Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Course

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, either as a stand-alone course or as part of the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice.

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.

96 credit points

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.

Bachelor of Pharmacy

To qualify for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Victoria, a period of internship 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 faculty 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.

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 as follows:

First year

First semester

• PAC1111 Introduction to physiology
• PAC1121 Organic chemistry
• PAC1211 Physicochemical basis of pharmacy
• PAC1311 Pharmacy, health and society I

Second semester

• PAC1132 Systems physiology
• PAC1142 Chemistry of biomolecules
• PAC1222 Drug delivery I
• PAC1322 Pharmacy, health and society II

Second year

First semester

• PAC2151 Biochemistry and molecular biology
• PAC2161 Cell function, communication and pathology
• PAC2171 Basis of drug action I
• PAC2331 Pharmacists as communicators

Second semester

• PAC2182 Basis of drug action II
• PAC2232 Drug delivery and disposition
• PAC2342 Pharmacy in a public health context
• PAC2412 Integrated therapeutics: Introduction and cardiovascular

Third year

First semester

• PAC3191 Microbiology and immunology
• PAC3241 Drug delivery, disposition and dynamics
• PAC3351 Context for practice I
• PAC3421 Integrated therapeutics respiratory

Second semester

• PAC3252 Drug delivery II
• PAC3362 Context for practice II
• PAC3432 Integrated therapeutics: Infectious diseases

Electives

One of:

• PAC3512 Current aspects of pharmaceutical research
• PAC3522 Applied research project
• PAC3532 International experience in pharmacy
• VPS3032 Current aspects of pharmaceutical biology
• VPS3012 Drug discovery and development

Fourth year

This level of the course structure is for students commencing in the years 2008-2010. Those who began prior to 2008 should consult the Handbook for the year in which they commenced their studies.

First semester

• PAC4261 Drug delivery and development
• PAC4371 Professional experience placement program
• PAC4441 Integrated therapeutics: Endocrinology and renal
• PAC4451 Integrated therapeutics: Dermatology and pain

Second semester

• PAC4382 Context for practice III
• PAC4462 Integrated therapeutics: Neurology and oncology
• PAC4472 Integrated therapeutics: Psychiatry
• PAC4482 Integrated therapeutics: Advanced practice

Bachelor of Pharmacy (with honours)

Students will qualify for the in-course Bachelor of Pharmacy (with honours) at the conclusion of the four-year pharmacy course, awarded in one of the grades of H1, H2A or H2B, where the aggregate of the marks they obtain in all units attempted reaches minimum levels of achievement determined by the faculty board. See the faculty in-course honours policy at http://www.pharm.monash.edu.au/students/undergrad/honourscalculations.html.

(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 Bachelor of Commerce component 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 Commerce

Bachelor of Pharmacy

Bachelor of Pharmacy with honours

Where more than one award is listed for one or both components of the double degree the actual award(s) conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved, or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.