Monash University Handbook 2013 Undergraduate - Units

At the end of this unit, students can be expected to:

1. Describe the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including the transcription / translation processes, energy utilisation, and the role of the major classes of macromolecules;
2. Describe the structure and function of each major organ / organ system considered within the course;
3. Explain the function of each major organ / organ system considered within the course, with reference to the structure;
4. Explain the physiological basis for the most common disease states to affect each organ / organ system considered within the course;
5. Analyse simple examples of cellular and organ dysfunction, and be able to explain the likely consequences for the function of the system;
6. Demonstrate the development of written communication skills appropriate for first year students- explain the pathophysiology for one disease state and one drug treatment associated, relating the drug target to the disease state.

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

1. Apply the key concepts in chemical structure and bonding, including functional groups, to rationalising the shape, properties and reactions of molecules;
2. Explain the role of molecular shapes and electronic distributions as the basis for drug-receptor interactions;
3. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques.

After completing this unit students should be able to:

1. Describe the function of the lungs and airways and how these organs are controlled;
2. Draw a schematic diagram of the kidney, skin and gastrointestinal tract and label the important functional structures within the organs;
3. Explain the function of the kidney, skin and gastrointestinal tract and the pathophysiology of major disorders of these organs;
4. Explain the physiological basis for the most common disease states affecting the kidney, skin and gastrointestinal tract;
5. Analyse simple examples of organ dysfunction, and be able to explain the likely consequences for the function of the system;
6. Draw a schematic diagram of the reproductive system in both males and females and label the structures involved;
7. Explain the normal physiological roles played by each of the organs within these systems;
8. Demonstrate the development of written and oral communication skills appropriate for 1st year students - explain the pathophysiology for one disease state and one associated drug treatment, relating the drug target to the disease state;
9. Have a sound knowledge of the physiology of various systems throughout the body
10. Explain complex physiological mechanisms in writing;
11. Have a good understanding of how physiological systems interact and are modified in disease conditions;
12. Work as a team to complete a research task;
13. Articulate what they know about complex physiological mechanisms orally.

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

1. Apply the key concepts in chemical structure and bonding, including functional groups, to rationalising the shape, properties and reactions of molecules;
2. Explain the role of molecular shapes and electronic distributions as the basis for drug-receptor interactions;
3. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques.

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

1. Describe differences between the various states of matter, and the concepts of phase equilibria (phase rule, degrees of freedom, miscibility, azeotropes, eutectics) and calculate degrees of freedom for systems with defined components and phase behaviour;
2. Define thermodynamic quantities and laws of thermodynamics, describe concepts of state functions, state variables, and the ideal state;
3. Define acidity and basicity constants in the context of species in solution, describe the principles behind the role of buffers, and discuss their importance in pharmacy. Perform calculations to describe the influence of pH on properties of species in solution;
4. Recognise the most common organic functional groups that exhibit acidic or basic behaviour in aqueous solutions;
5. Describe and perform calculations involving oxidation potentials and discuss their relevance in pharmaceutical products;
6. Describe kinetics terminology including reaction rate, rate constant, order of reaction, elementary step, rate determining step and catalysis. Describe kinetic theories. Describe the relationships between and conduct calculations involving reaction rates, concentration, temperature and activation energy;
7. Conduct integration of simple functions, and evaluate definite integrals, integrals by algebraic substitution and integration of algebraic functions;
8. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques.

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

1. Discuss the physicochemical principles that underpin the important processes of pharmaceutical solids dissolving to form a solution. In particular an understanding of dissolution, solubility and distribution are critical in many areas of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science;
2. Describe the various forms of pharmaceutical solids, both drug forms and other components (excipients) and their role and impact when used to produce solution-based formulations;
3. Discuss the basic physical chemistry of solutions once formed, including: the terms solution, supersaturation, solubility (ideal and non-ideal), solubility parameter, dissolution, distribution and partitioning, the influence of ionizable functional groups and structure on solution behaviour, the properties of polymers in solution and their rheological aspects and physical chemical concepts of solutions of non-electrolytes and electrolytes;
4. Undertake calculations concerning the physico-chemical properties of drug solutions including changes in solubility with pH for ionisable compounds; calculate molar conductivities, ionic strength, partial pressures for ideal and non-ideal systems, and express solution concentrations in molarity, molality, mol fraction and equivalents;
5. Suggest strategies typically used to improve drug solubility, and to outline the theories for prediction of drug solubility from solid state properties;
6. Discuss the pharmaceutical applications of colligative properties of solutions and undertake calculations including molarity, molality, millimoles, miiliosmoles, gram percent concentrations and isotonic concentrations and isotonicity adjustment of solutions;
7. Explain how drug transport across biological membranes is influenced by various physicochemical factors, in particular dissolution, ionization and distribution characteristics.

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

1. Describe the framework for patient-centered care including the roles of pharmacists, the medicines management pathway, aspects related to medication safety, the practice of pharmacy in rural settings, the basic legal requirements related to pharmacy practice and medicines use and the Australian health care system;
2. Describe the use of some commonly prescribed medicines and selected topics associated with different dose forms, routes of administrations and dose adjustments;
3. Retrieve, interpret and communicate (orally or in writing) basic information about medicines or health care issues, and apply it to patient-centered care;
4. Perform pharmaceutical and basic biostatistical calculations that are relevant to the practice of pharmacy;
5. Describe the basic concepts of pharmacoepidemiology and know when to apply these concepts;
6. Apply (at basic level) patient-centered care in the practice of pharmacy including of medicines, recording prescriptions, labeling the medicines and counseling patients;
7. Describe the normal developmental processes and pertinent themes/concepts of human development, and are able to related them to their own experience / patient's, where applicable.

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

1. Describe the use of some commonly prescribed medicines;
2. Retrieve, interpret and communicate (orally or in writing) basic information about medicines or health care issues, and apply it to pharmacy practice;
3. Dispense simple dose forms of medicines;
4. Perform basic pharmaceutical and statistics calculations;
5. Describe the different pharmacy organisations (including their roles and objectives), ethical practice (at basic level) and what is continuing professional development;
6. Describe the basic concepts of statistics and know when to use the appropriate analyses;
7. Critically examine the influence of their own experiences, background and culture on their attitudes towards illness and medicine and their ability to learn, and contrast these with the values and beliefs of others in the community;
8. Critically examine the influence of patient's experiences, background and culture on their attitude towards medicine and health professionals;
9. Develop strategies for maintaining or optimising their own mental health status, and that, of their patients;
10. Discuss the different perspectives on health, illness and healthcare practice;
11. describe the impact of cultural diversity on health status and principles of cultural responsiveness;
12. Describe the association between health and illness and social influences like age, disability, social position, gender, ethnicity, ecology and access to healthcare;
13. Consider appropriate adaptations of healthcare practices to suit cultural and social circumstances;
14. Examine the similarities and differences between personal and professional behaviour.

After completing this unit, students will be able to:

1. To demonstrate their understanding of the basic biochemistry of body constituents by describing (comparing and contrasting) and explaining the structure, function and classification of the major biomolecules and analysing how these can be altered or perturbed in disease states;
2. To demonstrate their understanding of the nature of information transfer and molecular biology methods by describing and explaining aspects of the processes from an enzymatic to biomolecular level and predicting how these can be altered or perturbed in disease states;
3. To demonstrate their understanding of the principle metabolic pathways and the basis of their regulation and connections by describing their roles and differentiating how they are regulated from a hormonal to enzymatic level at the cellular, organ and whole body levels;
4. To demonstrate their understanding of integrated biochemical and physiological functions, pathophysiological and biochemical or genetic perturbations as they affect bodily functions by predicting and differentiating how the metabolic pathways are regulated under normal fed, and fasting conditions and diseased conditions such as diabetes mellitus type 1.

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

1. Differentiate between the basic molecular-genetic mechanisms by which cells are regulated in a multicellular organism;
2. Appreciate the fundamental approaches and methods used to study cells;
3. Describe the special properties inherent to stem cells or specialized cells;
4. Understand the ways in which cell control is disrupted in diseases such as cancer;
5. Diagnose a disorder by examination of signs and symptoms;
6. Relate modifications of physiological and molecular mechanisms to the observed disorder and describe the role of receptor activation and intracellular signalling in normal and abnormal cellular function.

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

1. Identify functional groups in drug molecules and describe the bonding interactions they may undergo with a target macromolecule;
2. Define the stereochemistry of chiral compounds and discuss why the shapes of drug molecules are important for biological activity ;
3. Relate the bioavailability and physicochemical properties of a drug molecule to its chemical structure;
4. Recognise and describe structural modification strategies used to optimise the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of a drug;
5. Apply the concepts of QSAR;
6. Describe the general synthetic strategies used to synthesise drug leads and their analogues;
7. Analyse and interpret data to describe chemical structures;
8. Be proficient in basic chemical laboratory techniques and communicating results in written form.

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

1. List and describe in detail the categories of proteins with which drugs interact;
2. List and explain the properties of a drug that determine its affinity, efficacy and potency;
3. Describe the chemistry of drug-receptor interactions, and explain the properties of drug and receptor that determine binding and efficacy;
4. Evaluate the interactions between drug and receptor that determine efficacy based on theoretical or empirical information;
5. Calculate drug affinity, potency and efficacy based on model data, and make comparisons between drugs based on such data;
6. Describe the mechanisms of action of several classes of emerging therapeutic classes;
7. Effectively apply the principles of affinity, efficacy and potency to find solutions to problems associated with commonly used drugs;
8. Based on laboratory experience within this unit, demonstrate a personal understanding of the biological evaluation of drug affinity, efficacy and potency.

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

1. Discuss the characteristics and properties of polymers in the solid state;
2. Describe the fundamental and derived properties of drugs including a detailed knowledge of the concept of particle size, particle size distributions and specific surface, and undertake calculations associated with particle size distributions and specific surface;
3. Discuss the importance and theory of powder drying, mixing and particle size reduction;
4. Explain formulation principles of tablets and capsules and undertake problems by applying theoretical knowledge in relation to formulation principles;
5. Discuss the primary physiological factors influencing drug absorption across the small intestine and the effects of altering rate of absorption and extent of absorption on plasma concentration and amount of drug in the body;
6. Define and calculate pharmacokinetic parameters, including drug clearance, elimination half-life, volume of distribution, fraction unbound, fraction excreted unchanged in urine and steady state plasma concentration after intravenous infusions and multiple dosing;
7. Describe the impact of plasma protein binding on hepatic and renal elimination processes;
8. Estimate the absolute and relative bioavailability of drugs given either plasma or urine concentration data.

After completing this unit, students will be able to:

1. Apply specific strategies and resources to enhance communication with patients and other health care professionals;
2. Communicate with patients and other health care professionals in a considered and systematic way, focussing on best clinical outcomes;
3. Apply approaches to communication with patients and other health care professionals in special settings and with specific groups of people;
4. Identify clinical and other health terminology used;
5. Interpret health terminology for clinical decision-making and for translating into meaningful language for patients.

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

1. Describe the broad public health perspectives and framework for providing; therapeutic services and care to patients, and for working with other health care professionals;
2. Discuss the process for formulating health policy and the impact of various health policies;
3. Describe the roles of other health care professionals;
4. Discuss the principles and application of the Quality Use of Medicine Strategy of the National Medicines Policy;
5. Systematically conduct a literature review and a subsequent critical appraisal to answer a clinical enquiry;
6. Interpret the results of statistical tests when critically appraising the literature to answer a clinical enquiry;
7. Perform statistical tests that are frequently used in the reporting of health care research and that underpin evidence based practice;
8. Dispense medicines and solve clinical problems;
9. Perform pharmaceutical calculations relevant to the practice of pharmacy.

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

1. Describe the epidemiology and concepts of disease state management of cardiovascular diseases including the concepts affecting the management of various types of patients (e.g. paediatric and geriatric patients);
2. Evaluate a patient's laboratory test results to assist with the diagnosis or management of disease;
3. Describe the normal function of the cardiovascular system and the signs and symptoms likely to be seen in patients with the disorders;
4. Recognise when referral for medical assessment is required with a particular emphasis on cardinal symptoms;
5. Relate modifications of physiological and molecular mechanisms to the observed disorder;
6. Describe the chemistry of the different types of drugs used to treat these disorders and the chemical and biological principals behind the development of a range of drugs used to treat these disorders;
7. Describe drug and non-drug therapy options for the management of cardiovascular disease and primary and secondary prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease;
8. Evaluate a patient's disease state, identify any drug therapy problems and recommend appropriate resolutions of those problems;
9. Formulate a medical management program for specific patients based on their medical, medication and psychosocial histories and laboratory test results;
10. Apply basic counselling strategies that optimize behavioural change support for patients with chronic conditions.

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

1. demonstrate fundamental concepts in microbiology and associated immunology including basic technologies, classification of microorganisms, principles of microbial genetics, and immunological processes;
2. evaluate and differentiate basic microbiological laboratory techniques and how to apply these to the identification of different types of pathogenic microorganisms;
3. demonstrate an appreciation of factors involved in contamination control and control of infectious diseases;
4. illustrate the ecological role of microorganisms and analyse interactions between microorganisms and the host including interactions with humans and the principles of immunology and epidemiology.

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

1. Describe steady state plasma concentration and factors affecting steady state plasma concentration; calculate steady state concentrations after a particular dose and dosing interval;
2. Describe common routes of drug metabolism and drug transport and predict changes in pharmacokinetics associated with inter-individual variability;
3. Explain how drug transporters present in the small intestine, liver, kidney and blood-brain barrier may impact on disposition of drugs and potential drug-drug interactions;
4. Evaluate and predict how pharmacokinetics may alter in various disease states and patient groups (pregnancy, obesity, geriatrics, paediatrics);
5. Generate a drug regimen based on therapeutic drug monitoring principles;
6. Discuss particular examples where drug-drug interactions impact on pharmacokinetics and patient therapy;
7. Explain and exemplify formulation principles of colloidal and solid in liquid dispersions, aerosol systems and foams, semisolids and modified release pharmaceutical drug delivery systems.

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

1. Estimate rate constants, half-lives and shelf-lives for drug substances and products; Interpret pH-rate profiles for typical drugs and understand the main physicochemical properties that control chemical reaction rates;
2. Understand organic chemical reaction mechanisms for degradation of common drug functional groups; apply this knowledge to stabilization of drugs that are susceptible to hydrolysis, oxidation and photochemical degradation;
3. Understand basic features of drug inactivation by physical means;
4. Provide a summary of the necessary preformulation tools for new drug characterisation;
5. Given information on the bulk, physicochemical and stability properties of a drug, provide a clear strategy for the choice and development of a formulation of that drug;
6. Discuss the formulation of injections, including the purpose of all excipients used, and the general processes for the manufacture of injections including reconstitutable injections;
7. Discuss issues in the use of glass, plastic and rubber packaging materials;
8. Discuss contamination control and aseptic processing of sterile pharmaceuticals;
9. Describe sterilization processes, validation, sterility assurance and end product sterility testing;
10. Discuss microbial stability issues of pharmaceuticals and principles and practices of disinfection and preservation;
11. Appreciate the spectrum of disciplines involved in pharmaceutical biotechnology products.

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

1. Describe the principles of management in the context of pharmacy practice with a focus on personal management skills and human resources management;
2. Discuss the legal requirements for best pharmacy practice and apply these principles in various practice situations;
3. Discuss the principles and procedures of medication safety initiatives in hospitals;
4. Describe the principles of harm reduction, its importance in the social context and the role of pharmacists;
5. Discuss the principles and procedures underlying the management of poisoning and overdose; and
6. Dispense multiple prescriptions, including extemporaneous products, with accuracy under time pressure.

At the completion of this unit the student should be able to:

1. Describe the role of the pharmacist in patient care, the ethical codes that guide the profession of pharmacy and apply those in a practice setting;
2. Describe the Australian health care system, alternative therapies, competency and practice standards documents, and aged care services;
3. Apply the principles of multiple medication management and problem solving skills to clinical situations in various practice settings;
4. Describe the practice of pharmacy in hospital and rural settings;
5. Describe the principles and procedures in the provision of drug information;
6. Perform pharmaceutical calculations relevant to the practice of pharmacy;
7. Prepare and dispense extemporaneous preparations and dispense proprietary products with 100% accuracy in different practice settings using commercial dispensing programs;
8. Provide reliable and unbiased drug information to health professionals and consumers;
9. Undertake comprehensive medication reviews in different practice settings;
10. Communicate effectively with patients and other health professionals.

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

1. Describe the epidemiology and concepts of disease state management of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases including the concepts affecting the management of various types of patients (e.g. paediatric and geriatric patients);
2. Evaluate a patient's laboratory test results to assist with the diagnosis or management of disease;
3. Describe the normal function of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, and the signs and symptoms likely to be seen in patients with respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders;
4. Recognise when referral for medical assessment is required with a particular emphasis on cardinal symptoms;
5. Relate modifications of physiological and molecular mechanisms to the observed disorder;
6. Describe the chemistry of the different types of drugs used to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders and the chemical and biological principals behind the development of a range of drugs used to treat these disorders;
7. Describe drug and non-drug therapy options for the management of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases and primary and secondary prevention strategies for respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases;
8. Evaluate a patient's disease state, identify any drug therapy problems and recommend appropriate resolutions of those problems;
9. Formulate a medical management program for specific patients based on their medical, medication and psychosocial histories and laboratory test results.

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

• Describe the epidemiology of a range of infectious diseases;
• Discuss the chemistry, classification, functions and pharmaceutical aspects of a range of antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-parasitic agents;
• Explain the pathophysiology of infectious diseases ;
• Describe the mechanism of action of various classes of antimicrobials agents;
• Describe the structure-activity relationships and mechanism of action of anti-infective agents;
• Describe the signs and symptoms likely to be seen in patients with the disorders;
• Diagnose minor infections by consideration of signs and symptoms;
• Recognise when referral for medical assessment is required with a particular emphasis on cardinal symptoms;
• Discuss the role of the immune system in hypersensitivity reactions, the development of immunity and auto-immune diseases;
• Discuss the role of antimicrobials and their uses for various disease states;
• Describe the problems of infectious disease world-wide and the major problems of resistance;
• Identify the possibility of interactions between certain antimicrobials and other drugs and conditions;
• Recognise the role of the pharmacist in communicating with the patients and liaising with other health care professionals to monitor patient care;
• Formulate a medical management program for a specific patient based on a diagnosis;
• Identify any drug therapy problems and recommend appropriate resolutions of those problems;
• Work in a team to achieve a common goal.

The aim of this unit is to provide students the opportunity to gain further skills in research and problem solving, and an understanding of current research activities within the faculty. The unit is designed for the student who wishes to enhance these skills for a career in pharmacy or who might wish to pursue further study in research orientated postgraduate programs.

At the end of this unit students will be expected to have developed:

1. An understanding of recent some advances in research in pharmaceutical science or pharmacy practice and a detailed knowledge of the literature within the area of their project;
2. An ability to define an approach to solving a research problem, undertake literature searches effectively, critically analyse and interpret the literature with a view to solving the problem and planning and writing a research report;
3. An appreciation of basic research philosophies and approaches.

The aim of this unit is to provide students the opportunity to gain skills in research and an understanding of current research activities within the faculty. The unit is designed for the student who may wish to pursue further study in research-orientated postgraduate programs.

The elective aims to:

• provide students with experience in an area of research
• provide students with an insight into future opportunities in the area of research
• encourage and attract high quality students interested in pursuing a career in research, the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry or academia.

At the end of this elective, students will be expected to have developed:

1. An understanding of some recent advances in research in pharmaceutical science or pharmacy practice and the literature within their area of research;
2. An appreciation of the need to define a hypothesis, design an approach to test the hypothesis, plan the experiments, undertake the experiments, analyse and interpret the data and write a research report;
3. An appreciation of basic research philosophies and approaches.

The aim of this international experience in pharmacy unit is to allow students to broaden their understanding of the practice of pharmacy in another country. A greater understanding will assist students to put the Australian 'scene' in perspective, and may serve to foster ideas of better ways to practise as a pharmacist.

At the end of this placement students will be expected to have developed:

1. an understanding of:
1. the health care system in their host country, with a particular emphasis on the roles of pharmacists
2. the dispensing and counselling processes in the host country
3. how the health care system and practice of pharmacy in the host country compares with that in Australia

2. an ability to:
1. provide primary health care in the context of the health care system in the host country
2. provide comprehensive patient-centred care
3. dispense prescriptions

3. an appreciation of:
1. the strengths and weaknesses of pharmacy practice in the host country
2. the need to apply organisational skills in the practice of pharmacy.

The aim of this unit is to provide an introduction to leadership principles and concepts of change management in the context of pharmacy practice. It will differentiate leadership from management and will consider the basic theories of leadership and team-building. Students will develop skills in identifying opportunities for change, implementing and evaluating change in an evidence-based manner.

This unit also aims to develop students' generic skills in critical thinking, communication and problem-solving.

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

1. Describe the concepts of good leadership;
2. Identify their personal leadership characteristics;
3. Describe the principles associated with change management;
4. Work in a team;
5. Lead a team.

This unit aims to help the students develop as professionals and as individuals and their understanding of the distribution and determinants of health. It also aims to facilitate the acquiring of knowledge about the effects of being disadvantaged on health and the development of skills while working in the community.

At the end of the placement, the students should demonstrate an understanding of; or develop skills in:

• the way the organisation works
• professional relationships within and external to the organisation
• the users of the services provided by the agencies and the issues encountered
• the relationships between the service providers and the clients/communities served
• the impact of political, economic and social policies on the organisation, staff professional practice and service users
• communication, ethical awareness, socio-cultural understanding; professional behaviour with diverse populations.

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

• Understand the "whole person", and in particular the social and economic context of health and illness
• Appreciate the interplay of medical, scientific, social, cultural, political, economic and ethical factors in health promotion
• Develop knowledge of barriers faced by people in accessing services, their relevance to medicine and individuals health
• Develop an understanding of social and public policy and how it impacts on individuals health
• Develop an appreciation of how and why community organisations deliver their services
• Develop skills in communicating placement experience to an audience by different methods (oral and written presentations).

This aim of this unit is to expand the student's knowledge of biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and formulation considerations for a range of non-oral drug delivery routes, advanced oral drug delivery technologies and targeted drug delivery systems.

The unit will also provide students with an overview of the drug development process from pre-clinical stages through to product registration. Additionally, this unit aims to develop students' generic skills in evaluation of scientific literature, critical thinking, problem-solving, report writing, leadership and working in teams.

In this unit students will develop an appreciation of:

1. The role of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and its responsibilities in ensuring the safe, efficacy, and quality of medicines available in Australia;
2. The process of clinical drug development ;
3. The importance of Good Manufacturing Practices in the pharmaceutical industry.

In this unit, students will develop an understanding of:

1. The biopharmaceutical barriers to effective drug delivery various routes of drug delivery;
2. The formulation approaches that can be employed to overcome the biopharmaceutical barriers to effective drug delivery via various routes of drug delivery;
3. The advantages and disadvantages of various routes of delivery;
4. Situations when one route of delivery is preferred over another route of drug delivery;
5. The need for a quality system in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals;
6. The process for drug registration for a generic formulation compared to a novel therapeutic drug;
7. Phase I, II and III clinical trials.

In this unit students will develop skills in:

1. Analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and identification of key excipients;
2. Locating and evaluating scientific literature on pharmaceutical drug formulations;
3. Working effectively in teams;
4. Time management and meeting deadlines;
5. Writing scientific reports that reflect an understanding of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical rationale behind a specific pharmaceutical formulation;
6. Preparing high quality, well formatted and presented written documents.

Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Describe the biopharmaceutical barriers to effective drug delivery various routes of drug delivery
• Discuss the formulation approaches that can be employed to overcome the biopharmaceutical barriers to effective drug delivery via various routes of drug delivery
• Analyse pharmaceutical formulations and identify key excipients and describe the potential functions of the excipients in the formulation
• Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of various routes of delivery
• Identify situations when one route of delivery is preferential to another route of delivery for a drug
• Discuss the need for a quality system in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and the role of Good Manufacturing Practices
• Explain why the process for drug registration for a generic formulation can be different to a novel therapeutic drug
• Summarise the purpose of Phase I, II and III clinical trials
• Describe the role of the TGA and its responsibilities in ensuring the safe, efficacy, and quality of medicines available in Australia
• Explain the process of clinical drug development
• Propose a rationale behind a specific pharmaceutical formulation
• Prepare a high quality, well formatted and presented written document.

Students will develop practice skills in a range of settings by applying the knowledge and understanding they have gleaned from other units within the course.
Specific learning outcomes for each PEP type are listed in the relevant student PEP manual.

At the completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Appreciate the leadership role of the pharmacist;
2. Plan life-long learning in the context required by the Pharmacy Board of Australia for registration purposes;
3. Dispense legally and accurately, including being proficient in pharmaceutical calculations;
4. Describe various extended roles of pharmacists.

This unit aims to provide the foundations for understanding the main endocrine (hormone) systems in man, diseases of the endocrine system and pharmacotherapies that act through these systems. It will

also provide the basic knowledge required for the diagnosis and management of patients with renal disease.

• The chemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of medications associated with each area will be presented in detail in an integrated fashion
• The signs and symptoms associated with these conditions
• The chemistry of the different classes of drugs used in the management of these disorders
• The concepts of structure-activity relationships for the drugs used in the management of these disorders
• The pharmacology of the drugs used in the management of these disorders.
• The signs and symptoms, emphasising cardinal symptoms, of many conditions associated with these areas
• The management of thyroid disease, diabetes and men's and women's health issues including drug and non-drug therapies
• Management of renal disease including drug and non-drug therapies
• Current best practice for the management of these conditions with emphasis on the role of the pharmacist
• Individual differences which may occur in these disorders and how they can be managed.

1. The pathophysiology of pain and a range of musculoskeletal and dermatological conditions;
2. Skin structure and skin pathology;
3. The signs and symptoms associated with a range of musculoskeletal and dermatological conditions;
4. The chemistry of the different classes of drugs used in the management of these disorders;
5. The concepts of structure-activity relationships for the drugs used in the management of these disorders;
6. The pharmacology of the drugs used in the management of these disorders;
7. The pharmacology and pathways associated with nociception;
8. The signs and symptoms, emphasising cardinal symptoms, of many conditions associated with these areas.
9. Current best practice for the management of pain and musculoskeletal conditions, including drug and non-drug therapies, with emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
10. Current best practice for the management common dermatological conditions, including drug and non-drug therapies, with emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
11. Individual differences which may occur in these disorders and how they can be managed.

1. This unit aims to lay a foundation of knowledge about diseases and disorders in neurology and oncology and to provide the relationship between pathophysiology and the rational design and use of drugs in the management of conditions of this type.
2. The chemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of medications associated with each area are presented in detail in an integrated fashion.
3. Drug therapy principles for particular conditions and patient groups will be emphasised enabling students to acquire the skills necessary to provide clinical pharmacy services within these areas.
4. Specifically the unit will cover epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke and a range of common malignancies such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, skin cancer, leukaemia, lung cancer, etc. It will also deal with principles of palliative care and management of patients at the end of life.
5. Students will perform a number of tasks which will help with the development of critical thinking skills and oral and written communication skills.

1. The anatomy and terminology of the central nervous system.
2. The pathophysiology of a range of common psychiatric disorders.
3. The chemistry of medications used in the management of psychiatric disorders.
4. The concepts of structure activity relationship for the drugs used in the management of psychiatric disorders.
5. The pharmacology of the drugs used in the management of psychiatric disorders.
6. The chemistry and pharmacology of drugs of abuse.
7. The signs and symptoms, emphasising cardinal symptoms, of common psychiatric disorders.
8. Diagnosing and differentiating psychiatric disorders.
9. Management of psychiatric disorders including drug and non-drug therapies.
10. Current best practice for the medical management of these conditions with emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
11. Individual differences which may occur in these disorders and how they can be managed.

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

1. Retrieve and evaluate information on a range of topics;
2. Present information relating to a topic in a coherent manner;
3. Work in a team to achieve a common goal;
4. Communicate effectively to peers, both in oral and written form;
5. Describe issues related to the management of patients with multiple diseases/acute illnesses;
6. Evaluate individual patients' disease state management for multiple diseases;
7. Determine appropriate therapeutic goals for a patient with multiple disease states and/or acute illnesses;
8. Determine an appropriate monitoring program to allow assessment of management goals;
9. Identify and analyse therapeutic management problems in patients with multiple disease states and determine appropriate monitoring regimens and management options that demonstrate the principles of evidence-based practice and quality use of medicines;
10. Formulate an appropriate management plan for a patient based on the use drug and non-drug therapies;
11. Conduct a Medication Management review for patients with multiple medication management;
12. Identify solutions to a range of therapeutic issues in patients with multiple management problems;
13. Contribute to the multidisciplinary management of a patient;
14. Describe the role of the pharmacist in the multidisciplinary team;
15. Recognise when referral for medical assessment is required with a particular emphasis on cardinal symptoms;
16. Evaluate a patient's laboratory test results to assist with the diagnosis or management of disease;
17. Evaluate a patient's disease state and the use of appropriate medications;
18. Identify any drug therapy problems and recommend appropriate resolutions of those problems;
19. Formulate a medical management program for specific patients based on their medical, medication and psychosocial histories and laboratory test results.

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

1. Describe the structure of each major organ / organ system considered within the course;
2. Explain the function of each major organ / organ system considered within the course;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the physiological basis for the most common disease states to affect each organ / organ system considered within the course;
4. Provide a detailed explanation of the rationale for the use of at least one drug therapy for each organ / organ system considered within the course, relating the drug target to the disease state;
5. Research a topic in the area of physiology, and present the findings of such research to peers at an appropriate scientific level.

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

1. Describe the structure of each major organ / organ system considered within the course;
2. Explain the function of each major organ / organ system considered within the course;
3. Explain the physiological basis for the most common disease states to affect each organ / organ system considered within the course;
4. Provide a detailed explanation of the rationale for the use of at least one drug therapy for each organ / organ system considered within the course, relating the drug target to the disease state;
5. Analyse simple examples organ dysfunction, and be able to explain the likely consequences for the function of the system.

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

1. Apply the key concepts in chemical structure and bonding, including functional groups, to rationalising the shape, properties and reactions of molecules;
2. Explain the role of molecular shapes and electronic distributions as the basis for drug-receptor interactions;
3. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques.

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

1. Apply the key concepts in chemical structure and bonding, including functional groups, to rationalising the shape, properties and reactions of molecules;
2. Explain the role of molecular shapes and electronic distributions as the basis for drug-receptor interactions;
3. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques.

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

1. Describe differences between the various states of matter, and the concepts of phase equilibria (phase rule, degrees of freedom, miscibility, azeotropes, eutectics) and calculate degrees of freedom for systems with defined components and phase behaviour;
2. Define thermodynamic quantities and laws of thermodynamics, describe concepts of state functions, state variables, and the ideal state;
3. Define acidity and basicity constants in the context of species in solution, describe the principles behind the role of buffers, and discuss their importance in pharmacy. Perform calculations to describe the influence of pH on properties of species in solution;
4. Recognise the most common organic functional groups that exhibit acidic or basic behaviour in aqueous solutions;
5. Describe and perform calculations involving oxidation potentials and discuss their relevance in pharmaceutical products;
6. Describe kinetics terminology including reaction rate, rate constant, order of reaction, elementary step, rate determining step and catalysis. Describe kinetic theories. Describe the relationships between and conduct calculations involving reaction rates, concentration, and temperature and activation energy;
7. Be proficient in basic laboratory techniques, including familiarity with SI units.

Students will develop an:

1. Understanding of the physicochemical principles that underpin the important processes of pharmaceutical solids dissolving to form a solution. In particular an understanding of dissolution, solubility and distribution are critical in many areas of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science;
2. Understanding of the physical chemistry of solutions once formed will be gained through this unit, including the influence of ionizable functional groups and structure on solution behaviour;
3. Understanding of the behaviour of surface active agents at interfaces and in solution, and how micelles can improve drug solubilization;
4. Understand the physicochemical principles behind the formulation of liquid products, including one and two phase liquid systems;
5. Understanding of the behaviour and properties of pharmaceutical solids and semisolids;
6. Understanding of rheological concepts for fluids;
7. Understanding of the role and effect of components (excipients) used to produce solution based dose forms in the pharmacy field;
8. Ability to undertake calculations concerning the physico-chemical properties of drug solutions;
9. Ability to measure fundamental solution properties through practical exercises.

At the end of this unit students will be expected to:

• Describe the various forms of pharmaceutical solids and their impact on drug solution properties
• Describe the properties of polymers in solution and their rheological aspects
• Be able to calculate various rheological properties
• Describe the differences between the terms solution, supersaturation, solubility, solubility parameter, dissolution, distribution (in a physical chemistry sense) and partitioning
• Describe the factors that influence ideal and non-ideal solubility
• Describe strategies typically used to improve drug solubility
• Describe the impact of ionization on partitioning
• Outline the theories for prediction of drug solubility from solid state properties
• Calculate changes in solubility with pH for ionisable compounds
• Calculate and express solution concentrations in molarity, molality, mol fraction and equivalents
• Describe the physical chemical concepts of solutions of non-electrolytes in terms of vapour pressure, Raoult's Law and Henry's Law
• Describe the physical chemical concepts of solutions of electrolytes in terms of molar conductivity, Kolrausch's Law, activity and ionic strength
• Use Kolrausch's Law to calculate molar conductivities using the van't Hoff Factor Calculate partial pressures for ideal and non-ideal systems given concentrations and activity coefficients. Calculate ionic strength using activity coefficients, Debye Huckel approximation and the extended Debye Huckel theory
• Outline the common colligative properties and perform simple calculations to quantify these properties
• Describe the meaning and importance of isotonicity in pharmacy, and perform simple calculations of isotonicity. Describe methods of determination of tonicity of pharmaceutical solutions
• Describe each component of Fick's first law of diffusion in relation to drug transport across biological membranes
• Calculate the percentage of ionized and unionized species of an ionizable drug molecule at different pH values and describe the impact of such pH changes on overall drug absorption across a biological membrane
• Describe the behaviour of surface active molecules at interfaces
• Describe the different classes of surface active molecules and their effect on surface tension
• Describe the location and behaviour of surface active molecules in multiphase systems, particularly emulsions
• Calculate hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, and quantities of surfactants required to form emulsions of a required HLB value.

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

1. Be able to make calculations such as dilutions accurately;
2. Be able to present data graphically and to interpret the shapes of graphs.
3. To be able to use functions involving logarithms and exponents;
4. To understand the process of differentiation and integration and to be able to perform these processes by a number of techniques;
5. To be able to quantify the relationship between variables using such techniques as regression and correlation;
6. Describe the statistical principles behind significance testing of experimental data;
7. Analyse statistically experimental data and determine statistical significance;
8. Appreciate the importance of statistics in pharmaceutical sciences.

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

1. Explain to peers how drugs have been discovered in the past and how molecular biological methods have revolutionised the science of drug discovery;
2. Understand and describe how molecular, cellular, tissue and in vivo biological assays each play a role in drug discovery;
3. Apply the principles involved in chemical synthesis of drugs;
4. Apply the principles of chemical structure-based drug design;
5. Apply the principles in the processes of lead optimization;
6. Apply basic formulation concepts to the underlying requirements for formulating products with different types of product including; powders (including solid compacts), solids, semi-solids and liquids including suspensions and emulsions;
7. Be able to discuss how poisons and dangerous substances are controlled by legislation;
8. Produce a project plan with Gannt Charts, Work Breakdown Structures ;
9. Use Microsoft project to produce project plans.

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

1. Demonstrate an understanding of how the structure of lipids and proteins influence their function particularly in relation to membranes and receptors, transporters, ion channels and enzymes;
2. Analyse experimental results involving enzymes and receptor activation;
3. Explain the processes of intracellular signaling pathways activated by receptor ligands;
4. Compare and contrast different signaling pathways used by cells to respond to external signals;
5. Design experiments to test the activation of specific signaling pathways;
6. Analyse experiments and experimental techniques that are used in the study of biochemical pharmacology.

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

1. Identify how pharmacologically active chemicals can affect living systems through interactions with receptors;
2. Show how receptor activity can itself be modulated / modified / terminated by ligand binding;
3. Describe how modulation of receptor function enables the autonomic nervous system to regulate specific bodily functions;
4. Suggest possible cellular outcomes following multiple signalling inputs.

At the end of this unit students will develop:

1. A detailed knowledge of the structure of common functional groups contained in pharmaceuticals;
2. A detailed knowledge of the properties of functional groups, with a particular focus on steric, electronic and acid/base properties relevant to drug discovery and formulation;
3. An understanding of the reactivity of these functional groups;
4. An understanding of basic reaction mechanisms, kinetics and thermodynamics;
5. The practical ability to
1. perform a basic chemical reaction
2. purify the product(s)
3. analyse and characterise the product(s).

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

1. Describe the chemical compositions of aqueous solutions, the effects of electrolytes on chemical equilibria and solve equilibrium calculations for simple and complex systems;
2. Describe the basic principles underlying gravimetric and titrimetric methods of analysis (including precipitation titrations, neutralization titrations, complex acid/base systems, complexation reactions and titrations and non-aqueous titrations) and perform simple calculations to determine the concentrations of species of interest;
3. Develop an understanding of basic separations and chromatographic theory and apply this knowledge in predicting the separation, identification and quantitation of compounds;
4. Acquire knowledge of commonly used instrumental techniques for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of compounds, namely GLC and HPLC;
5. Explain the basic properties of electromagnetic radiation and the interactions between radiation and matter on an atomic and molecular level and calculate specific spectrochemical descriptors (energy, frequency, wavelength, % transmittance and absorbance);
6. Describe the functions of instrumental components used in optical spectrometry;
7. Describe the basic principles and applications of molecular absorption, molecular fluorescence and atomic absorption/emission spectroscopy;
8. Describe the fundamental principles of electrochemistry in terms of oxidation/reduction reactions, perform simple electrochemical calculations based upon the Nernst equation and describe the application of electrochemical techniques (oxidation/reduction titrations, potentiometry and voltammetry) to the analysis of commercially significant compounds.

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

1. Discuss the physiological and physicochemical factors affecting drug absorption across the small intestine;
2. Define and calculate pharmacokinetic parameters, including drug clearance, elimination half-life, volume of distribution, fraction unbound and fraction excreted unchanged in urine;
3. Calculate predicted plasma concentrations of drugs given the pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug;
4. Define bioavailability and estimate the absolute and relative bioavailability of drugs given plasma concentration data;
5. Understand the physical, chemical and biological factors affecting parenteral drug delivery;
6. Understand formulation techniques for poorly water soluble drugs;
7. Discuss the factors affecting drug delivery to the eye, buccal cavity, nasal cavity, skin, lungs, vagina and rectum.

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

1. Draw mechanisms and rationalise the outcome of a range of functional group manipulations;
2. Rationalise the use of functional groups in organic synthesis;
3. Understand the use of organometallic reagents in synthesis and their reaction mechanisms;
4. Understand the role of molecular orbitals in pericyclic rections Apply knowledge of organometallic, pericyclic and heterocyclic reactions to the design of synthetic routes for preparing simple organic compounds.

After completing this unit students will be expected to be able to:

1. Describe how spectroscopic techniques can be used in the process of identification of small drug like molecules;
2. Describe briefly the phenomena behind the spectroscopic techniques;
3. Analyse UV, IR, 1D NMR and Mass spectra of an unknown molecules and to use these to determine their structure;
4. Analyse 2D NMR spectra as a means to assign the NMR spectra of more complex molecules;
5. Demonstrate the correct reporting of spectroscopic data as used in medicinal chemistry.

At the end of this unit students will have:

1. A broad understanding of computational chemistry and its application to drug bimolecular problems;
2. An understanding of common molecular modelling terminology. An appreciation of the factors involved in performing quantum mechanical (QM) calculations and the information that these calculations can provide;
3. An appreciation of molecular mechanisms energy calculations and the information that these calculations can provide;
4. An understanding of the components making up molecular mechanic force fields including bond stretching, angle bending and dihedral angle terms and nonbonded interactions (van der Waals and electrostatic);
5. An understanding of molecular potential energy surfaces and the concepts of global and local minima;
6. An appreciation of energy optimisation methods including steepest descents and conjugate gradient methods;
7. An appreciation of approaches to finding global energy minima;
8. An understanding of the Boltzmann distribution and the relationship between temperature and the population of energetic states;
9. An appreciation of molecular simulation methods;
10. An understanding of drug physicochemical properties including electronic, steric and hydrophobic characteristics;
11. An understanding of the statistical methods used to develop QSAR equations;
12. An appreciation of the application of QSAR in drug discovery;
13. An appreciation of impact of drug physicochemical parameters on biopharmaceutical properties;
14. An understanding of the pharmacophore concept and its use in drug discovery;
15. An appreciation of structure and ligand-based drug design;
16. An appreciation of homology modelling methods;
17. The ability to use a specific molecular modelling package to study molecular conformation and analyse drug-receptor interactions;
18. Describe the molecular interactions which govern molecular structure including bonded, non-bonded and electrostatic interactions.

After completing this unit the student will have the following practical skills:

1. Perform simple molecular modeling studies using the molecular modeling package Sybyl;
2. Describe the processes involved in molecular mechanics energy calculations;
3. Explain the processes involved in running quantum mechanics calculations;
4. Interpret and critique a QSAR equation;
5. Generate statistically acceptable QSAR equations from physicochemical parameters and biological activity data;
6. Derive simple pharmacophore models;
7. Describe protein-ligand interactions and how an understanding of these can be applied to drug design;
8. Investigate a research topic using literature sources and write a simple report.

On completion of the unit students will:

1. Solve problems using standard methods for quantitative analysis of concentration-time profiles, to obtain degradation rate constants, half-lives and shelf-lives;
2. Solve problems involving the physicochemical factors that influence reaction rates, especially the roles of temperature and acid-base equilibria;
3. Describe the common mechanisms for chemical degradation of typical organic drugs and excipients, and their applicability to new situations, with emphasis on
1. nucleophilic reactions
2. free radical reactions
4. Solve problems requiring application of methods for minimising the extent of degradation reactions, thus leading to increased life-times of formulated products;
5. Identify the conditions under which the kinetics involved in oxidation, photochemical and solid state degradation reactions can be separated into simple and complex models;
6. Describe the key physicochemical issues for therapeutic proteins, including formulation by lyophilisation;
7. Describe a wide range of common pharmaceutical excipient types, their physicochemical properties and their roles in formulations.

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

1. Describe lyophilic and lyophobic colloids;
2. Differentiate between and illustrate kinetic and thermodynamic stability;
3. Differentiate between solutions and dispersions;
4. Define and describe rheological behaviour of suspensions and solutions;
5. Predict suspension stability in terms of DLVO theory;
6. Describe DLVO theory and its components;
7. Describe different types of interaction that can occur between particles in different concentration of polymer - both adsorbing and non-adsorbing;
8. Illustrate and describe the total energy of interaction between surfaces.

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

1. Demonstrate an understanding of eukaryotic cell biology by being able to explain the processes of normal cell function including comparing and contrasting how cellular processes are regulated
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of molecular biology and how it is used in cell biology
3. Explain, design and analyse molecular biology experiments
4. Explain how cell control is regulated in development and how it can be deregulated and predict its consequences
5. Analyse experiments and experimental techniques that are used in the study of cell biology

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

1. Describe the pathophysiology of the six diseases under study;
2. Describe the physiological mechanisms which have been affected by these disorder;
3. Explain how affected physiological mechanisms can be manipulated by currently used drugs;
4. Design an experiment using various biological research methods to identify targets which may be therapeutically useful in the treatment of the disorders to be studied;
5. Analyse data obtained from research data to see whether a new drug is considerably more effective than an established one;
6. Explain the different pharmacological targets which can be exploited to rebalance a patient's physiology in the treatment of disease;
7. Demonstrate the development of written and oral communication skills appropriate for 3rd year students - explain the pathophysiology for one disease state and one associated drug treatment, relating the drug target to the disease state.

At the end of this unit students will be able to comprehend:

1. Applications of stem cell biology in drug discovery and therapeutics;
2. Cell therapies;
3. Use of data bases to identify novel therapeutic targets;
4. Cancer therapeutics and the design of anti-cancer agents;
5. RNA interference and gene therapy.

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

1. Describe the pathophysiology of the six diseases under study;
2. Describe the physiological mechanisms which have been affected by these disorders;
3. Explain how affected physiological mechanisms can be manipulated by currently used drugs;
4. Design an experiment using various biological research methods to identify targets which may be therapeutically useful in the treatment of the disorders to be studied;
5. Analyse data obtained from research data to see whether a new drug is considerably more effective than an established one;
6. Explain the different pharmacological targets which can be exploited to rebalance a patient's physiology in the treatment of disease;
7. Demonstrate the development of written and oral communication skills appropriate for 3rd year students - explain the pathophysiology for one disease state and one associated drug treatment, relating the drug target to the disease state.

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

1. Discuss the physiological and physicochemical factors affecting drug absorption across the small intestine
2. Define and calculate pharmacokinetic parameters, including drug clearance, elimination half-life, volume of distribution, fraction unbound and fraction excreted unchanged in urine
3. Calculate predicted plasma concentrations of drugs given the pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug
4. Define bioavailability and estimate the absolute and relative bioavailability of drugs given plasma concentration data
5. Understand the physical, chemical and biological factors affecting parenteral drug delivery
6. Understand formulation techniques for poorly water soluble drugs
7. Discuss the factors affecting drug delivery to the eye, buccal cavity, nasal cavity, skin, lungs, vagina and rectum

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

1. Identify the common classes of receptor and link this to an ability to define receptor agonists, antagonists, inverse agonists and allosteric modulators. In addition students will be able to cite examples of how compounds acting at receptors act as therapeutic agents;
2. Describe various classes of enzymes by the reactions they catalyse and show an understanding of the kinetic properties of enzymes;
3. Describe the utility of substrate analogues, transition state analogues, and irreversibly binding compounds as enzyme inhibitors. This will also be linked to an ability to understand how enzyme inhibitors act as therapeutic agents;
4. Describe the role of metal ions in enzymatic processes;
5. Show how ligands can recognize and modify DNA tertiary structure and link this with an ability to cite examples of how compounds acting at oligonucleotides function as therapeutics;
6. Distinguish ligand-based design, structure-based design and mechanism-based design strategies;
7. Understand the principles governing the generation of small molecule structure activity relationships;
8. Understand approaches to peptidomimetic design;
9. acquire skills in researching information and to present the findings in a structured, logical and fluent manner;
10. Be proficient in chemical laboratory techniques and communicating the results in written form.

At the end of this unit students will have an understanding of:

1. The major approaches to drug discovery;
2. The process of identifying a drug target and the steps required to validate that target;
3. Drugs that treat infectious diseases and approaches to developing those drugs;
4. The importance of pharmaceutics in drug development;
5. Pharmacokinetics in drug development;
6. The clinical trial process;
7. Legal documentation of pharmaceutical product invention.

At the end of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:

1. A wider knowledge of synthetic methodology;
2. A knowledge of the use of catalysis in synthetic chemistry;
3. An understanding of radical reactions and their role in synthesis;
4. A broader knowledge of organometallic and heterocyclic chemistry;
5. A broader understanding of asymmetric synthesis and methods for the resolution of stereoisomers;
6. The ability to undertake a retrosynthetic analysis and to design a synthesis of a target molecule;
7. The ability to read and understand the synthetic organic chemistry literature;
8. The practical ability to perform a routine synthesis in the laboratory and experience of most common operations in an synthetic chemistry laboratory.

During the course of this unit, students will learn about a number of cutting edge chemical technologies specifically implemented in the pharmaceutical sciences.

As such, while the specific topics will change regularly, students will

• Understand selected technologies underpinning recently developed chemistry relevant to the pharmaceutical sciences
• Be able to apply knowledge of specific technologies in predicting and evaluating chemical research results in the pharmaceutical sciences
• Develop their ability to engage with the chemical literature and critically interpret research publications.

After completing this unit students will be expected to be able to:

1. Analyse and interpret two dimensional spectra so as to identify the chemical structures of compounds;
2. Define the term Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement (NOE) and account for the observation of NOEs in one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR spectra of both small and large molecules;
3. Analyse and interpret NOE data to determine the conformation of small molecules;
4. Analyse and assign two-dimensional NMR spectra of small peptides;
5. Describe quantitatively the relationship between enthalpy, entropy and free energy;
6. Describe quantitatively the relationship between changes in free energy and equilibrium;
7. Apply the concepts of this thermodynamics module to selected examples of biochemical energetics, protein-drug binding and drug-receptor interactions;
8. Describe the principal NMR-based strategies for drug discovery and design;
9. Detail the factors which govern photon-initiated electronic excitation, and describe the processes by which molecules can relax. In particular, to describe the phenomena and applications associated with fluorescence;
10. Apply their knowledge of biophysical techniques including NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance and calorimetry to analyse experimental data describing drugs binding to their receptors
11. Measure and record data relevant to the understanding of drug structure and and drug-receptor interactions;
12. Perform numerical calculations based on experimental or theoretical data;
13. Present written or oral results of experimental work.

At the end of this unit students will:

1. Have an improved knowledge and better understanding of some aspects of the basic science concepts supporting medicinal chemistry;
2. Be able to undertake a review of the literature and present an evaluation of the literature;
3. Have a basic understanding of the process involved in developing and planning a research project;
4. Be competent to use relevant analytical instrumentation, conduct experimental procedures and methodologies;
5. Be able to undertake data manipulation and analysis and have a basic understanding the results;
6. Be able to communicate the outcomes of the project in the form of an oral presentation and a written scientific report.

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

1. Understand the importance of Design of Experiments (DoE) in the context of ICH and Quality by Design (QbD) in each stages of product development;
2. Understand and manipulate complex Excel functions to produce an automatic calculation program;
3. Apply these functions to elaborate a DoE program to automatically run Plackett Burman screening DoEs and factorial plans which can subsequently be applied in the problem cases encountered in the context of this unit, as well as in other units in the curriculum like PSC3202, in Industries during their placement (PSC3252) and ultimately in their future professional activity;
4. Enumerate and understand the various tests used in preformulation;
5. Operate tablet manufacturing equipment to produce several batches of tablets and infer the constraints associated with solid forms formulation;
6. Operate powder and tablet testing equipment to generate quality data to be further analyzed;
7. Compile and analyze all the DoE results generated by the whole class during the tablet manufacturing and draw conclusions about identification of critical process parameters;
8. Compile and synthesize generated data and analyze the results;
9. Search scientific publications featuring design of experiments and tableting research in the literature and elaborate a written report based on these findings that explains, compares and interprets the analyzed results as well as concludes the study;
10. Discuss the industrial context and purpose for, as well as the basic theory of processes for particle size reduction, powder blending, material drying, material handling and transport;
11. Have a basic appreciation of fine powder behaviour and characteristics, and material properties influencing formulation;
12. Outline the types of industrial equipment that may be used in manufacturing a range of formulated products including mixers, mills, material transport and filling machines, labeling machines, pumps and packaging machines;
13. Research, evaluate and write a capital purchase case for equipment as part of a production facility and align this with a provisional User Requirement Specification (URS).Describe the role and general properties to consider as well as applications of various types of packaging and various label types, and discuss methods/operations involved in production of packaging and labels;
14. Manufacture spray dried powders and discuss the different parameters involved in the quality of the resulting product;
15. Understand the role of aseptic behavior, clean room concept, disinfection and sanitization in the production of sterile products and apply the concepts in an interactive computer program.

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

1. Correctly operate pipettes, pH meters, balances, conduct volumetric dilutions and filtration;
2. Correctly label equipment, write, codify and understand the importance of GLP documentation;
3. Organize to work in a student team constituted of a project manager, a QA manager and scientists responsible for the instrument, solutions preparation and software (roles rotate every week) as in Industry;
4. Effectively operate HPLC instruments to conduct sample analysis, applying all components of the HPLC process, solution and sample preparation, HPLC set-up and operation and HPLC instrument software;
5. Investigate and find information about the problem in available resources and identify the parameters that can solve the problem;
6. Elaborate a plan, propose a series of experiments and predict the results that will solve the problem at hand and justify the prediction in a class presentation;
7. Perform the experiments, compile the results between groups and critically analyze, interpret and conclude on the outcome;
8. Understand, practically judge, and select correct capacity factor k' and efficiency N (optimum linear velocity- Van Deemter equation) to improve resolution and minimize band broadening;
9. Select and combine the most effective solvent, columns and stationary phase chemistry, to improve selectivity and subsequently separation resolution;
10. Differentiate between isocratic and gradient method benefits and develop a gradient method to shorten the run time of a separation while maintaining an acceptable resolution;
11. Manipulate the HPLC software to accurately integrate a peak for accurate quantitative analysis;
12. Understand principles of Method Validation (linearity, range, LOD LOQ, precisions, accuracy, reproducibility, robustness), recommend a plan of action and organize to elaborate a method validation protocol, generate and analyze validation data in an iterative process in order to pass acceptance criteria as articulated in ICH guidelines;
13. Use a Plackett Burman Design of experiment template developed in PSC3201 to analyse and conclude about the robustness of the developed method as specified in ICH guidelines;
14. Synthesize all the validation results and write a report which discusses the results and concludes on their adequacy with the validation acceptance criteria;
15. Identify, understand and exploit for improvement the differences between HPLC and UHPLC;
16. Troubleshoot common HPLC problems, maintain HPLC systems and columns.

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

1. Describe the various stages in Drug Product Development and production;
2. Discuss the important aspects of quality assurance and how QA is applied in product development and manufacturing processes;
3. Understand the importance of Design of Experiments (DoE) in the ICH and Quality bBy Design (QbD) context in each stages of product development;
4. Understand and manipulate high level complex Excel functions to produce an automatic calculation programs;
5. Apply these functions to elaborate a DoE program to automatically run Plackett Burman screening DoEs and factorial plans that can be applied in the problem cases encountered in the context of this unit, and ultimately in their future professional activity;
6. Discuss the industrial context and purpose for, as well as the basic theory of processes for: particle size reduction, powder blending, material drying, material handling and transport;
7. Have a basic appreciation of fine powder behaviour and characteristics, and material properties influencing formulation;
8. Understand the principles of designing manufacturing plants and compile the knowledge to design the blueprint of an efficient pharmaceutical manufacturing plant
9. Apply the principles of project management to run the project;
10. Describe terminology and basic concepts around intellectual property
11. Identify areas of interest for their future career;
12. Prepare for job applications by producing a CV and developing interview skills.

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

1. Identify areas of interest for their future career;
2. Prepare for the professional world;
3. Conduct interviews and write CVs;
4. Attend real interviews with industrials to select their placement;
5. Understand how formulation science or other projects are run in the industry;
6. Work in team in the context of a professional environment;
7. Design an experimental approach to solving a problem;
8. Prepare a technical report on experimental work conducted;
9. Conduct a technical presentation in presence of Monash supervisor and the industry team and managers.

After completing this unit students will be expected to be able to:

1. Describe the regulatory framework around the use agricultural active ingredients, their transport and safe usage;
2. Explain the need for and the use of adjuvants in the rational design of agricultural chemical formulations;
3. Describe the standards, classes, modes of action and tests of disinfectants and antiseptics;
4. Explain why animal anatomy and physiology, formulation properties and pharmacokinetic profile are important in the design and action of veterinary formulations;
5. Explain the rational formulation of and the need for moisturisers.

Describe the principles behind the formulation of nanotechnology drug delivery systems, and the way they behave in invitro and in vivo environments.Describe, and conduct in practicals, the methods of characterization of nanotech drug delivery systems. Describe different modes of imaging and how nanotechnology can be used to improve imaging techniques. Describe typical approaches to diagnostics and describe the role of advanced formulation and nanotechnologies in modern diagnostics.

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of medicinal chemistry and drug action research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a chemical laboratory
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of laboratory-based studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of the drug delivery and lead optimization research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a chemical laboratory
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of laboratory-based studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of the drug delivery and lead optimization research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a chemical laboratory
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of laboratory-based studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of the drug delivery and lead optimization research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a chemical laboratory
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of laboratory-based studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of medicine use and safety research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a laboratory (if relevant)
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of laboratory-based/or otherwise studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline

At the completion of this unit the participant will;

1. Have gained insight into the breadth and diversity of the medicine use and safety research field
2. Be proficient in safe work practices for a chemical laboratory
3. Be able to critically review the scientific literature in their discipline
4. Have a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the design, development and implementation of a research project
5. Be able to execute and analyse a set of (laboratory-based/or otherwise) studies
6. Be able to present scientific results in a style suitable for publication
7. Have the capability to pursue higher studies and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences discipline