Acts Online
GT Shield

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

Summary of PIMART Competency Standards

 

DOMAIN

Competency Standard
1. Conduct testing and diagnosis of HIV
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.
1.5 Use immunological and virological parameters in understanding the severity of HIV infection.
2. Initiate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and 1st line antiretroviral therapy (ART) plus the initiation of TB-preventative therapy (TPT) where appropriate and apply protocol adherence measures
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of ART Principles.
2.2 Prepare patients for ART adherence.
2.3 Identify, classify, and analyse the various types of ARTs and their side effects and toxicities.
2.4 Initiate ART.
2.5 Analyse ART medicine choices in PrEP and PEP, and considerations around pharmacology and drug interactions, including TPT.
2.6 Identify and manage PrEP, PEP and ART contra-indications.
2.7 Conduct PEP in the PIMART environment.
3. Implement processes for the prevention of HIV transmission and infection via PrEP, safer conception and contraception, and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT)
3.1 Implement PrEP in the PIMART environment.
3.2 Conduct pregnancy screening and recommend contraception in the PIMART context.
3.3 Implement pre-conception management for HIV positive couples.
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of PMTCT and the rationale for PMTCT programmes.
4. Implement processes to identify and manage co-morbidities and opportunistic infections related to HIV
4.1 Manage HIV co-morbidities.
4.2 Identify and manage common opportunistic infections.
4.3 Manage TB and HIV co-infection.
4.4 Promote TB prevention.
5. Implement processes to prevent and manage drug interactions and drug resistance
5.1 Understand the importance of drug interactions, e.g. drug/drug and drug/disease.
5.2 Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of various ART drug interactions.
5.3 Prevent adverse drug interactions and reactions.
5.4 Define the types and consequences of drug resistance.
6. Handle ART data responsibly and use disease management systems appropriately
6.1 Generate reports to assist with clinical governance, programme management and quality improvement.
6.2 Use a Patient Management System.
6.3 Implement the process of care for PIMART.
6.4 Apply minimum package of interventions to support linkage to care.