NZ Pharmacy Intern OSCE cheat sheet

The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) delivers the intern training programme (ITP) under a service agreement with the Pharmacy Council; the Council sets the standard and the Society delivers training and assessment against it.

Eligibility to enter the ITP requires a recognised pharmacy qualification, registration as an intern with the Pharmacy Council, and an approved supervised practice setting; the intern holds an annual practising certificate with intern scope.

Supervised practice is defined by the Council's competence standards: the intern practises under the oversight of a registered pharmacist preceptor who is accountable for the quality of care delivered, with the level of direct supervision decreasing as competence is demonstrated.

The ITP is structured around the Council's five competence areas (professional and ethical practice; communication; safe and effective practice; medicines management; and organisational and management skills), and evidence must be mapped to each area.

Preceptors must hold a current APC, have at least one year of post-registration experience (or as specified by the Council), and complete preceptor training; the preceptor signs off competence evidence and attests to the intern's fitness to practise.

Interns maintain a portfolio of evidence (case reflections, CPD records, workplace assessments, and direct observations) that is reviewed at defined intervals; the Council requires a final competence assessment before the intern can apply for full registration.

The ITP includes formal assessment components such as a written examination, a portfolio review, and an OSCE-style practical assessment; each must be passed to progress to registration.

An intern who changes practice site or preceptor must notify the Council and ensure the new setting is approved and supervision arrangements meet the standard; gaps in supervision must be documented and remediated.

The Council's recertification and competence framework applies from the point of registration; interns should understand that the ITP is the entry point into a lifelong competence-assurance cycle.

Fitness to practise has three limbs under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act): health, conduct, and competence; the Council may assess any limb independently or in combination.

The Council's fitness-to-practise process is triggered by a notification, a complaint, a self-declaration, a competence concern, or information from an employer or another regulator; the Council decides whether to investigate, refer for assessment, or take no further action.

A health assessment may be ordered where the Council has reason to believe a practitioner's health affects their ability to practise safely; the practitioner is referred to an independent health assessor appointed under the HPCA Act, and the report informs the Council's decision.

A conduct assessment examines whether the practitioner has breached the Code of Ethics or professional standards; outcomes range from no further action through conditions, suspension, or cancellation of registration.

A competence assessment may include a written examination, a peer review, a clinical skills assessment, or an OSCE-style practical assessment; the Council appoints assessors and the practitioner must cooperate.

The Council may impose interim conditions or suspend a practitioner's practising certificate pending the outcome of an assessment where there is a risk to the public; the practitioner has a right to be heard before final decisions.

The practitioner has rights under the HPCA Act and the Bill of Rights Act, including the right to be informed of the concern, to respond, to be represented, and to appeal certain decisions to the District Court or the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

Serious conduct matters may be referred to the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT), which can impose penalties including cancellation of registration, suspension, fines, and costs; the Council's own processes deal with less serious matters and competence/health pathways.

Practitioners must make an annual declaration of fitness to practise, disclosing any health condition, conviction, or matter that may affect their ability to practise; failure to declare can itself be a conduct matter.