2630 - Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Commerce

The Bachelor of Pharmacy/Bachelor of Commerce double-degree program recognises that pharmacy has a business as well as a professional component. The course is especially relevant to those graduates considering managing or owning a pharmacy or those who find themselves in a management role in a hospital pharmacy or the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmacists are health professionals with the skills and knowledge to manage a patient's understanding and utilisation of medication, in order to optimise medicines related to health outcomes.

The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree has four streams of study: enabling sciences, applied pharmaceutical sciences, clinical and integrated sciences and pharmacy practice sciences.

During fourth year, students undertake work placements in hospitals and community pharmacies through the Professional Experiences Placement program. The program provides an understanding of the processes involved in, for example, providing primary health care, drug information, and clinical pharmacy services in different practice environments.

To be registered as a pharmacist, students must complete an additional one year pharmacy internship program under the supervision of the Pharmacy Board. Monash University offers a pharmacy internship program (previously known as pre-registration, either as a stand-alone course or as part of the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice.

Special requirements

Police checks are required for the professional experience placements in clinical and community settings in the Bachelor of Pharmacy. All students will be required to obtain and pay for a police check prior to undertaking the clinical and community placements in their course. For further information or for clarification, contact the placement program coordinator, email pep@pharm.monash.edu.au.

The degree provides students with the knowledge and skills to own or manage a pharmacy or to work in the wider healthcare sector, government or the pharmaceutical industry. It aims to produce graduates with:

• an indepth understanding and knowledge of the enabling sciences, applied pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice and be able to integrate and apply the knowledge to the practice of pharmacy
• the relevant skills for the practice of pharmacy, defined by the current competencies and requirements of future practices
• the relevant generic skills, such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, learning for life, numeracy and information literacy and leadership
• the relevant professional and social values, attitudes, and behaviours, necessary for practice.

Graduates should be able to apply the knowledge and skills gained to promote and contribute to the quality use of medicines and to the health of the community.

All units studied as part of the Bachelor of Pharmacy component of this double degree must be from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Students must also complete a major specialisation in one of the following disciplines taught by the Faculty of Business and Economics:

• accounting
• Asian development and transition
• competition regulation and public policy
• finance
• human resource management
• information strategy and decision making
• international commerce
• labour and employment.

Also available are generic majors in accounting and finance, business law and taxation, economics, econometrics and business statistics, management and marketing.

All units studied as part of the Bachelor of Commerce component must be from the Faculty of Business and Economics on the Clayton campus. For details of the units required for major specialisations, refer to the Bachelor of Commerce (Clayton) entry in the Faculty of Business and Economics section of this handbook.

The degree requirements are:

(a.) students must complete 32 units (192 points) from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharamaceutical Sciences and must satisfy the requirements for the Bachelor of Pharmacy

(b.) students must complete 16 units (96 points) from the Faculty of Business and Economics as follows:

(i) six compulsory common core units (36 points):

• AFC1000 Principles of accounting and finance
• BTC1100 Business law
• ECC1000 Principles of microeconomics
• ETC1000 Business and economic statistics
• MGC1010 Introduction to management
• MKC1200 Principles of marketing

(ii) at least two of the following (12 points):

• AFC1030 Introductory financial accounting, or AFC2140 Corporate Finance
• ECC1100 Principles of macroeconomics
• ETC1010 Data modelling and computing
• MGC1020 Organisations: Contexts and strategies

(iii) a major of eight units (48 points)

• the major must come from the approved list of majors
• at least two units (12 points) must be completed at each of second and third-year levels

(iv.) additional units from the faculty in the Bachelor of Commerce at the Clayton campus to reach the required minimum of 16 units.

Additional degree requirements:

• a maximum of eight first-year level units (48 points)
• a minimum of four third-year level units (24 points), from the faculty at the Clayton campus
• first-year students normally may not take a second-year unit until at least four first-year units have been completed successfully.

Bachelor of Pharmacy

To qualify for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Victoria, a period of internship (pre-registration practical training) is required as an educational bridge linking the undergraduate course and the graduate's work as a registered pharmacist. For detailed information, refer to the entry under 'Pharmacy Internship Program' in the handbook.

Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates from the Victorian College of Pharmacy are eligible to become members of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) after a period of practical experience. RACI members are able to practice in many areas of industry as professional chemists and receive the salaries determined by the RACI.

Bachelor of Commerce

For details on Professional recognition, refer to the Bachelor of Commerce entry in the Faculty of Business and Economics section of this handbook.

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Pharmacy