equivalent qualifications
(achievement of the essential competencies and if applicable, additional
competencies), and/or
c. the competencies achieved through completion of an equivalent qualification or
through appropriate workplace training and experience.

12.3 Pharmacists’ responsibilities during the dispensing process

A pharmacist must provide direct and personal supervision to a dispensary

assistant/technician during the dispensing process (refer to Guideline 1 The dispensing
process). As stated in the dispensing process in Guideline 1, the supervising pharmacist is
responsible for:
• assessing the appropriateness of the medicines in relation to the medication history
(step c in the dispensing process in Guideline 1)
• confirming the required formulation for medicines that have been compounded
• checking the dispensed medicine (step k in the dispensing process in Guideline 1),
and
• counselling the patient or the patient’s agent and performing the final check (step l in
the dispensing process in Guideline 1).

Pharmacists should refer to Standard 5 Dispensing of the Pharmaceutical Society of

Australia’s Professional Practice Standards and The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of
Australia’s Standards of Practice for Hospital Pharmacy Outpatient Services.

A pharmacist must not devolve his/her professional responsibilities to a dispensary

assistant/technician undertaking a task under his/her supervision.

All relevant state or territory, and Commonwealth legislation, Pharmacy Board of Australia
guidelines and established practice and quality assurance standards are to be met by
pharmacists who are supervising dispensary assistants/technicians.

12.4 Supervision ratios

The Board suggests that an individual pharmacist not supervise more than two dispensary
assistants/technicians engaged in the selection, processing and labelling of prescription
medicines, and the compounding of medicines, at a time. Any alternative supervision ratio
must be carefully considered in light of the pharmacist’s workload and responsibilities in their
practice, and must be clearly justified (refer to Guideline 11 Pharmacists’ workloads).

13 Patients’ rights to choose where to access medicines

Guidelines for dispensing of medicines/September 2015
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The Board’s Code of conduct for pharmacists, which applies to the supply of commercially
prepared and compounded medicines, states:

Providing good care includes:

e) recognising and respecting the rights of patients or clients to make their own
decisions.
Guideline

Pharmacists must not enter into arrangements for exclusive supply of prescriptions from a
health practitioner/prescriber or other third party. Pharmacists may offer to retain prescriptions
for subsequent dispensing with the patient’s or client’s consent.

14 Return of unwanted medicines

Unwanted medicines present a risk to the community and should be disposed of safely.

Guideline

Pharmacist owners and pharmacists in charge of a dispensary or pharmacy department

should arrange to accept from the public unwanted medicines for safe disposal.
In hospital pharmacy practice, local policies and protocols should be followed.

In community pharmacy practice, participation in available programs such as the Return of

Unwanted Medicines (RUM) project, is encouraged. Pharmacists are referred to the detailed
procedures relating to the return and disposal of unwanted medicines, including Schedule 8
poisons (Controlled Drugs), needles, other sharps and cytotoxic products available at
www.returnmed.com.au.

Any unwanted medicines are preferably placed immediately in an approved disposal bin that
is stored to prevent unauthorised access. Pharmacists must take reasonable steps to ensure
that any returned Controlled Drugs are recorded, stored and destroyed in accordance with
state or territory legislation.

When a pharmacist collects unwanted medicines from a person’s residence (e.g. in the course
of a home medication review), the unwanted medicines are to be placed in a suitable interim
container (for example, as supplied by the RUM project), before being transferred to a
pharmacy for disposal.

Definitions

A co-regulatory jurisdiction means a participating jurisdiction in which the National Law

declares that the jurisdiction is not participating in the health, performance and conduct
process provided by Divisions 3 to 12 of Part 8. Queensland and New South Wales are co-
regulatory jurisdictions.

A compounded medicine for the purpose of these guidelines, is a therapeutic product that
has been extemporaneously prepared and supplied by a pharmacist. For further information,
refer to the Board’s Guidelines on compounding of medicines.

A dispensary assistant/dispensary technician/hospital pharmacy technician (referred to

as ‘dispensary assistant/technician’ in these guidelines), is a suitably trained individual who
assists a pharmacist in the preparation, dispensing and supply of medicines, and other tasks
in a pharmacy business or pharmacy department.

Dispensing is the review of a prescription and the preparation, packaging, labelling, record
keeping and transfer of the prescribed medicine including counselling, to a patient, their agent,
or another person who is responsible for the administration of the medicine to that patient (see
Guideline 1 The dispensing process).
Guidelines for dispensing of medicines/September 2015
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Dose administration aids (DAAs) are defined in a number of documents. For the purposes
of these guidelines, a DAA is defined as a device or packaging system for organising doses
of medicines according to the time of administration, which assists medication management
for a patient.

Health record is a record of information relevant to a patient’s health, including clinical history,
clinical findings, investigations, information given to the patient, their medication and other
management. The record may be held electronically and/or in hard copy.

Practice means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills
and knowledge as a pharmacist in their profession. For the purposes of these guidelines,
practice is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes working in a
direct non-clinical relationship with clients; working in management, administration, education,
research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles; and any other roles that impact on
safe, effective delivery of services in the profession.

Registered training organisation means an educational organisation in Australia that

provides students with training that results in qualifications and statements of attainment that
are recognised and accepted by industry and other educational institutions throughout
Australia.

Scope of practice means the professional role and services that an individual health
practitioner is educated and competent to perform.

A supervising pharmacist, for the purpose of these guidelines, is a pharmacist holding

general registration who is responsible for the direct and personal supervision of a
dispensary assistant or dispensary technician in their allocated tasks in this role.

References

Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

Pharmacy Board of Australia Code of conduct for pharmacists

Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines on compounding of medicines

Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines on dose administration aids and staged supply of
dispensed medicines

Pharmacy Council of New Zealand Workplace Pressures in Pharmacy: Practical advice for
New Zealand pharmacists, pharmacy staff and employers

Review

Date of issue: 2 September 2015

In effect from: 7 December 2015

Date of review: September 2020

These guidelines will be reviewed at least every five years.

From 7 December 2015, these guidelines replace the Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines
for dispensing of medicines published 12 August 2010.

Guidelines for dispensing of medicines/September 2015

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Appendix A

Guideline 12.1 in these guidelines outlines certificate qualifications and competencies that
can be used to ensure individuals are suitably prepared for their role as dispensary
assistants/technicians.

From time to time, qualification titles and codes as well as units of competency from training
packages are updated. The current release of the SIR Retail Services Training Package
(V7.0) was released on 10 November 2021. The current release of the HLT Health Training
Package (V9.1) was released on 1 March 2023.

The tables below reflect these updated qualification and competency titles and codes and
should be reviewed in conjunction with the following subsections of Guideline 12.1:

A. Certificate qualifications

Table 1: Updated qualifications

Superseded qualification title and code New qualification title and code

Certificates III and IV in Community Pharmacy Certificates III and IV in Community

from SIR07 the Retail Services Training Pharmacy from SIR the Retail Services
Package Training Package
(http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SIR07) (http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SIR)

Certificates III and IV in Hospital/Health Certificates III and IV in Hospital or Health

Services Pharmacy Support from HLT07 the Services Pharmacy Support from HLT the
Health Training Package Health Training Package
(http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/HLT07) (http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/HLT)

Certificate IV in Community Pharmacy

Dispensary from SIR the Retail Services
Training Package
(http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SIR)

B. Competencies

Table 2: Updated competencies from the SIR Retail Services Training Package

Superseded title and code New title and code

Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines Support the supply of Pharmacy Medicines
and Pharmacist Only Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines
(SIRCHCS201) (SIRCIND002)

Accept prescriptions and return dispensed Assist customers with prescriptions

medicines to customers (SIRCDIS301) (SIRCDIS001)

Assist in dispensing prescriptions Assist in dispensing prescriptions

(SIRCDIS303) (SIRCDIS003)

Assist in dispensary stock control Maintain dispensary stock (SIRCDIS006)

(SIRCDIS404)

Assist in dispensary administration Administer dispensary computer systems

(SIRCDIS405) and claims (SIRCDIS007)

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Superseded title and code New title and code

Deliver medicines to customers outside the Deliver medicines to customers outside the
pharmacy (SIRCDIS302) pharmacy (SIRCDIS002)

Assist in preparing dose administration aids Assist in preparing dose administration aids
(SIRCDIS406) (SIRCDIS004)

Assist in preparing extemporaneous Assist in preparing extemporaneous

prescriptions (SIRCDIS407) prescriptions (SIRCDIS005)

Coordinate service to patients in residential Coordinate service to residential care

care settings (SIRCDIS408) facilities (SIRCDIS008)

Table 3: Updated competencies from the HLT Health Training Package

Superseded title and code New title and code

Maintain pharmaceutical imprest stock Maintain pharmaceutical imprest stock

(HLTPHA001) (HLTPHA010)

Pack pharmaceutical products Pack pharmaceutical products

(HLTPHA002) (HLTPHA011)

Assist with dispensing of prescriptions and Dispense prescriptions and medication

medication orders (HLTPHA003) orders (HLTPHA012)

Order, maintain and distribute Order, maintain and distribute

pharmaceutical stock (HLTPHA004) pharmaceutical stock (HLTPHA013)

Conduct small-scale compounding and Conduct small-scale compounding and

labelling of pharmaceutical products labelling of pharmaceutical products
(HLTPHA005) (HLTPHA014)

Provide assistance in dispensary Provide assistance in dispensary

administration (HLTPHA006) administration (HLTPHA015)

Conduct small-scale compounding and Conduct small-scale compounding and

labelling of aseptic pharmaceutical products labelling of aseptic pharmaceutical products
(HLTPHA007) (HLTPHA016)

Support pharmacist communication with Support pharmacist’s communication with

clients and other health professionals patients and other health professionals
(HLTPHA008) (HLTPHA017)

Support pharmacists in the collection and Support pharmacists in the collection and
presentation of workplace data and presentation of workplace data and
information (HLTPHA009) information (HLTPHA018)

Apply knowledge of medications used to

assist patients in using medications
effectively (HLTPHA021)

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