This graduate certificate allows students to develop further knowledge and skills in a range of pharmacy practice-related areas. This course provides an opportunity for ongoing professional development at the same time as earning an additional qualification.

For pharmacy graduates, the course provides the opportunity to complete an internship (pre-registration) course approved by the Pharmacy Board of Victoria, and to credit this towards a postgraduate qualification. Students can specialise in specific areas of practice by undertaking elective units which cover clinical, economic and wound care relevant to pharmacy.

The Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice assists pharmacy graduates to make the transition from student to independent, competent professional. It does this by helping interns (pre-registrants) to:

• consolidate and build upon the knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences gained as an undergraduate
• apply their knowledge and skills to day-to-day pharmacy practice situations
• further develop the technical, clinical, personal and professional skills that form the basis of pharmacy practice
• further develop problem solving skills and application of professional judgement in patient care
• work within the ethical and legal framework of the profession
• explore personal career goals and expectations
• deal with professional and personal pressures associated with being a pharmacist
• become a 'life-long learner'.

Students complete two core 6-point units and 12 points of elective units.

Core units for new pharmacy graduates

• VCP5011 Applied pharmacy practice I
• VCP5012 Applied pharmacy practice II

Together these units comprise the Monash Pharmacy Internship (Pre-registration) course (see course code 3461).

Core units for registered pharmacists

Students are required to complete at least two of the following:

• VCG5011 Evidence based practice
• VCP5015 Geriatric pharmacy practice
• VCW1102 Wound assessment

Electives

• ECX9700 Introduction to health economics
• ECX9710 Pharmaceutical economics
• ECX9720 Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics
• ECX9730 Economic evaluation in healthcare
• ECX9750 Principles of health economics for developing countries
• VCG5011 Evidence based practice
• VCG5021 Patient data and pharmacotherapy I
• VCP5013 Dermatology
• VCP5015 Geriatric pharmacy practice
• VCP5016 Geriatric disease state management
• VCW1101 Biology of wound healing
• VCW1102 Wound assessment
• VCW1103 Wound dressings
• VCW1104 Management of acute wounds
• VCW1105 Management of chronic wounds
• VCW1106 Systemic medication and wound healing

Elective units are assessed by a variety of methods including assignments, online activities and examinations.

Successful completion of VCP5015 (Geriatric pharmacy practice) is recognised by the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy (AACP) for Stage 1 of the training program for accreditation of pharmacists to deliver Commonwealth-funded Medication Management Reviews.

Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice

This course is designed to provide the knowledge and skills to enable health professionals to effectively manage acute and chronic wounds.

At the completion of the Graduate Certificate in Wound Care students will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the physical, psychosocial and environmental components of a comprehensive wound assessment
• develop an understanding of the process of wound healing
• identify and describe factors that affect the rate of wound healing
• understand the classification and appropriate use of modern wound dressings
• critically appraise innovative new technologies in wound dressings.

Students are required to complete five core units and six points of elective units.

Core units

• VCW1101 Biology of wound healing
• VCW1102 Wound assessment
• VCW1103 Wound dressings
• VCW1104 Management of acute wounds
• VCW1105 Management of chronic wounds

Elective units

• VCW1109 Dermatology
• VCW1111 Alternative therapies
• VCW1112 Scar management
• VCW1113 Palliative care and pain management
• VCW1116 Diabetic foot
• VCW1123 Management of burns
• VCW1126 Clinical risk management and wound care

Assessment is by assignments and online activities.

On completion of the graduate certificate, students who achieve a credit average or above can apply for the Graduate Diploma in Wound Care or the Master of Wound Care.

Graduate Certificate in Wound Care

This course is designed to provide the knowledge and skills to enable health professionals to effectively manage acute and chronic wounds. The course builds on the Graduate Certificate in Wound Care, and students have the opportunity to undertake elective units relevant to their area of practice.

Students are required to attend a five-day on-campus/residential course at the Parkville campus for VCW1127 (Practical wound care training and assessment They will undertake supervised clinic observation and seminar workshops (theoretical and practical), in various aspects of wound related topics during this period.

Assessment

Assessment is by assignments and online activities, and attendance at the on-campus week.

At the completion of the Graduate Diploma in Wound Care students will be able to:

• demonstrate high level problem solving skill for clients with complex wounds
• utilise a systematic approach to perform an advanced assessment of a clients with a wound
• develop an appropriate plan of wound care in collaboration with the client and the multidisciplinary team
• demonstrate clinical competency in practical wound care techniques
• evaluate the outcomes of care for clients with complex wounds.

Students are required to complete 48 points that consist of: eight core units (36 points), a range of elective units (six points) and a compulsory on-campus study block (six points).

Students are normally granted credit for units completed in the Graduate Certificate in Wound Care and are required to complete an additional four core units and six points of elective units to qualify for the graduate diploma.

Core units

• VCW1101 Biology of wound healing
• VCW1102 Wound assessment
• VCW1103 Wound dressings
• VCW1104 Management of acute wounds
• VCW1105 Management of chronic wounds
• VCW1106 Systemic medication and wound healing
• VCW1108 Nutrition and wound healing
• VCW1127 Practical wound care training and assessment
• VCG5011 Evidence based practice

Elective units

• VCW1109 Dermatology
• VCW1111 Alternative therapies
• VCW1112 Scar management
• VCW1113 Palliative care and pain management
• VCW1114 Reconstructive surgery
• VCW1116 Diabetic foot
• VCW1123 Management of burns
• VCW1126 Clinical risk management and wound care

Students who achieve a minimum of a credit grade in all graduate diploma units may progress to the Master of Wound Care after completing the requirements for the graduate diploma.

Students enrolled in the graduate diploma have the option to exit with a graduate certificate when the requirements for that award are completed.

Graduate Diploma in Wound Care

The course is designed to enable students to establish skills in evidence-based practice, quality use of medicine, practice-based research, and the provision of clinical pharmacy services at a high level.

Upon completion of the Master of Clinical Pharmacy, graduates will be able to:

• provide clinical pharmacy services at a high level
• use evidence based principles to guide clinical practice
• appreciate concepts in biotechnology and their application to contemporary practice
• critically evaluate literature to develop research proposals
• undertake practice-based research projects.

This program is conducted mainly online and via off-campus learning. There is a small component of on-campus teaching, however this is supported by online resources. Areas of study include:

• biostatistics
• epidemiology
• theory and practice of evidence-based medicine
• interpretation of clinical data
• pharmacotherapy and clinical research.

Great importance is placed on active student participation in seminar presentations and discussion groups, and student performance is closely monitored. Each student will complete a four-week speciality rotation with an experienced clinical preceptor and will carry out a small practice-based research project. Students must arrange the necessary time-release from their employer to complete the placement and research project.

Students must complete the following units:

• ECX9720 Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics
• VCG5011 Evidence-based practice
• VCG5021 Patient data and pharmacotherapy I
• VCG5022 Patient data and pharmacotherapy II
• VCG6011 Specialty clinical placement
• VCG6012 Journal club
• VCG6013 Clinical research I
• VCG6021 Clinical research II
• VCG6022 Patient data and pharmacotherapy III
• VCG6023 Clinical research III

Assessment is by assignments, presentations, online activities, completion of a placement, and submission of a research project.

Master of Clinical Pharmacy

Students may nominate the area in which they wish to pursue their research, in any of the principal areas of research in the broad field of pharmaceutical science. Project availability is conditional upon the availability of materials, equipment and supervisors. Students are advised to consult with a potential supervisor regarding their choice of topic.

By the completion of this program students should be able to:

• produce a thesis that displays competence at understanding and carrying out research in the field of pharmaceutical science (but with less emphasis on comprehensive knowledge and originality as required in a PhD)
• devise a research topic to investigate a particular pharmaceutical science research area
• identify key research questions that are not too general and ambitious
• select and review relevant theory and literature
• design a study and choose appropriate methods to investigate the specific research questions
• select appropriate modes of analysis
• consider ethical issues involved in research
• implement, critically appraise or apply research in a particular field
• prepare a comprehensive written report that is professionally presented and contains all the required components of a masters thesis, including a bibliography.

Assessment is by 100 per cent thesis, the length of which would not normally exceed 20,000 words. The thesis can be submitted following not less than 12 and not more than 24 months of study.

The student enrols in the research unit relevant to their field. This faculty offers the following research units:

• PRU0001 Research in medicinal chemistry
• PRU0002 Research in pharmacology
• PRU0003 Research in pharmaceutics
• PRU0004 Research in pharmacy practice

Master of Pharmaceutical Science

The Master of Pharmacy Practice is designed to enable students to develop a deep and more specialised range of attributes than those able to be acquired in the undergraduate pharmacy program. Students will be able to select units related to various advanced areas of pharmacy practice, for example aspects of clinical practice, wound care, and health economics.

It is envisaged that students will articulate into this course from the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice and pre-registration/internship courses to further their professional development.

The objectives of the Master of Pharmacy Practice are:

• to provide a knowledge base for advanced practice in a variety of pharmacy practice areas
• to develop skills in critical literature evaluation
• to further develop written and oral communication skills.

Upon completion of the course, graduates will be able to:

• undertake advanced practice roles in selected areas
• critically evaluate literature
• use evidence-based principles to guide practice.

Students complete one six-credit-point core unit and 42 credit points of elective units.

Core unit

• VCG5011 Evidence-based practice

Electives

• ECX9700 Introduction to health economics
• ECX9710 Pharmaceutical economics
• ECX9720 Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics
• ECX9730 Economic evaluation in healthcare
• ECX9750 Principles of health economics for developing countries VCP5013 Dermatology
• VCG5021 Patient data and pharmacotherapy 1
• VCP5011 Applied pharmacy practice I *
• VCP5012 Applied pharmacy practice II *
• VCP5015 Geriatric pharmacy practice
• VCP5016 Geriatric disease state management
• VCP5017 Mental health
• VCW1101 Biology of wound healing
• VCW1102 Wound assessment
• VCW1103 Wound dressings
• VCW1104 Management of acute wounds
• VCW1105 Management of chronic wounds
• VCW1106 Systemic medication and wound healing

* These units are usually granted as credit to eligible students.

Master of Pharmacy Practice

This coursework degree allows students to expand on and consolidate their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in wound care and management. Candidates undertake compulsory units in epidemiology/biostatistics and evidence-based practice and develop research skills by undertaking a clinical project.

Assessment

Assessment is by online activities, oral presentation, and assignments.

At the completion of Master of Wound Care students will be able to:

• demonstrate a high level of critical analysis, problem solving and decision making related to the care of clients with complex wounds
• utilise an evidential basis for clinical decision making in the management of people with wounds
• demonstrate an understanding of the consequences of acute and chronic wounds from an individual and population health perspective
• demonstrate leadership and innovation in wound care that is underpinned by continuous quality improvement framework.

Students are required to complete 72 points that consist of:

• core units (36 points)
• a range of elective units (18 points)
• a compulsory on-campus study block (6 points)
• a clinical project (12 points).

Students are normally granted credit for units completed in the Graduate Diploma in Wound Care and are required to complete an additional three core units and six points of elective units to qualify for the Master of Wound Care.

VCW1127 (Practical wound care training and assessment) requires students to attend a five-day on-campus/residential course at the Parkville campus. They will undertake supervised clinic observation and seminar workshops (theoretical and practical), in various aspects of wound related topics during these five days.

Core Units

• VCW1101 Biology of wound healing
• VCW1102 Wound assessment
• VCW1103 Wound dressings
• VCW1104 Management of acute wounds
• VCW1105 Management of chronic wounds
• VCW1106 Systemic medication and wound healing
• VCW1108 Nutrition and wound healing
• VCW1127 Practical wound care training and assessment
• VCG5011 Evidence based practice
• ECX9720 Introduction to epidemiology/biostatistics
• VCW1124 Clinical project I
• VCW1128 Clinical project II

Elective units

• VCW1109 Dermatology
• VCW1111 Alternative therapies
• VCW1112 Scar management
• VCW1113 Palliative care and pain management
• VCW1114 Reconstructive surgery
• VCW1116 Diabetic foot
• VCW1123 Management of burns
• VCW1126 Clinical risk management and wound care

Candidates have the option of exiting with a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in Wound Care on completion of the academic requirements for these programs.

Master of Wound Care

The Doctor of Philosophy program may be undertaken in any of the principal areas of research in the broad field of Pharmaceutical Science. Students may nominate their preferred area of study. However, they are strongly encouraged to discuss their research interests with senior research staff to ensure appropriate facilities, equipment and services are available, and to obtain guidance on suitable topics.

By the completion of this program students should be able to:

• produce a thesis that displays competence at understanding and carrying out research in the broad field of Pharmaceutical Science
• under the guidance of a supervisor, devise a realistic research topic to investigate a particular pharmaceutical science research area
• identify key research questions that are not too general and ambitious
• select and review relevant theory and literature
• design a study and choose appropriate methods to investigate the specific research questions
• select appropriate modes of analysis
• consider ethical issues involved in research
• implement, critically appraise or apply research in a particular field
• prepare a comprehensive written report that is professionally presented and contains all the required components of a PhD thesis.

Assessment is by 100 per cent thesis, the length of which would not normally exceed 100,000 words.

The student enrols in the appropriate research unit relevant to their field. Units available at the faculty include:

• PRU0001 Research in medicinal chemistry
• PRU0002 Research in pharmacology
• PRU0003 Research in pharmaceutics
• PRU0004 Research in pharmacy practice

Doctor of Philosophy