NZ Pharmacy Intern OSCE flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

What is the ITP?

The intern training programme delivered by the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand under a service agreement with the Pharmacy Council, providing structured training and assessment for interns working toward full registration.

Who sets competence standards?

The Pharmacy Council sets the competence standards that the ITP is designed to meet; the Society delivers training and assessment against those Council-defined standards.

Intern registration requirement

To practise as an intern, a person must hold registration as an intern with the Pharmacy Council and a current annual practising certificate with intern scope.

Definition of supervised practice

Practice under the oversight of a registered pharmacist preceptor who is accountable for the quality of care, with direct supervision reducing as the intern demonstrates competence against the Council's standards.

Preceptor eligibility criteria

A preceptor must hold a current APC, have the post-registration experience specified by the Council, and complete preceptor training before supervising an intern.

Preceptor accountability

The preceptor is accountable for the quality of care delivered by the intern, signs off competence evidence, and attests to the intern's fitness to practise at the end of the programme.

Portfolio of evidence

A structured record of case reflections, CPD entries, workplace assessments, and direct observations that the intern maintains and the preceptor reviews at defined intervals.

ITP assessment components

The ITP includes a written examination, a portfolio review, and a practical OSCE-style assessment; each must be passed before the intern can apply for full registration.

Changing practice site

If an intern changes practice site or preceptor, they must notify the Council, confirm the new setting is approved, and document supervision arrangements to avoid gaps.

Council competence areas

The Council's competence framework covers professional and ethical practice, communication, safe and effective practice, medicines management, and organisational and management skills.

ITP as entry to recertification

The ITP is the entry point into the Council's lifelong recertification and competence-assurance cycle, which continues from the point of full registration onward.

Approved supervised practice setting

A practice environment approved by the Council as suitable for intern training, with appropriate preceptor oversight and the range of experience needed to meet the competence standards.

HPCA Act purpose

The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 provides for the regulation of health practitioners to protect the public by ensuring practitioners are competent and fit to practise.

Three limbs of fitness

Fitness to practise under the HPCA Act has three limbs: health, conduct, and competence; the Council may assess any limb independently or in combination.

Triggers for assessment

A fitness-to-practise process may be triggered by a notification, a complaint, a self-declaration, a competence concern, or information from an employer or another regulator.

Health assessment pathway

Where the Council believes a practitioner's health may affect safe practice, it may refer them to an independent health assessor appointed under the HPCA Act for a report.

Conduct assessment pathway

A conduct assessment examines whether the practitioner has breached the Code of Ethics or professional standards, with outcomes ranging from no further action to conditions, suspension, or cancellation.

Competence assessment pathway

A competence assessment may include a written examination, peer review, clinical skills assessment, or OSCE-style practical assessment, conducted by assessors appointed by the Council.

Interim conditions or suspension

The Council may impose interim conditions or suspend a practising certificate pending an assessment outcome where there is a risk to public safety, after giving the practitioner a chance to be heard.

Practitioner rights in assessment

The practitioner has 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.

Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal

The HPDT hears serious conduct matters referred by the Council and can impose penalties including cancellation of registration, suspension, fines, and costs.

Annual fitness declaration

Practitioners must make an annual declaration of fitness to practise, disclosing any health condition, conviction, or matter that may affect their ability to practise safely.

Failure to declare

Failing to disclose a matter required in the annual fitness declaration can itself be treated as a conduct matter by the Council.

Code of Ethics role

The Pharmacy Council's Code of Ethics sets the professional standards against which conduct is assessed, and breaches may trigger a conduct assessment.

No further action outcome

After considering a concern, the Council may decide to take no further action where the matter does not raise a fitness-to-practise issue or has been satisfactorily resolved.

Conditions on practice

The Council may impose conditions on a practitioner's scope of practice, supervision, or practising certificate to manage risk while allowing continued practice.

Self-declaration trigger

A practitioner's own declaration of a health, conduct, or competence issue can trigger a fitness-to-practise process, reflecting the duty of honesty to the Council.

Independent health assessor

A health assessor appointed under the HPCA Act to provide an independent report to the Council on whether a practitioner's health affects their ability to practise safely.

Referral to HPDT

Serious conduct matters may be referred by the Council to the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, which has power to cancel registration, suspend, fine, and award costs.

Right to be heard

Before a final fitness-to-practise decision, the practitioner has a right to be heard, which includes responding to the concern and being represented.

Competence concern referral

A competence concern, whether raised by an employer, a colleague, or the practitioner, can lead the Council to order a competence assessment against the standards.

Appeal rights

Certain Council decisions on fitness to practise can be appealed to the District Court, while disciplinary decisions of the HPDT carry their own appeal pathway.