Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Course

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 this course 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.

Successful applicants who have commenced or completed other postgraduate programs in clinical pharmacy may apply for credit for relevant prior studies. Credit will be determined on an individual basis after a review of units completed and course documentation.

24 credit points

This course requires four weeks of placement in a specialty area under the supervision of an experienced specialty clinical pharmacist preceptor approved by the course director. The placement may be undertaken in a four-week block, or as two blocks each of two weeks. It is expected that all four weeks will be carried out in the same specialty area of practice. Placements should not generally be undertaken in the student's normal workplace.

Students complete a four-week speciality rotation with an experienced clinical preceptor, develop a research proposal for a practice-based research project, write a project/grant proposal, and submit an ethics proposal and gain ethics approval from their practice site and from Monash University. Areas of study include:

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

Students will present work in progress to a panel, conduct a literature review, and present a final verbal report of the research undertaken and submit a written report of their research project.

Great importance is placed on active student participation in seminar presentations and discussion groups, and student performance is closely monitored.

Students complete the following units:

• ECX9720 Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics
• PGC5001 Evidence-based practice
• PGC5002 Patient data and pharmacotherapy I
• PGC6006 Specialty clinical placement
• PGC6005 Journal club
• PGC6007 Introduction to clinical research
• PGC6008 Clinical research II
• PGC6004 Patient data and pharmacotherapy III
• PGC6009 Clinical research III
• PGC6003 Patient data and pharmacotherapy II or PGC6010 Infectious diseases pharmacotherapy

Minimum grade for course completion

A minimum of 65 per cent is required in both PGP5001 and ECX9720.

Students who do not achieve the required grades may be transfered to the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice.

Master of Clinical Pharmacy