Undergraduate - UnitBEH1022 - Pharmacotherapy in community-based emergency health

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit	Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedics
Offered	Peninsula Second semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Mr Nathan Stam

Synopsis

Paramedics encounter an abundance of pharmaceutical agents within their practice. This unit is designed to assist students to develop foundational knowledge, skills and judgments regarding pharmacotherapy within community-based emergency health. The social, political, legal and ethical implications of drug use and abuse within the individual, family and community will also be examined. These concepts will be developed further in second and third year. Three of the course themes will be integrated throughout the unit:

population health and illness in society;
foundations of the paramedic clinician; and
science knowledge and evidence

Outcomes

Describe the basic principles of pharmacology, drug administration and monitoring as they relate to paramedic practice;
Identify routes of administration, absorption rates and safe work practices as they relate to paramedic practice;
Demonstrate proficiency in calculation of drug dosages for administration of medications by paramedics by a variety of routes;
Describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of chemicals and substances introduced into the body;
Examine legal responsibilities associated with the administration and safe keeping of drugs within paramedic practice;
Discuss common pharmaceutical agents encountered within the pre-hospital setting;
Analyse the social, political, cultural, legal and ethical implications of drug abuse in relation to legal and illegal drugs.

Assessment

Worksheet: (15%)
Calculations Exercise: (15%)
2000 word written report: (30%)
Examination: (40%)

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Nathan Stam

Contact hours

12 hours study per week comprising:
2 x 2 hour lectures;
1 x 2 hour tutorials;
6 hours self directed study and preparation of assignments
The student is expected to undertake one hour of self-directed study for each contact hour.

Prerequisites

Enrolment in the Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic)