( 23/12/08)

REGISTRATION EXAMINATIONCANDIDATE GUIDE

2009The Pharmacy Board of Victoria is responsible for administering the Health ProfessionsRegistration (HPR) Act 2005. To qualify for initial registration, in accordance with section 5 ofthe Act, intern pharmacists (pre-registrants) must have successfully completed an approvedcourse of study in pharmacy practice, satisfactorily completed an approved period ofsupervised practice and passed a Registration Examination.

The Registration Examination conducted by the Board is the final assessment of an intern’scompetence to practise as a pharmacist in Victoria where candidates are required todemonstrate that they can competently apply their knowledge and skills to situations whichmay be encountered in practice.

This candidate guide has been prepared to inform candidates on the content and conduct ofthe Board’s Registration Examination and to assist candidates in their preparation for theexamination. Candidates are also required to access further information regardingexamination eligibility criteria published under ‘internship requirements’ on the Board website(www.pharmacybd.vic.gov.au).

Contents

The philosophy of the registration examination p.2

Competency standards for pharmacy practice p.3

Description of the examinations p.4

1 National Forensic, Ethics and Calculations Examination (NFECE) p.4

2 Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination p.5

3 Australian Pharmacy Competency Assessment Tool (APCAT) p.6

4 Oral Examination p.7

Eligibility to undertake components of the Registration Examination p.8

Enrolment p.9

Results p.10

Conclusion p.10

Examination dates 2009 p.11

Annexes:

A Examination Rules p.12

B Examination appeals procedure p.14

C Sample Questions p.16

D Competency Standards for Pharmacists in Australia p.20

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The Philosophy of the Registration Examination

The Registration Examination is designed to assess the extent of the candidate's knowledgeand his or her ability to use that knowledge by making sound judgments in practice situations.The candidate must be able to consistently demonstrate a clear ability to integrate all of theinformation about practice situations with skill and appropriate regard for the safety and wellbeing of the patient.

Each practical situation presented to the candidate is therefore assessed according to thefollowing criteria:

Has the patient been caused any harm by an action or decision of the candidate?

Has the patient been dealt with in a way that will minimise any potential risk to which heor she may be exposed?

Has the patient's therapy been optimised? (e.g. has the patient been supplied withsufficient advice and information to ensure that he or she knows how to take or use themedication effectively?)

The Board will therefore consider the candidate's attempt at the examination as a whole , andwill record a failure if:

Any individual patient would have been caused serious harm or injury;

Patients would not have had the potential risk involved with their treatment reasonablyminimised, and/or their therapy optimised.

Candidates in the Registration Examination are therefore expected to:

Respond appropriately and safely, using sound judgment when presented with a varietyof practical situations. These situations may include -

considering prescriptions presented, with an opportunity to review the patient'smedication history, and seek further information from the prescriber or patient (toinclude both community practice and hospital-based situations);

responding to drug-information queries;

responding to over-the-counter requests for advice, perhaps associated withconcurrent prescription therapy.

Demonstrate knowledge of the law that affects pharmacy practice and apply itappropriately to practical situations.

Demonstrate a sound knowledge of professional ethics and responsibility, and be able touse professional discretion appropriately.

Demonstrate an ability to accurately solve pharmaceutical calculations that may beencountered in practice.

Respond correctly and promptly to situations using appropriate language.

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Competency Standards for Pharmacy Practice

In order to assess competence to practise, the Pharmacy Board of Victoria has adoptedcompetency based standards for use at registration examinations. These standards are setout in the document ‘Competency Standards for Pharmacists in Australia’, October 2003.

Definitions

Competence - possessing the attributes enabling performance of a range of professionaltasks to the appropriate standards.

Standards - levels of achievement required for performance to be judged competent.

Competency Based Standards - levels of achievement required for competence in keyareas of professional practice.

These standards are developed into questions and scenarios so that the examiner mayassess a candidate’s competence. A scenario could include the following:

(i) The candidate is provided with a detailed patient medication history and is asked tocomment on

concurrent therapy which would need review / monitoring if one drug is withdrawn

possible over or under use

possible misuse or abuse

several prescribers

possible high dosage

duplicate prescribing

inappropriate prescribing for apparent diagnosis.

(ii) The candidate is provided with a prescription for the above patient calling foradditional treatment to the above history

prescription to be deficient in some legal requirement

prescription to call for an unusually high dose or be a possible interaction /contraindication

(iii) The candidate is to discuss with examiners, in the roles of pharmacist and prescriber,a suitable resolution of these problems.

(iv) The candidate is to discuss with an examiner, in the role of patient, why contact withthe prescriber has been required and to counsel on the use of the medicineseventually supplied.

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Description of the Examinations

The Registration Examination consists of two prescribed subjects:

(i) Pharmacy Practice

(ii) Forensic Pharmacy (Pharmacy Law)

To pass the Registration Examination, candidates must pass both subjects, which areexamined in the following assessment tools:

1. the National Forensic, Ethics and Calculations Examination (NFECE)2. the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination;3. the Australian Pharmacy Competency Assessment Tool (APCAT); and4. an oral (viva voce) examination.

A pass in NFECE, the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCAT is required foradmission to the oral component of the Registration Examination.

(Note: Candidates undertaking the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) Stage 2 Examinationshould refer to the oral examination information outlined in this guide and should seekdetails regarding other components of the APC Stage 2 Examination from theAustralian Pharmacy Council (www.pharmacycouncil.org.au)).

1 National Forensic, Ethics and Calculations Examination (NFECE)

ContentThis examination is comprised of two parts: Part A – Pharmacy Law and Ethics (30 minutes) Part B - Pharmaceutical Calculations (30 minutes)

Part A is in the multiple choice questions (MCQ) format and Part B requirescandidates to provide written solutions to pharmaceutical calculation questions.

Candidates may bring only the following reference books to the examination roomand refer to them while the examination is in progress:o the Health Professions Registration Act 2005o the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981o the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006o the Guide to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006

(http://www.health.vic.gov.au/dpu/reqhealth)o the list “Approved by the Secretary” published by the Department of Human

Services (http://www.health.vic.gov.au/dpu/approve)o the 6 page article 'Supplying Medicines - What Pharmacists Need to Know'

(http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/healthpro/info/supplying)o the Pharmacy Board of Victoria Guidelines 2004 incorporating 2005

amendments; ando the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP).

No lecture notes or other material will be permitted. Candidates should bring currenteditions of these reference books to the examination to ensure they have up-to-dateinformation. Candidates may also bring a non-programmable calculator to theexamination (required for Part B of NFECE).

Pass markCandidates are required to achieve a pass mark of 70% in each of parts A and B ofNFECE. Candidates who do not achieve the pass mark in both parts of theexamination will be required to re-sit the entire examination. The Board reserves theright not to pass a candidate whose performance in any question might result in harmto the patient.

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Validity period for resultsA pass in NFECE has a validity period of approximately 12 months. Successfulcandidates will be advised of the applicable validity period when advised of theirresults.

Examination techniqueThe Board believes there is ample time to complete all questions and expects allquestions to be attempted. The Board regards the examination to be a simulation ofpractice, and all scenarios presented should be dealt with in an accurate and efficientmanner. Candidates are advised to plan their time in answering the examinationquestions. The MCQ part of the examination is not designed to require candidates toresearch all answers in reference books. Candidates should have sufficientknowledge and practice experience to answer all questions and should only refer toreferences for clarification or interpretation if necessary.

Examination Answer SheetsMCQ answer sheets will be provided for answers in Part A of NFECE and answers tocalculations questions in Part B must be answered in the spaces on the examinationpaper. Directions should be followed carefully by candidates, ensuring that theirexamination candidate details are included on their answer sheets and papers. Atthe conclusion of the examination, candidates must immediately cease writing, closetheir examination paper and await collection of their examination paper and answersheet. A supervisor will advise when candidates are permitted to leave theexamination room. If examination papers and answer sheets are taken from theexamination room, these will not be marked.

Refer to Annex C for details on how to access sample questions for NFECE.

2 Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination

ContentThis examination is 30 minutes in duration and consists of short answer questions.Questions based on current practice competencies and issues may be asked in orderto test the candidate’s ability to apply knowledge and information to the practiceenvironment.

Candidates may bring only the following reference books to the examination roomand refer to them while the examination is in progress:o the Health Professions Registration Act 2005o the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981o the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006o the Guide to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006

(http://www.health.vic.gov.au/dpu/reqhealth)o the list “Approved by the Secretary” published by the Department of Human

Services (http://www.health.vic.gov.au/dpu/approve)o the 6 page article 'Supplying Medicines - What Pharmacists Need to Know'

(http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/healthpro/info/supplying)o the Pharmacy Board of Victoria Guidelines 2004 incorporating 2005

amendments;o Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP); ando the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (APF).

No lecture notes or other material will be permitted. Candidates should bring currenteditions of these reference books to the examination to ensure they have up-to-dateinformation.

Pass markCandidates are required to achieve a pass mark of 70% in the Pharmacy Law(Victoria) Examination. Candidates who do not achieve the pass mark will be

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required to re-sit the examination. The Board reserves the right not to pass acandidate whose performance in any question might result in harm to the patient.

Validity period for resultsA pass in the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination has a validity period ofapproximately 12 months. Successful candidates will be advised of the applicablevalidity period when advised of their results.

Examination techniqueThe Board believes there is ample time to complete all questions and expects allquestions to be attempted. The Board regards the examination to be a simulation ofpractice, and all scenarios presented should be dealt with in an accurate and efficientmanner. Candidates are advised to plan their time in answering the examinationquestions.

Candidates are required to write clear answers to all short answer questions. Eachanswer should clearly indicate there has been a full appreciation of any problem(s)identified, any assumptions made and indicate the practical solution that would beemployed by the candidate.

The candidate may need to retrieve information from the reference sources specifiedabove or provide answers based on their knowledge. Candidates are not required toreference written answers and must not answer questions by transcribing legislationor by simply making reference to a section / regulation / guideline number.Candidates must demonstrate in their written answers that they have interpretedinformation and competently applied it to the situation presented.

The examination is not designed to require candidates to research all answers inreference books. Candidates should have sufficient knowledge and practiceexperience to answer all questions and should only refer to references for clarificationor interpretation if necessary.

If a question in the examination calls for information that would be conveyed directlyto a patient, the candidate’s answer should be a written account of theircommunication with the patient.

Examination Answer BooksExamination books will be provided for written answers. Directions should befollowed carefully by candidates, ensuring that their examination candidate number isincluded on their answer books. (Note: examination candidate numbers are allocatedby the Board and may change for different examinations). At the conclusion of theexamination, candidates must immediately cease writing, close their examinationanswer book and await collection of their examination paper and answer book. Asupervisor will advise when candidates are permitted to leave the examination room.Examination books must not be taken from the examination room, as these will notbe marked.

Refer to Annex C for sample questions.

3 Australian Pharmacy Competency Assessment Tool (APCAT)

ContentAPCAT is used as an assessment of the ability of a candidate to apply to practicesituations, knowledge gained in the undergraduate course and during supervisedpractice. APCAT covers three functional areas in the document titled ‘CompetencyStandards for Pharmacists in Australia 2003’ which the Board also utilises in thedevelopment of other components of the registration examination. These functionalareas are:

Area Three – Promote and contribute to optimal use of medicines

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Area Four – Dispense medicines Area Six – Provide primary health care

APCAT comprises 120 multiple choice questions (MCQs). The paper is of two and ahalf hours duration. The examination is a restricted open book examination; the onlyallowable texts are:

the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH); and the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (APF).

Candidates should bring current editions of these reference books to the examinationto ensure they have up-to-date information Candidates may also bring a non-programmable calculator to the examination.

Pass markThe pass mark for APCAT is 65% and candidates must also achieve a minimum of50% in each functional area. If a candidate fails to achieve the pass mark, he/shemay take APCAT at one of the subsequent scheduled sessions, the dates of whichare published in this guide.

Validity period for resultsA pass in APCAT has a validity period of approximately 12 months. Successfulcandidates will be advised of the applicable validity period when advised of theirresults.

Examination techniqueThe Board believes there is ample time to complete all questions and expects allquestions to be attempted. The Board regards the examination to be a simulation ofpractice, and all scenarios presented should be dealt with in an accurate and efficientmanner. Candidates are advised to plan their time in answering the examinationquestions. The examination is not designed to require candidates to research allanswers in reference books. Candidates should have sufficient knowledge andpractice experience to answer questions and should only refer to references forclarification or interpretation if necessary.

Examination Answer Books / SheetsExamination MCQ answer sheets will be provided for answers. Directions on theanswer sheet should be followed carefully. At the conclusion of the examination,candidates must immediately cease writing, and await collection of their examinationpaper and answer sheet. A supervisor will advise when candidates are permitted toleave the examination room. Examination answer sheets must not be taken from theexamination room, as these will not be marked.

Refer to Annex C for details on how to access sample questions for APCAT.

4 Oral Examination

Conduct

The Oral Examinations may be conducted over several days and candidates areadvised of the day and time that they should attend. To ensure equity for allcandidates, the alphabetical list of candidates is placed into a random order forattendance. Candidates will be asked to wait at a designated point until called by anexaminer. Candidates will be invited to accompany an examiner to an examinationroom. Each candidate will be assessed by two examiners. The Board may alsoappoint an observer to be present for the duration of the oral examination. Aftercompleting the examination, each candidate is required to report to a post-examination waiting area and may not discuss their experiences with anothercandidate who has not yet taken the examination. A breach of this examinationrule places both candidates at risk of disqualification.

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Candidates may bring their own notes and reference books to use in Part 4 ofthis examination.

ContentThe examination consists of a range of standardised questions and practice-basedscenarios, which are designed to test a range of competencies. As registration inVictoria does not limit where a pharmacist may practice, candidates must be familiarwith the competencies required to practise in both community and hospital contextsirrespective of where they have completed their practical training.

In this examination, candidates are required to demonstrate competence through asound knowledge base, the ability to relate their knowledge to the practice situation,the ability to solve practice-based problems, and the ability to effectivelycommunicate in fluent English in a way that both professional colleagues and laypersons can understand.

The oral examination consists of the following four parts: Part 1 Drug Knowledge (15 minutes) Part 2 Primary Healthcare, Communication & Product Knowledge (10 minutes) Part 3 Pharmacy Law (5 minutes) Part 4 Communication & Problem Solving (20 minute time limit & open book)

In the situations presented, consideration such as dose, interactions, indications, sideeffects, legal aspects, counselling points etc are expected to be known. To pass acandidate, examiners must be satisfied that the candidate has a good grasp ofpractical and legal matters, that he/she can demonstrate sound professionaljudgment in dealing with common practical situations and that he/she would be ableto practise with care and prudence.

The average period taken to complete the assessment is 50 minutes, although thismay vary. Examiners realise that candidates may be nervous, and will attempt to putcandidates at their ease. As much as possible, candidates are advised to be relaxedand demonstrate their competence in a calm and confident manner.

Candidates should expect examiners to remain neutral regarding the quality ofcandidates’ answers. Candidates are advised that examiners will not indicatewhether the question or situation has been competently dealt with.

Candidates are advised to read widely in preparation for the examination, includingprofessional journals, bulletins and other source material of topical importance. Theyare required to participate fully in a Board approved pharmacy pre-registrationtraining program and should attend as many continuing education activities aspossible.

Eligibility to undertake components of the Registration Examination

Interns seeking to apply to undertake the Board’s Registration Examination are required tomeet the eligibility criteria for entry to the examination, as published under ‘internshiprequirements’ on the Board’s website. This includes completing sufficient approvedsupervised practice hours prior to each examination component.

To be eligible to undertake the NFECE, Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCATcomponents of the Registration Examination, candidates must have completed 30% of the1824 approved supervised practice hours required for general registration.

To be eligible to undertake the oral component of the Registration Examination, candidatesmust have completed 85% of the 1824 approved supervised practice hours required forgeneral registration by the date of the oral examination. Candidates must also hold a currentpass in the NFECE, Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCAT to be eligible toundertake the oral component of the Registration Examination.

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Interns are advised to give careful consideration to their ability to accumulate supervisedpractice hours to meet the eligibility criteria prior to the scheduled examinations. Failure toaccumulate sufficient supervised practice hours for reasons such as delaying commencementof supervised practice or taking annual or study leave may prevent a candidate from meetingthe eligibility criteria for entry to a scheduled examination. Ineligible candidates will berequired to undertake subsequent examinations.

Unsuccessful candidates seeking to undertake a subsequent oral examination conducted bythe Board should note that the Board expects such candidates to seek further supervisedpractice experience to remedy any deficiencies noted in their previous examination attempt.The Board mutually recognises the outcomes of registration examinations conducted by otherexamining bodies where the candidate has been unsuccessful in those examinations. In thecase of interns who were unsuccessful in registration examinations conducted by otherexamining bodies, the Board will not admit an intern into the oral component of its registrationexamination –

within the three month period between an unsuccessful examination attempt and thedate of commencement of the Board’s oral examination, and

if the intern, at the time of the Board’s oral examination, does not hold a current passin NFECE, the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCAT or met any othereligibility criteria for entry into the oral examination.

(Note: Interns seeking initial general registration in Victoria are reminded that in addition topassing the registration examination, they must meet all of the requirements for initialregistration as outlined under ‘internship requirements’ on the Board’s website).

The Board also expects interns to perform satisfactorily in all aspects of the pre-registrationyear before admitting them to the Registration Examination. The performance of all internswill be monitored by the Board in a number of ways during their training year, including: periodic preceptor evaluations submitted to the Board further reports from preceptors an education visit conducted by a Board Education Pharmacist further monitoring of progress by a Board Education Pharmacist progress reports from the approved internship training program provider.

Enrolment

The Board conducts the Registration Examinations on three occasions each year (refer to theexamination schedule published in this guide). The NFECE, Pharmacy Law (Victoria)Examination and APCAT in 2009 will be conducted in April, August and December. The OralExaminations in 2009 will be conducted in February, June and October/November. TheBoard’s office notifies candidates of the date of examinations by letter 4 - 6 weeks prior to theexaminations.

Overseas pharmacists undertaking the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) Stage 2Examination held in conjunction with the Board's Registration Examination should applydirectly to the APC for entry to the Stage 2 Examination. Information on applicationprocedures is available on the APC website (www.pharmacycouncil.org.au).

Candidates should ensure that the Board has their current mailing address to ensurethey receive all Board correspondence.

Enrolment forms for the examinations, accompanied by the prescribed fee, must be receivedat the Board's office by the closing date specified on the form. Candidates are responsible forensuring that their enrolments are received by the due date. Late enrolments are notaccepted. Failure by the candidate to receive any notice of the examination (e.g. applicationform or timetable) cannot be accepted as a reason for special consideration. Candidates arereminded that the Board must have correct details of their postal address and other contactdetails at all times.

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Following acceptance of the candidate's enrolment, the candidate's number and a timetabledetailing the examinations will be forwarded to the address provided by the candidate on theenrolment form.

Results

The examiners meet to consider the results of the examination after all examinations haveconcluded. The examiners' reports are subsequently reviewed by the Board's ExaminationsReview and Appeals Panel and ratified at a later meeting of the full Board, which may bescheduled some days after the examinations. No results can be released until the resultshave been considered by the Board.

All candidates are advised of their results by mail or through the login section of the Board’swebsite, and candidates will be advised of the date that results will be posted, with theexception of APC Stage 2 Examination results which are notified to candidates by the APC.Results will not be given by telephone. The Board office is not to be contacted with queriesregarding the early posting of results.

Applications for special consideration must be provided to the Registrar prior to theexamination (Refer to Annex A of the Examination Rules). Only in exceptional circumstanceswill late applications be considered.

Unsuccessful candidates will be invited to attend an Examination Review Meeting at the officeof the Board to review their performance at a time determined by the Board.

Conclusion

With reasonable preparation and accumulation of experience of practical situations duringsupervised practice, most candidates in the past have demonstrated the required level ofcompetence at their first attempt at each of the Board’s registration examination components.The registration examination is the final hurdle before being eligible to register, after whichnew registrants may commence to practise in their own right.

The examination is therefore different to an academic examination at which a pass is possibleby achieving only the base pass mark. The Registration Examination is a professionalexamination to determine that a candidate is competent to practise as a pharmacist andtherefore the Board expects this competence to be clearly demonstrated in all components ofthe registration examination, in order that the public of Victoria may be assured of thesatisfactory performance of all new registrants.

Candidates are therefore advised to have the widest possible practical experience by seekingexperience in areas other than their regular practical training area if at all possible. Thisadvice particularly applies to interns undertaking a significant proportion of their practicaltraining at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit, or in a teaching or research institution.

The Board looks forward to the time when you will become registered as a pharmacist andwishes you every success with your examination.

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Examination Dates 2009

The three components of the Board’s Registration Examination have been scheduled in 2009on the following dates:

23 – 24 * February 2009 o Oral Examination (Open Book)

20 April 2009 o APCAT (Specified Open Book)o NFECE (Specified Open Book)o Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination

(Specified Open Book)

29 – 30 * June 2009 o Oral Examination (Open Book)

17 August 2009 o APCAT (Specified Open Book)o NFECE (Specified Open Book)o Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination

(Specified Open Book)

19 October – 6* November 2009 o Oral Examination (Open Book)

30 November 2009 o APCAT (Specified Open Book)o NFECE (Specified Open Book)o Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination

(Specified Open Book)

(* Date of conclusion of the oral examinations to be confirmed).

APC Stage 2 Candidates are advised to contact the Australian Pharmacy Council officeregarding the schedule of APC Stage 2 examination components during 2009. Whilst entryinto the oral exams detailed above may be granted, dates of the NFECE, APCAT andpractical components of the APC Stage 2 examination will differ to the above schedule.

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ANNEX A

Examination Rules - Registration Examination

The following examination rules are issued by the Pharmacy Board of Victoria. These rulesshould be read in conjunction with the provisions of the Health Professions RegistrationAct 2005.

The rules for the examination are as follows:a candidates are required to pay the prescribed fee for the Registration Examination

subjects before sitting the examination;

b the subjects are examined at the National Forensic, Ethics and CalculationsExamination (NFECE), the Pharmacy Law of (Victoria) Examination, the AustralianPharmacy Competency Assessment Tool (APCAT) and an oral examination;

c to pass the Registration Examination, candidates must pass all four examinationcomponents;(Note: A pass in NFECE, the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCAT will be

current until a date specified by the Board (at least 12 months). A pass in NFECE is awarded if the candidate passes both parts of that

examination at the one sitting. A candidate must achieve at least 70% in each of the two parts of NFECE to be

awarded a pass in this examination. A candidate must achieve at least 70% in the Pharmacy Law (Victoria)

Examination in order to be awarded a pass in this examination. To pass APCAT, a candidate must achieve at least 65% and at least 50% in each

functional area of the examination).

d in the case of NFECE, the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination and APCAT:

(1) candidates will be permitted to enter the examination room 15 minutes beforethe commencement of the examination;

(2) candidates may bring into the examination room,

A for use during NFECE and the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination,only copies of: the Health Professions Registration Act 2005; the Drugs, Poisons, and Controlled Substances Act 1981; Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006, the Guide to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances

Regulations 2006 (printed copy or copy downloaded from website) the list “Approved by the Secretary” published by the Department of

Human Services (copy downloaded from website) the 6 page article 'Supplying Medicines - What Pharmacists Need to

Know' (copy downloaded from website) the Pharmacy Board of Victoria Guidelines for Good Pharmaceutical

Practice 2004 and 2005 Addendum; and the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons

(SUSDP)

to refer to during the course of the examination.

(Note: A copy of the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary andHandbook (APF) may be used during the Pharmacy Law(Victoria) Examination only).

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B for use during APCAT, only copies of: the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (APF); the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH).

to refer to during the course of the examination.

Lecture notes, personal summaries, sample questions and answers, insertsand any other similar material in any language will not be permitted. The Boardwill not provide references for the candidate’s use.

(3) non-programmable calculators will be required for calculations in NFECE. TheBoard will not provide calculators for the candidate’s use;

(4) in the case of the Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination, candidates areallocated 10 minutes to read the written examination paper beforecommencement of the examination when given permission to do so by thesupervisor but may not begin the examination until advised to do so by thesupervisor. No reading time is provided for NFECE or APCAT;

(5) candidates may not leave the examination room until the examination has beenin progress for half an hour and may not leave the examination during the last10 minutes;

(6) candidates arriving more than half an hour after the examination hascommenced will not be admitted;

(7) candidates must not communicate with one another in the examination room;(8) candidates must cease writing when instructed to do so by the supervisor at

the end of the examination period;(9) examination answer booklets / answer sheets must not be taken from the

examination room;(10) examination answer booklets / answer sheets taken from the examination room

will not be marked;(11) at the completion of the examination candidates must not leave their position in

the examination room until the approval of the supervisor is obtained.

e in the case of the oral examination:

(1) candidates presenting to the examination who are waiting to be examined andcandidates who have completed the examination must not communicate withone another on the day of the examination; and

(2) candidates may bring into the examination room, reference books (electronic orhard copy) of their choice which may be referred to when directed by anexaminer, however, no extra examination time will be awarded to candidatesfor this purpose. The Board will not provide references for the candidate’s use.The Board recommends that candidates bring their choice of reference bookslisted in G 493 of the Pharmacy Board of Victoria Guidelines for GoodPharmaceutical Practice but other references of the candidate’s choice mayalso be brought. Candidates should note that assistance in the transportationof their chosen reference material to examination stations will not be providedby examiners.

f any communication regarding examinations must be addressed to the Registrar.Candidates must not communicate with examiners or members of the Boardconcerning the examination;

g where sickness or other circumstances warranting compassion or specialconsideration arise, candidates must furnish written information to the Registrarimmediately. In the case of acute sickness, a medical certificate is required and mustbe forwarded to the Registrar within 48 hours of the time of the medical consultationand as soon as reasonably possible after the examination. Applications for specialconsideration will not be received after the mailing of examination results; and

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h failure to comply with any rule or instruction by an examiner or supervisor will beregarded as a breach of discipline and may lead to exclusion from the examinationand the candidate deemed to have failed. The candidate’s eligibility to undertakefuture examinations will be determined by the Board on a case by case basis.

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ANNEX BExamination Appeals Procedure

A candidate who believes they have cause to appeal in relation to the conduct or outcome ofan examination conducted by the Pharmacy Board of Victoria (the Board) must lodge anappeal in writing addressed to the Registrar within 14 days following the candidate’sExamination Review Meeting.

An appeal will only be accepted when based on the following grounds:

(i) that the candidate’s performance was impaired as a result of a deficiency or errorin the examination process; or

(ii) evidence of unfairness in the conduct of the examination.

The appeals procedure is not a means of circumventing the Board’s usual examinationprocess. Except in limited circumstances (such as an error in the summation of marks in awritten examination) a successful appeal will not lead to an examination result being altered.Where an appeal is upheld, the usual outcome would be to allow the candidate to re-sit thepart of the examination that was in dispute.

The appeals procedure is in 3 stages:

1. Internal Review

Following lodgment of an appeal, the candidate is asked to sign a documentconfirming the candidate's consent to relevant documentation being released to theBoard's Registration and Education Committee (REC) and if necessary, to themembers of an external review panel.

The internal review is carried out by the REC, the purpose of which is to identifywhether any administrative or procedural error occurred.

If an error is identified, attempts should be made within the limits of the Board’sestablished examination process to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of thecandidate.

2. Advice to the Candidate

In the event that an error in the examination process is identified by the internalreview, the Registrar or his delegate will explain to the candidate the basis of theREC’s finding. The intention is to assist the candidate to understand the examinationprocess and what transpired at the internal review so that an informed decision canbe made about proceeding to the external review stage.

3. External Review

An external review panel appointed by the Board will conduct a review of the matterand will endeavour to complete the review within 60 days.

The panel will comprise 3 persons, none of whom were previously involved inexamining the candidate, the examination review meeting or the internal reviewinstigated by the appeal.

The panel may conduct the review in a manner it considers appropriate and may callfor further material from the candidate, the REC or the examiners.

If the external review finds in favour of the candidate, it may recommend to the Boardthat:

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the result of the examination or any of its components be set aside and ordera new examination to replace the component(s) in dispute,

the Board make any other decision appropriate within the limits of theestablished procedures for the examination process.

Matters before the external review panel will be by majority vote.

The decision of the external review panel is final and the candidate will be notified inwriting of the decision and the reasons for that decision.

The Board recognises the right of candidates to have their personal information protected andmade accessible to them. The Board's Privacy Policy Statement, available atwww.pharmacybd.vic.gov.au, will be complied with.

Candidates can be assured that, unless authorised by law, personal information (i.e.information that directly or indirectly identifies the candidate) will not be disclosed to personsother than to members of the REC or an external review panel and will only be used for thepurposes related to the appeal.

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ANNEX C

Sample questions

Sample questions for the Oral Examination are not available.

Sample questions for APCAT are available at and the NFEC Examination are available at:

http://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/PDF/APCAT%20Guide%202008.03.27.pdf

Sample questions for NFECE are available at

http://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/PDF/NFEC%20Guide%202008.03.27.pdf

Sample Questions for Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination (short answer questionsassessing knowledge of pharmacy law issues affecting practice in Victoria) - refer to samplequestions below.

(Note: The notes supplied indicate the type of consideration examiners expected

candidates to have provided There may have been some changes to legislation and therefore the marking

guide notes below may not be up-to-date).

Sample questions for Pharmacy Law (Victoria) Examination

Sample Question One

(a) Are you allowed to dispense and/or supply medications based on telephoneprescriptions? If yes, under what circumstances may this occur?

(3 marks)

- Yes- “Despite anything in these Regulations to the contrary, a medical practitioner,

dentist or veterinary surgeon may issue oral instructions to a pharmacist to supplya S4, S8 or S9 poison if in the opinion of the medical practitioner, dentist orveterinary surgeon an emergency exists”

- “The medical practitioner, dentist or veterinary surgeon must, as soon as ispracticable, write a prescription indicating that it is in confirmation of the oralinstructions, and deliver or forward this prescription to the pharmacist”

(b) When presented with a script for a Schedule 8 drug from a medical practitioner whosehandwriting is unfamiliar, you are required to verify the prescription details with themedical practitioner. What are your options if the medical practitioner is not available?

(3 marks)

- Refuse to supply the medication- Supply a quantity sufficient for no more than 2 days treatment- If the latter option has been chosen, the pharmacist must retain the prescription

c) What are the requirements for a pharmacist to dispose of -i) Schedule 8 drugsii) Schedule 4 drugs

(5 marks)

i) Schedule 8 drugs –- must be witnessed by another pharmacist (or a medical practitioner,

dentist or veterinary surgeon)

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- must record details of the destruction including name, strength andquantity, method and place of destruction and the name of the personcarrying out the destruction and the name of the witness

- safetyii) Schedule 4 drugs –

- no records required- safety

d) Is a pharmacist able to divulge patient information to another health care practitioner?If yes, under what circumstances can this occur?

(2 marks)

- If the pharmacist considers it to be in the best interests of the patient he/she maydivulge information to other health care professionals who have care of thatpatient, or

- With the consent of the patient

e) How many days supply of medication can a pharmacist supply as an emergencysupply for a schedule 4 substance?

(1 mark)

- 3 days (or the smallest commercially available pack )

f) Can you dispense an S8 prescription written by a doctor from another Australianstate?

(1 mark)

- Only if the doctor is registered in Victoria

g) Give five examples of situations when a pharmacist (either owner or employee) isrequired to notify the Board of the details.

(5 marks)

- opening a new pharmacy- closing a pharmacy- changing the address of an existing pharmacy- change of home address- change of work address- upon appointment of PRUIC- wish to practice pharmacy outside an approved premises

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Sample Question Two

It is your first day as PRUIC at Starbright Pharmacy in Reservoir. You are the solepharmacist on duty. A patient presents you with the following handwrittenprescription explaining that he is in severe pain as a result of a traffic accident:

Explain what action you would take with reasons for your decisiothis prescription and ensuring that the patient receives appropria

Assessment GuideDPCS Regs 25 & 26 outline the style and required particulars for prescThis prescription: Is missing the prescriber’s telephone number. (It is not an offenc

fide prescription that is deficient in a minor detail, eg prescriber’s te Does not have the medication quantity and repeats in words and fig

The candidate should not dispense this prescription because it wasago. S8 prescriptions are valid for 6 months from the date they are writ

Contact could be made with the prescriber to obtain a telephone orwriting and forwarded as soon as practicable. If he agrees then supplrecord, DD record, labelling and counselling should occur as normal.

(Total

R

Presc

Pharmaceutical Benefits Entitlement Number

Medicare Number

Mr Matthew Starr3 Jones CourtReservoir

29 September 2006

[ ] PBS [ ] RPBS [ ] Brand Substituti

RxMS Contin 10mg tabs, 20,One repeatTake 1 bd prn for severe pain

John

/ /

123 000 4

2334 34567 2

Dr John Blanceservoir Clinic45 High Street

Reservoir

riber No 447234

on Not Permitted

Blanc

56 A

ns in dealing withte pain relief.

(10 marks)

riptions.

e to dispense a bonalephone number.)ures.

(2 marks)

written over 6 monthsten. (DPSC Reg 30).

(2 marks)

der to be confirmed iny including prescription

(6 marks)2 + 2 + 6 = 10 marks)

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Sample Question Three

You are relieving at a rural pharmacy and on your first day you receive requests to supply thefollowing to different consumers:

(a) 100g of copper sulfate for use in an aquarium;

(b) 20 atropine sulfate tablets 600mcg from a bottle of 100 tablets to be labelled “1 or 2tablets as directed pending full medical attention” for inclusion in a first aid kit; and

(c) 10 Ventolin inhalers to a police officer (on a written order form from the officer-in-charge of the local police station) for inclusion in capsicum spray kits.

Describe what action you would take including any recording, labelling, storage and/orprecautions for each of the above requests.

(Total 15 marks)SUSDP outlines labelling requirements

Part 2Labels and Containers

Labels2. A person must not sell or supply a poison unless it is labelled in accordance

with paragraphs 3-19 of this Standard.

For each item, candidates should state that they would supply and indicate that the followinglabelling requirements would be adhered to

(a) POISON (because Schedule 6)KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDRENCopper Sulfate 100GmStandard statements A (regarding contacting Poisons Information Centre) G3 (If swallowed, do not induce vomiting) E2 (regarding if in eyes) S1 (regarding skin or hair contact)

(5 marks)

(b) PHARMACY MEDICINE (because schedule 2)KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDRENAtropine Sulfate Tablets 600mcg 20For the treatment of organophosphate poisoning – take one or two tablets asdirected pending full medical attention.

(5 marks)

(c) Satisfy therapeutic needThe Guide to the DPCS Regs states that the requirements for the supply ofSchedule 3 items should not preclude the supply of such items in a first aidkit, workplace etc.OK to supplyCan be recorded and labelled (must have pharmacy details) (5 marks)

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ANNEX D

The Competency Standards for Pharmacists in Australia 2003

Refer to:

http://www.psa.org.au/site.php?id=643