units

PAC4472

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

18 September 2017 27 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 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.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
OfferedMalaysia Second semester 2014 (Day)
Parkville Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Dan Malone (Parkville); Dr Sabrina Anne Jacob (Malaysia)

Synopsis

This unit provides the basic knowledge required for the management of patients with a range of common mental health disorders. The chemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of medications associated with each area are presented in detail in an integrated fashion.

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.

In particular, this unit will teach the chemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of drugs used to treat mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, dementia/delirium, insomnia, schizophrenia and child and adolescent mental health disorders.

Students will perform a number of tasks which will foster the development of critical thinking and oral and written communication skills.

Outcomes

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

  1. Appreciate how dysfunction of the central nervous system results in mental health disorders.
  2. Describe the pathophysiology of a range of common mental health disorders.
  3. Understand the chemistry of medications used in the management of mental health disorders.
  4. Examine how structure activity relationships for drugs relate to the management of mental health disorders.
  5. Examine how the pharmacology of the drugs relates to the management of mental health disorders.
  6. Predict how drugs of abuse can affect mental health.
  7. Make preliminary diagnoses and differentiation of mental health disorders, and determine when a patient requires referral to a medical practitioner.
  8. Recommend how to manage mental health disorders including drug and non-drug therapies.
  9. Appreciate what is current best practice for the management of mental health disorders, with an emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
  10. Evaluate and critically analyse simulated patient information, with any associated treatment regimes, to develop appropriate recommendations for therapy to optimise health outcomes.

Assessment

Final exam: 60%; in-semester assessment: 40%.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Dan Malone

Workload requirements

Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • Thirty three 1-hour lectures
  • Two 3-hour tutorials
  • One 1.5-hour tutorial
  • Two .75 semester tests

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

http://www.monash.edu/pharm/current/