Pharmacists responsible for the practical training of a pharmacist intern or pharmacist's assistant must comply with the necessary duties and responsibilities.
| 3.3.1 | Pharmacist interns/pre-registration experience |
| (a) | The purpose of the pharmacist internship/pre-registration experience is to enable the pharmacist intern to apply in practice his/her theoretical knowledge and also to gain practical experience. |
| (b) | The pharmacist internship/pre-registration experience extends over a period of at least twelve (12) months in accordance with the structured practical training programme of Council. |
| (c) | A Pre-Registration Evaluation, based on the competencies necessary in the practice environment, must be passed by the pharmacist intern prior to the end of the internship/pre-registration experience before registration as a pharmacist for purposes of performing community service can take place. |
| 3.3.1.1 | Objectives of the internship |
During the completion of the pharmacist internship the pharmacist intern must be exposed to the following:
| (a) | obtaining knowledge and expertise in the conducting of a patient-orientated health service; |
| (b) | developing communication with patients and other members of the health care team, in order to render a comprehensive pharmaceutical service; |
| (c) | practical application of legal and ethical aspects of professional practice; |
| (d) | obtaining knowledge with regard to the general aspects of health care, with particular emphasis on the South African situation and the role of the pharmacist in the promotion of health and prevention of illness. |
| 3.3.1.2 | Pre-requisites for training |
| (a) | The internship year is regulated by the following: |
| (i) | may only be undertaken at pharmacies which conform with the minimum requirements as determined by Council; |
| (ii) | must be conducted by tutors who have been approved by Council to act as such. Such a tutor must be a person of experience who, by virtue of such experience, is in a position to conduct the training of the pharmacist intern at the level as laid down by Council; and |
| (iii) | must be conducted in accordance with a practical programme laid down by Council. |
| (b) | Both the pharmacy and the prospective tutor must be approved for the purposes of training. |
| (c) | Progress reports must be submitted at the stipulated intervals. |
| 3.3.2 | Pharmacist's assistants |
| (a) | Pharmacist's assistants are legally allowed to perform certain functions under the supervision of pharmacists. |
| (b) | The pharmacist must supervise and monitor tasks delegated to support staff. Arrangements must ensure that an intervention by the pharmacist can be made at an appropriate level when necessary. |
| (c) | The pharmacist must ensure that all pharmacy staff have current competence for the tasks they undertake. |
| 3.3.2.1 | Pre-requisites for training |
| (a) | The tutor pharmacist must conduct the training in the in-service training component and must also, when applying to act as a tutor, give an undertaking that he/she will assume responsibility for assisting the pharmacist's assistant (learner basic) or (learner post-basic) in his/her study of the theoretical component of the programme. |
