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This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• The following is a summary of main duties for some occupations in this unit group:

• • Orthopedic technologists assist orthopedic surgeons in the treatment of orthopedic diseases and injuries by applying and adjusting casts, splints, bandages and other orthopedic devices; assisting in the application, maintenance and adjustment of traction equipment; cleaning and dressing wounds; and removing casts, sutures, staples and pins. They also instruct patients and their families and other health care professionals with respect to orthopedic matters.
  • Therapy assistants prepare and maintain equipment and supplies, assist patients as directed by health care professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and chiropractors and may perform routine office functions.
  • Optical/ophthalmic laboratory technicians and assistants operate laboratory equipment to grind, cut, polish and edge lenses for eyeglasses according to prescriptions received and fit lenses into frames; make minor repairs for customers such as replacing frame screws or straightening frames; and maintain and repair optical laboratory equipment or machinery.
  • Pharmacy assistants assist pharmacists by compounding, packaging and labelling pharmaceutical products and by maintaining prescription records and inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products.
  • Central supply aides collect and sort soiled supplies and instruments from hospital departments; operate machines such as instrument washers, sonic sinks, cart washers and steam autoclaves to clean, reprocess and sterilize these supplies for re-use; and assemble packs of sterile supplies and instruments for delivery to hospital departments.
  • Blood donor clinic assistants set up and dismantle equipment; prepare and maintain cleanliness of collection areas; maintain supplies; record information on donors; monitor donors throughout procedure and assist with post-donation care and donor reaction care as assigned under supervision of a registered nurse; and label and process donated blood.
  • Morgue attendants assist pathologists at autopsies by laying out surgical instruments; preparing solutions for preservation of specimens; transferring bodies from morgue to examining table; removing organs and tissue specimens, as instructed by attending pathologist, and placing them in preservative solutions; and cleaning and sewing up bodies for release to funeral home.

• Orthopedic technologists usually require completion of secondary school and Several months of on-the-job training or A college orthopedic technologist program.
• Registration with the Canadian Society of Orthopaedic Technologists is available and usually required by employers.
• Health care courses or short-term college programs related to the work of medical assistants, such as occupational therapy assistant/physiotherapy assistant programs or a program in central supply service techniques, are available and may be required by employers.
• Pharmacy assistants require completion of secondary school and Several months of on-the-job training or A five- to nine-month college program in pharmaceutical services.
• Completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training are usually required for other assisting occupations in this unit group.

• Occupational therapy assistants (OTA) and physiotherapy assistants (PTA) receive training through a single OTA/PTA program in some community colleges.

• Eyeglass frame polisher (in 9517 Other Products Machine Operators)
• Other Technical Occupations in Therapy and Assessment (3235)
• Medical technologists and technicians (in 321 Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health))
• Operating room technicians (in 3233 Licensed Practical Nurses)
• Pathologists' assistants (in 3211 Medical Laboratory Technologists and Pathologists' Assistants)