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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 1: The Scope of Practice for a PIMART Pharmacist

 

In addition to the acts and services which form part of the scope of practice of the pharmacist as prescribed in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of the Regulations relating to the practice of Pharmacy; a pharmacist who has completed the Pharmacist Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) supplementary training must be allowed to perform consultations with patients at a pharmacy or in an approved primary health care setting, which includes:

 

(a) history taking, performing of screening and confirmatory tests, ordering, conducting and interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory tests in line with NDoH guidelines (for diagnosis, clinical staging and assessment of an HIV infected patient or those at high risk of contracting HIV);

 

(b) assess and manage the HIV-infected patients or those at high risk of contracting HIV who require Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), who are not pregnant or under 15 years of age;

 

(c) decision on safe and appropriate therapy;

 

(d) initiate anti-retroviral treatment limited to PrEP, PEP and 1st line Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) plus initiation of TB-Preventative Therapy (TPT) in line with NDoH guidelines;

 

(e) adjustment of ART (where necessary) which has been prescribed previously;

 

(f) monitoring of the outcomes of therapy;

 

(g) referral to another health care provider where necessary, e.g. discordant results; and

 

(h) confidential and adequate record keeping.