APCAT+NFEC

=APCAT and NFEC Assessments= //APCAT - Australian Pharmacy Competency Assessment Tool NFEC - National Forensics, Ethics and Calculations CAOP - Competency Assessment for Overseas Pharmacists//

To be conducted on Monday 17 August 2009

Location
//See map at bottom of page// Phar Lap Room, 2nd Floor Main Building Allan Scott Park, Morphettville Morphett Road, Morphettville

Timetable
8.45am - Registration (APCAT) 9.00am - APCAT exam starts 11.30am - APCAT exam finishes 11.30am - Lunch //(bring your own, none provided)// 12.45pm - Registration (NFEC) 1.00pm - NFEC exam starts 2.00pm - NFEC exam finishes 2.15pm - Oral Examination Information Session 3.30pm - End of day

APCAT
120 Multiple questions 2.5hrs duration Open book examination: __current__ (?) editions of the APF and AMH Non-programmable calculator
 * 65% required to pass (78/120)**

NFEC
1hr duration Part A: forensics and ethics Part B: calculations Restricted open book examination: i) [|Standard for the Uniform Scheduling or Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP)] (432 pages) Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (SA Branch) Handbook ii) [|Pharmacy Practice Act 2007] (50 pages) [|Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2007] (7 pages) [|Controlled Substances Act 1984] (64 pages) [|Controlled (Poisons) Regulations 1996] (60 pages) iii) Six page article [|'Supplying Medicines - What Pharmacists Need to Know']
 * 70% required to pass**

Resources
//Past Papers// - be aware that the answers may be of student origin, so they may not always agree with what is actually found in our reference books - can we really trust pharmacy students from other states? ;)

[|Stage II Sample APCAT Profiles] [|APCAT QLD] [|APCAT QLD with answers] [|APCAT QLD 2] [|APCAT Vic with answers] [|APCAT Vic] [|NSW past papers] [|exam questions 2005]
 * APCAT**

Pharmacy Council [|APCAT Preparation Guide 2007] [|APCAT Preparation Guide 2008] [|CAOP Preparation Guide 2009]

//Forensics and Ethics// [|NFEC Preparation Guide 2008] [|Registration Examination Guide 2009]
 * NFEC**


 Pharmacy Regulation AP401 Topics

Community Pharmacy [|Session 3 Pre-Reg Questions]

//Calculations// [|Calculation Questions] [|Selected Calculations (Ansel)]

Calculations Walkthrough currently in the process!

Notes from 2009 APCAT and NFEC Assessments
//feel free to add any other notes/opinions//

__**APCAT**__
 * Difficulty

Length**
 * 120 questions in 150 minutes
 * Ensure you pace yourself throughout the exam (if you are stuck on a question, simply skip it and go back to it later)
 * Tagging your AMH can be quite helpful with cutting down time


 * Question content**
 * The exam is heavily reliant on the AMH for answers, but sometimes you will need to interpret the question yourself as it isn't always 'cut and paste' as shown from previous exams
 * APF is useful for guides on monitoring, notes on biochemical markers, also on exclusion periods for children with contagious conditions
 * Questions on vaccines are included, but can be done without previous knowledge (be aware of the cold chain)
 * You will be required to do opioid conversions, including knowing when to start a new formulation


 * __NFEC__**
 * Difficulty

Length**
 * 20 MCQs on forensics and ethics and 9 calculations questions
 * Aim to complete the calculations section first, as you will not know how long it will take to do if you start with the MCQs
 * The various Acts and Regulations references are very cumbersome, so look through them beforehand to be familiar with where things are or tag them - but the questions can be answered without these.


 * Question content**
 * Calculation questions are very similar to those found in the Preparation guide, you will be required to work out mols of certain preparations (i.e. divide by 2 if a compound contains 2 molecules of the active ingredient)
 * Forensics and ethics contains similar questions to those found in the Preparation guide, but also have a wider scope, including questions on the Special Access Scheme and questions where you will need to make your own decision relating to privacy issues. Other questions involve knowing what to do with expired stock, interstate S8 prescriptions, what to do if a pharmacist makes an error and knowing what schedule medicines can be provided with a licence (in a remote area without pharmacy services). Working in a community pharmacy should give you an advantage to these questions.
 * You will need to bring the SUSDP to answer the questions which rely on knowing which schedule which medication/compound is in, including those which are unscheduled

Map
//Getting there by car// //Parking and Public Transport//

//Room Plan of Alan Scott Park (some UniSA exams are held nearby) - Phar Lap room I assume is either G3 or G9//