Monash University

Leader(s): Dr David Kong

Offered

Sunway First semester 2009 (Day)
Parkville First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide first year students with the basic foundations required to successfully complete later year units of the Bachelor of Pharmacy course.

The unit aims to:

1. Introduce students to a range of topics relevant to the practice of pharmacy (i.e. The Health Care System, The Pharmacist and The Patient);
2. Develop students' skills in communication and problem solving;
3. Develop students' dispensing skills and knowledge;
4. Introduce students to pharmaceutical calculations and the basic concepts of statistics;
5. Develop students' ability to apply pharmaceutical calculations and basic concepts of statistics in the practice of pharmacy and health care;
6. Develop students' generic skills in critical thinking, communication, problem--solving and working in teams.

Students will undertake self-directed learning, submit assignments, participate in tutorials and practicals, all of which will enhance their learning experience.

Objectives

At the end of this unit students should be able to:

1. Describe the framework for patient-centred care including the roles of pharmacists, the medicines management pathway, the practice of pharmacy in rural settings, the basic legal and ethical requirements related to pharmacy practice and medicines use, the Australian health care system and the professional pharmacy organisations;
2. Describe the use of some commonly prescribed medicines;
3. Retrieve, interpret and communicate (orally or in writing) basic information about medicines or health care issues, and apply it to patient-centred care;
4. Perform pharmaceutical calculations relevant to the practice of pharmacy;
5. Describe the basic concepts of statistics and know when to use the appropriate analyses;
6. Apply (at basic level) patient-centred care in the practice of pharmacy including preparing and dispensing simple dose forms of medicines, recording prescriptions, labelling the medicines and counselling patients.

Assessment

oral presentation: 5%; written assignment: 5%; open book exam: 15%; final exam; 75%

Contact hours

34 1 hour lectures, two 1 hour small group tutorials and six 3 hour practical sessions

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/