Nursing & Healthcare Revision — Open Awards Occupational Qualification
Complete Open Awards Occupational Qualification Nursing & Healthcare specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Specification Topics
- Professional Behaviours for Occupational Health Technicians
- Actions and Uses of Medicines
- Aseptic Manufacture and Preparation Processes
- Dispensing and Supply of Medicines and Medicinal Products
- Stock Management in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Medicinal Treatments for Cardio-respiratory Conditions
- Medicinal Treatments for Endocrine, Gynaecological and Genitourinary Conditions
- Medicinal Treatments for Sensory Organ Conditions
- Microbiology for Pharmacy Technicians
- Personal Development for Pharmacy Technicians
- Principles for the Management of Pharmaceutical Stock
- Principles of Health and Safety for Pharmacy Technicians
- Principles of Health Promotion and Well-being in Pharmacy Services
- Principles of Person-Centred Approaches for Pharmacy Technicians
- Principles of Safe Manufacture of Quality Medicines in the Pharmaceutical Environment
- Risk Management for the Occupational Health Technician
- Clean Room Design and Behaviours
- Effective Teamwork and Communication in a Pharmacy Setting
- Assemble and Check Dispensed Medicines and Products
- Receive, Validate and Issue Prescriptions
- Undertake Medicines Reconciliation and Supply
- Safe and Effective use of Screening Equipment for Occupational Health Technicians
- Managing Pharmaceutical Stock
- Biological Principles for Pharmacy Technicians
- Documentation in Aseptic Processing
- Chemical Principles for Pharmacy Technicians
- Person-Centred Care in a Pharmacy Setting
- The Roles and Responsibilities of the Occupational Health Technician
- Health, Safety and Reducing Risk in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Contribute to Service Improvement in the Delivery of Pharmacy Services
- Understanding Fitness for Role Screening
- Legislation, Regulations and Standards in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Principles of Health and Safety in a Pharmacy Setting
- Maintenance and Calibration in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Understanding Health Risk Management and Health Improvement
- Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Treatments for Central Nervous System Conditions
- Roles, Responsibilities and Personal Development in Pharmacy Services
- Safe Preparation and Manufacturing of Medicines and Pharmaceutical Products
- Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Treatments for Gastrointestinal and Nutritional Conditions
- Quality Management in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Selling Over the Counter Medicines and Products
- Medicinal and Non-medicinal Treatments for Malignant Diseases and Musculoskeletal Conditions
- Roles, Responsibilities and Professional Development in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Science in Aseptic Processing
- Medicinal Methods for the Prevention, Protection from and Treatment of Infections
Top Exam Board Tips
- Always anchor your responses to real workplace examples, even when explaining theory; this demonstrates applied professional behaviours and meets assessment criteria for depth.
- Use a recognised reflective model (e.g., Gibbs or Kolb) to structure your practice reflections—explicitly state what you learned and how you will modify future behaviour.
- When discussing policies and procedures, highlight the dual benefit: protecting the individual and ensuring organisational compliance, which shows strategic understanding.
- For communication questions, pre-identify three distinct scenarios from your practice (e.g., language barrier, hearing impairment, anxious employee) and explain your adapted approach in detail.
- Always structure your answers by linking the drug’s action to its therapeutic use and then highlighting limitations—this demonstrates integrated understanding.
- Familiarize yourself with the layout of the BNF and electronic Medicines Compendium; in assessments, time spent searching efficiently can save marks.
- When faced with a pharmaceutical query, explicitly state which resource you would consult and why, even if you then summarise the answer from memory.
- Practice applying your knowledge to case studies, considering patient-specific factors like age, pregnancy, and comorbidities that influence medicine choice.
- When describing the aseptic process, always link each step back to the core principle of maintaining sterility; use terms like ‘critical zone’, ‘first air’, and ‘unidirectional flow’.
- In questions on prescription verification, structure your answer: source, patient, prescriber, product, preparation requirements, and final checklist.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing safeguarding with general workplace health and safety, leading to failure in recognising signs of abuse or neglect as outlined in local policies.
- Assuming employee consent alone is sufficient without acknowledging the separate organisational requirement for employer consent to process health data.
- Describing SEQOHS or ISO 9000/1 in generic terms without linking specific standards to the Occupational Health Technician’s role, such as audit trails or equipment calibration.
- Providing reflective statements that only describe an event without analysing personal learning or demonstrating how practice was improved as a direct result.
- Confusing the actions of drugs from the same class but with different primary indications (e.g., beta-blockers for hypertension vs. angina).
- Misinterpreting BNF entries, such as assuming all listed doses apply to every patient without considering renal/hepatic function.
- Overlooking common side effects that may significantly impact adherence, like sedation with antihistamines.
- Failing to differentiate between the pharmacological action and the clinical use when answering questions.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- 1. Understand the importance of organisational policies and procedures 1.1 Summarise the benefits of following own organisation’s policies and procedures.1.2 Explain the reporting lines for own role within organisation2. Understand the role and responsibilities of the Occupational Health Technician in relation to safeguarding 2.1 Explain how to recognise safeguarding concerns 2.2 Explain the process for disclosing or referring concerns about safeguarding 2.3 Explain the role and responsibilities of the Occupational Health Technician in relation to safeguarding individuals 3. Understand how to work with others to promote equality and diversity within the Occupational Health Technician role 3.1 Summarise the relevant legislation, policies and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity 3.2 Describe actions by individuals which can undermine equality and diversity3.3 Review strategies for resolving the actions described in 3.2 4. Understand the role of the Occupational Health Technician in establishing and maintaining quality standards and frameworks associated with Occupational Health Service Provision 4.1 Explain the requirements of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service standards (SEQOHS)4.2 Explain the quality management principles in the International Standards Organisations (ISO9000/1) as they apply to the role of the Occupational Health Technicians4.3 Describe the main components of clinical governance within Occupational Health as they apply to own role4.4 Describe the processes in place to ensure Clinical Governance within your own organisation 4.5 Reflect on an event or experience in your own practice and how you changed or improved your practice as a result5. Understand how to reflect on workplace experience and training to continue own personal and professional development 5.1 Evaluate own strengths and areas for development against your own area of practice within Occupational Health5.2 Demonstrate a system for planning and evidencing own clinical competency and continuing professional development6. Know how to communicate effectively to meet organisational requirements 6.1 Identify the different methods of communication used to all stakeholders in an Occupational Health Technician’s role6.2 Give three examples from own experience where communication has been adapted to overcome problems7. Understand the need to obtain consent from employees.7.1 Explain the importance of obtaining consent from employees7.2 Describe the organisational process for obtaining employer consent
- Understand the principles of how medicines work in the human body.Understand the uses and limitations of medicines.Understand the use of standard pharmacy resources to research pharmaceutical queries.
- Understand the principles of practice for Aseptic manufacture and preparation.Understand the process of prescription verification for unlicensed Aseptic preparation.Understand work area start-up checks .Understand the organisational transfer process.Understand the importance of reconciliation of labels, materials and packaging in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals.Know how to dismantle, clean, decontaminate equipment and the work area correctly.Know how to dispose of waste and cleaning materials.Understand the causes and consequences of deviations form standard operational procedures. Understand problem solving techniques in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals
- Understand requirements of own role in relation to dispensing and supply of medicines and medicinal products.Be able to receive prescriptions.Be able to assemble and dispense prescribed items.Be able to complete in-process accuracy checks on prescribed products and medicine.Be able to issue prescribed items.
- Understand stock management in Aseptic processing.Understand how to safely store stock for Aseptic Pharmaceuticals.Understand how to issue stock in Aseptic Pharmaceuticals.
- Understand the respiratory and cardiovascular systemsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of conditions of the respiratory systemUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of conditions of the cardiovascular systemUnderstand the advice individuals need to manage their condition
- Understand the lymphatic systemUnderstand the endocrine systemUnderstand the genitourinary systemUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of endocrine conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of gynaecological conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of genitourinary conditions Understand how medicines are used in obstetricsUnderstand the advice individuals need to manage their conditions
- Understand sensory organsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of eye conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of ear conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of oropharynx conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of nose conditionsUnderstand how medicines are used in the treatment of dermatological conditionsUnderstand the advice individuals need to manage their condition
- Understand the structure, function and classification of microorganismsUnderstand factors affecting microbial growthUnderstand how the growth of microorganisms is monitored and controlled Understand transmission of infection
- Understand how the role of the pharmacy technician is governedUnderstand professionalism within the role of a pharmacy technicianUnderstand how to reflect on own practiceBe able to evaluate own performanceBe able to recognise behaviour that does not meet the required professional standardBe able to develop a personal development planBe able to contribute to the development of others
- Understand governance requirements relating to the management of pharmaceutical stockUnderstand the considerations for ordering pharmaceutical stockUnderstand how to complete the procurement process for pharmaceutical stockUnderstand how to receive pharmaceutical stockUnderstand how to store pharmaceutical stockUnderstand how to carry out pharmaceutical stock management
- Understand the responsibilities relating to health and safety in the workplaceUnderstand health and safety risk managementUnderstand procedures for responding to accidents and emergencies
- Understand factors that influence health and well-beingUnderstand relationship between public health and pharmacy servicesUnderstand how principles of behaviour change can be applied to health promotionUnderstand the role of the pharmacy technician in the promotion of public health
- Understand effective communication within pharmacy servicesUnderstand person-centred approaches in pharmacy servicesUnderstand the role and responsibilities of the pharmacy technician in relation to safeguarding individuals
- Understand the governance requirements for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products Understand the importance of maintaining environments for pharmaceutical manufacture in relation to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)Understand how medicines are manufacturedUnderstand how to perform calculations for pharmaceutical formulaeUnderstand the principles of pharmaceutical quality systems in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products