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Pharmacy Act, 1974 (Act No. 53 of 1974)

Board Notices

A Pharmacist who provides Pharmacist-Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) services in South Africa: Scope of Practice, Competency Standards and the Criteria for Accreditation of a Pharmacist Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) Course

Part 2: Competency Standards for a Pharmacist who provides Pharmacist-Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) Services

Domain 1: Conduct Testing and Diagnosis of HIV

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The domain covers competencies that are required to conduct testing and diagnosis of HIV, provide counselling and understanding the severity of the HIV infection and the mental state of the patient. The NDoH’s aspiration is that 90% of people living with HIV will know their status.

Participation of pharmacists in conducting testing and diagnosis of HIV will contribute to improved access to quality testing and diagnosis sites. The competencies required in the domain for testing and diagnosis of HIV are:

 

1.1 Understand and perform various HIV testing options;
1.2 Understand and perform CD4 Testing;
1.3 Conduct Pharmacist-Initiated Counselling and Testing (PhICT);
1.4 Provide Risk Reduction Counselling; and
1.5 Use immunological and virological parameters in understanding the severity of HIV infection.

 

DOMAIN 1: CONDUCT TESTING AND DIAGNOSIS OF HIV

COMPETENCIES

BEHAVIOURAL STATEMENTS
1.1 Understand and perform various HIV testing options
1.1.1 Demonstrating an understanding of the different types of tests available when testing for HIV.
1.1.2 Performing rapid or point of care tests (including HIV Self-tests) to diagnose HIV.
1.1.3 Interpreting HIV test results including reasons for false-negative.
1.1.4 Selecting which tests to use to diagnose HIV in a range of circumstances.
1.1.5 Linking patients with positive, negative, or indeterminate results to care (appropriate referral).
1.2 Understand and perform CD4 Testing
1.2.1 Explaining the role CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells play.
1.2.2 Knowing when and why CD4 counts are measured.
1.2.3 Interpreting CD4 counts.
1.2.4 Describing the factors that affect CD4 counts.
1.3 Conduct Pharmacist-Initiated Counselling and Testing (PhICT)
1.3.1 Demonstrating an understanding of HTS in general and PIMART in terms of linkage to care and pre-test counselling.
1.3.2 Describing the nature of counselling as it relates to counselling phases, clinical interaction, legal and ethical issues, and confidentiality and disclosure.
1.3.3 Demonstrating an understanding and application of empathic counselling skills.

Range: Active listening, mirroring, paraphrasing, the reflection of content and feelings, summarising, responding, and questioning.

1.3.4 Demonstrating an understanding and application of counselling approaches in specified groups

Range: Adolescents, strong reactions, couples, serodiscordant couples and suicidal patients.

1.3.5 Describing the basic goals of PEP and PrEP Effective Use counselling.
1.4 Provide Risk Reduction Counselling
1.4.1 Demonstrating an understanding of common risk reduction conditions.
1.4.2 Demonstrating an understanding of risk-taking variables

Range: Knowledge, Relationships, Social Context, Structural Factors.

1.4.3 Demonstrating an understanding of the risk reduction behaviour change model.
1.4.4 Applying the seven (7) steps in risk reduction counselling.
1.5 Use immunological and virological parameters in understanding the severity of HIV infection
1.5.1 Demonstrating an understanding of the use and benefits of clinical staging.
1.5.2 Describing the WHO HIV Stages.
1.5.3 Identifying symptoms and common opportunistic infections for stage 1, 2, 3 and 4, i.e. AIDS defining illness.
1.5.4 Demonstrating an understanding of immunological and clinical staging parameters.