Master of Clinical Pharmacy

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.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to:

• demonstrate a high level of critical analysis, problem solving, decision making and professional communication related to provision of clinical pharmacy services
• apply principles of quality use of medicines to patient care
• use evidence-based principles to guide clinical practice
• critically evaluate literature to develop research proposals
• undertake practice-based research projects
• effectively and appropriately communicate clinical and research information with a range professional colleagues and clients.

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 must be working as clinical pharmacists with access to patients in order to undertake the 'Patient data and pharmacotherapy' units as they are required to contribute cases for discussion and documentation in their learning portfolio.

This course consists of core units including a four-week speciality rotation with an experienced clinical preceptor and completion of a practice-based research project in one of the following areas of study:

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

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

Students require access to patients for case studies on a regular basis and must be working in their clinical position for the duration of each semester.

Students must complete the following units:

• MPH5020 Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics
• PGC5001 Evidence-based practice
• PGC5002 Patient data and pharmacotherapy 1
• PGC5003 Patient data and pharmacotherapy 2
• PGC5004 Patient data and pharmacotherapy 3
• PGC5005 Journal club or PGP5014 Clinical educator preparation
• PGC5006 Specialty clinical placement
• PGC5007 Introduction to clinical research
• PGC5008 Clinical research 2
• PGC5009 Clinical research 3

Students who completed one or more of the above core units through 3460 Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice (Internship), 3468 Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice or 3470 Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, whose credit towards the Master of Clinical Pharmacy was not approved, must enrol in one or more of the following elective units in order to complete the total number of credit points required to complete this award:

• ECC5970 Introduction to health economics*
• ECC5971 Pharmaceutical economics*
• ECC5973 Economic evaluation in healthcare*
• ECC5975 Principles of health economics for developing countries*
• PGC5005 Journal club or PGP5014 Clinical educator preparation
• PGP5013 Dermatology
• PGP5015 Geriatric pharmacy practice
• PGP5016 Geriatric disease state management
• PGP5017 Mental health
• PGP5018 Palliative care
• PGP5019 Advanced practice portfolio
• PGW5101 Biology of wound healing
• PGW5102 Wound assessment
• PGW5103 Wound dressings
• PGW5104 Management of acute wounds
• PGW5105 Management of chronic wounds
• PGW5106 Systemic medication and wound healing
• up to 12 credit points of complementary units

* Students cannot undertake more than 12 points of these units.

Minimum grade for course completion

In order to successfully complete this course, students must achieve a minimum pass grade as follows:

• 65 per cent in units PGC5001 (Evidence-based practice) and MPH5020 (Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics).

Students wishing to exit this course early or who do not achieve the minimum pass grade for course completion exit with one of the following, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award:

• 3460 Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice (Internship)
• 3468 Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice
• 3470 Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.