Curriculum standards

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• discuss and evaluate the risks, benefits, and rationale of treatment options, making decisions in partnership with patients and their family or carers
• write clear and legible prescriptions in plain language, and include specific indications for the anticipated duration of therapy
• demonstrate dosing and include written instructions, and ask the patient, parent, or carer to demonstrate where required
• educate patients and their carers about the intended use, expected outcomes, and potential side effects for each prescribed medication, addressing the common, rare, and serious side effects at the time of prescribing, to improve patients’ adherence to pharmacotherapy
• describe how the medication should and should not be administered, including any important relationships to food, time of day, and other medicines being taken
• educate patients and their carers on correct self-administration of medications when using specialised devices
• outline strategies to assist with children taking unpalatable medicines
• ensure patients’ and carers’ understanding by repeating back pertinent information, such as when to return for monitoring and whether therapy continues after this single prescription
• identify patients’ and carers’ concerns and expectations, and explain how medicines might affect their everyday lives

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• discuss and explain the rationale for treatment options with patients, families or carers
• explain the benefits and burdens of therapies, considering patients’ individual circumstances
• write clearly legible scripts or charts using generic names of the required medication in full, including mg / kg / dose information and all legally required information
• ensure time of medication administration is accurate for all medications, particularly for those that are time sensitive
• seek further advice from experienced clinicians or pharmacists when appropriate

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• review medicines regularly to reduce non‑adherence, and monitor treatment effectiveness, possible side effects, and drug interactions, ceasing unnecessary medicines
• use electronic prescribing tools where available, and access electronic drug references to prevent errors caused by drug interactions and poor handwriting
• encourage the use of medication aides to facilitate adherence, where applicable
• prescribe new medicines only when they have been demonstrated to be safer or more effective at improving patient-oriented outcomes than existing medicines
• participate in clinical audits to improve prescribing behaviour
• identify medication-related adverse events, and develop protocols to minimise medication-related adverse events in hospitals
• report suspected adverse events, and record them in patients’ medical records

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• check medication doses before prescribing
• check that the administration timing for prescribed medications is accurately and clearly documented
• monitor side effects of medicines prescribed
• identify medication errors and institute appropriate measures
• use manual and/or electronic prescribing systems safely
• rationalise medicines to avoid polypharmacy

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• use continuously updated software for computers and electronic prescribing programs
• ensure patients understand management plans, including adherence issues
• use appropriate guidelines and evidence-based medicine resources to maintain a working knowledge of current medicines, keeping up to date on new medicines

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• undertake continuing professional development to maintain currency with prescribing guidelines
• undertake continuing professional development to maintain up-to-date knowledge of new medications and the evidence for their use
• reflect on prescribing, and seek feedback from a supervisor

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• critically appraise research material to ensure any new medicine improves patient-centred outcomes more than older medicines, and not just more than placebo
• participate in research of new therapeutics
• obtain informed consent from participants by informing patients about their rights, the purpose of the research, the procedures to be undergone, and the potential risks and benefits of participation
• ensure that usual care is not compromised if patients decline participation in research
• ensure that any protocol for human research is approved by a human research ethics committee, in accordance with the national statement on ethical conduct in human research
• use sources of independent information about medicines that provide accurate summaries of the available evidence on new medicines

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• make therapeutic decisions according to the best evidence
• recognise where evidence is limited, compromised, or subject to bias or conflict of interest
• allow patients to make informed and voluntary decisions to participate in research

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• explore patients’ understanding of and preferences for non-pharmacological and pharmacological management
• offer patients effective choices based on their expectations of treatment, health beliefs, and cost
• interpret and explain information to patients at the appropriate level of their health literacy
• anticipate queries to help enhance the likelihood of medicines being taken as advised
• ensure appropriate information is available at all steps of the medicine management pathway
• offer approved patient information resources in languages other than English, where these are available

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• appreciate patients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, attitudes, and beliefs, and how these might influence the acceptability of pharmacological and non-pharmacological management approaches

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• provide information on medication to patients about:
  • how to take the medicine
  • potential side effects
  • what it does
  • what it is for
  • when it should be stopped
• make prescribing decisions based on good safety data when the benefits outweigh the risks involved
• demonstrate an understanding of the ethical implications of pharmaceutical industry-funded research and marketing
• prescribe according to best evidence-based practice and in partnership with patients, and without undue influence from pharmaceutical industry interactions

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• consider the efficacy of medicines in treating illnesses, including the relative merits of different non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches
• follow regulatory and legal requirements and limitations regarding prescribing
• follow organisational policies regarding pharmaceutical representative visits and drug marketing

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• use a systematic approach to selecting treatment options
• use medicines safely and effectively to get the best possible results
• choose suitable medicines only if medicines are considered necessary and will benefit patients
• prescribe medicines appropriately to patients’ clinical needs, in doses that meet their individual requirements, for a sufficient length of time, with the lowest cost to them
• evaluate new medicines in relation to their possible efficacy and safety profile for individual patients

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• recognise personal limitations, and seek help in an appropriate way when required
• consider the following factors for all medicines:
  • cost to patients, families, and the community
  • funding and regulatory considerations
  • generic versus brand medicines
  • interactions
  • precautions and contraindications
  • risk-benefit analysis

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• interact with medical, pharmacy, and nursing staff to ensure safe and effective medicine use

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• work collaboratively with pharmacists
• participate in medication safety and morbidity and mortality meetings

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• choose medicines in relation to comparative efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness against medicines already on the market
• prescribe for individual patients, considering history, current medicines, allergies, and preferences, ensuring that health care resources are used wisely for the benefit of patients
• advocate for patients’ access to medications that would be of benefit to their condition from evidence-based clinical assessments and judgement, when necessary

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• prescribe in accordance with the organisational policy
• prescribe in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme