Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

Pharmacists make a difference to people's health in hospitals, aged-care facilities and local communities. In the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) you will learn about the formulation of medicines and their impact on the body. The course provides you the knowledge, experience and expertise you need to make a difference from the moment you graduate as a medicines expert and healthcare professional.

Very high achieving students can apply to be admitted to the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) Scholars Program offered at the Parkville campus. The Scholars Program gives you opportunities not available to all students, including extra academic and professional mentoring from pharmacy graduates, leadership training through the Ambassador program and a Dean's Scholarship (if you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or holder of an Australian permanent resident or permanent humanitarian visa).

As a Pharmacy student at our Parkville campus, you will learn from experienced pharmacists and researchers in some of the country's best-equipped facilities. You'll have access to innovative teaching technologies, such as 'MyDispense', a web-based program that combines over 300 virtual patients and 1500 pharmacy products to provide authentic dispensing practice, and 'Pharmatopia', a virtual hi-tech teaching tool, developed by us and adopted by leading pharmacy schools around world.

During third and fourth year, you will undertake work placements in hospitals and community pharmacies through the professional experience placement program. The program provides an understanding of the processes involved in, for example, providing primary health care, drug information, and clinical pharmacy services in different practice environments.

Our Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) course is accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council. To become a registered pharmacist, you must first complete the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) degree, then undertake a period of supervised practice in accordance with the requirements set out by the Pharmacy Board of Australia, while also completing an internship training program which is accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council. Monash University offers an Australian Pharmacy Council accredited internship program, either as a stand-alone course or as part of course 3460 Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice (Internship). Monash University is not responsible for finding or organising internship positions for our graduates.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that you will have:

1. an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the enabling sciences, applied pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice and the ability to integrate and apply the knowledge to the practice of pharmacy
2. the relevant entry skills defined by the current National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia and requirements of future practice
3. the relevant generic skills, such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, inquiry, learning for life, numeracy and information literacy, and leadership
4. the relevant professional and social values, attitudes and behaviours necessary for practice
5. the ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained to promote and contribute to the quality use of medicines and to the health of the community.

Refer to the undergraduate credit transfer policyundergraduate credit transfer policy (http://intranet.monash.edu.au/pharm/students/undergrad/policy/credit.html).

Graduate entry is available for students with a completed undergraduate degree in a related science course, specifically a Bachelor of Biomedical Science. A credit precedence is set for students entering the course through this pathway, as they must enter into the summer intensive unit PAC1001 (Introduction to Pharmacy) prior to entering the third year of the course. This pathway is only open to eligible graduate students with a relevant completed degree prior to entering the third year of the course. The relevant completed degree must have been completed no more than ten years prior to application.

96 credit points

Special requirements

Police and Working with Children checks are required for the professional experience placements in clinical and community settings in the Bachelor of Pharmacy. All students will be required to obtain and pay for a police check and Working with Children check prior to undertaking the clinical and community placements in their course.

Before commencing their professional experience placements students are required to show records that they have been immunised in line with the Department of Human Services' list of immunisation for health workers.

For further information or for clarification contact the placement program coordinator at pep@monash.edu.

During third and fourth year students undertake work placements in hospitals and community pharmacies through the professional experience placement programprofessional experience placement program (http://intranet.monash.edu.au/pharm/students/placements/index.html).

Pharmacy Board of Australia

To practice as a pharmacist in Victoria it is necessary to register with the Pharmacy Board of Australia. To qualify for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia, a period of internship practical training must be undertaken after completing this undergraduate course. Refer to the faculty's Registration as a pharmacist page in this Handbook.

Royal Australian Chemical Institute

Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates from Monash University are eligible to become members of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) after a period of practical experience. RACI members are able to practise in many areas of industry as professional chemists and receive the salaries determined by the RACI.

The course develops through the four themes, the first three being enabling science, pharmaceutics and pharmacy practice which come together in the fourth, integrated therapeutics.

Part A. Enabling science

These studies will provide you with the foundational understanding and knowledge of the enabling sciences, developing your understanding of the human body and of the chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology underlying the development and administration of pharmaceuticals.

Part B. Pharmaceutics

These studies will equip you with fundamental and applied knowledge required to understand and assess pre-formulation, formulation, manufacturing and packaging of pharmaceutical products. This includes the understanding and application of the time course of how medicines get absorbed, distributed and eliminated from the body and drug response in the body.

Part C. Pharmacy practice

These studies will equip you with the sociocultural context in which the pharmacist and the client operate, social and health practice issues, ethical, legal context of pharmacy, relevant professional and social values, attitudes and behaviours necessary for practice. It will develop the communication and practical skills to apply the knowledge and skills you have gained to promote and contribute to the quality use of medicines and to the health of the community.

Part D. Integrated therapeutics

These studies will provide you with knowledge about diseases, disorders and their management. You will develop an understanding and application of the relationship between pathophysiology and the rational design and clinical use of drugs in the management of various health conditions. You will apply the knowledge and critical thinking skills gained in the enabling sciences, pharmaceutics and pharmacy practice to optimise pharmacotherapy in clinical practice.

In addition:

Part E. Elective study

One elective unit in pharmacy.

The course comprises 192 points of pharmacy study.

The course develops through theme studies in: A. Enabling science, B. Pharmaceutics, C. Pharmacy practice, and D. Integrated therapeutics.

Note that students in the Scholars Program are required to maintain at least a distinction average (70 per cent) each semester. If you do not meet this standard you will be required to transfer to the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) stream.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/maps/map-p3001.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Units are six credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Enabling science (48 points)

Students complete:

• PAC1111 Introduction to physiology
• PAC1121 Bioorganic and medicinal chemistry I
• PAC1132 Systems physiology
• PAC1142 Bioorganic and medicinal chemistry II
• PAC1211 Physicochemical basis of pharmacy
• PAC2151 Biochemistry and molecular biology
• PAC2161 Cell function, communication and pathology
• PAC3191 Microbiology and immunology

Part B. Pharmaceutics (42 points)

Students complete:

• PAC1222 Drug delivery I
• PAC2171 Basis of drug action I
• PAC2182 Basis of drug action II
• PAC2232 Drug delivery and disposition
• PAC3241 Drug delivery, disposition and dynamics
• PAC3252 Drug delivery II
• PAC4261 Drug delivery and development

Part C. Pharmacy practice (54 points)

Students complete:

• PAC1311 Pharmacy, health and society I
• PAC1322 Pharmacy, health and society II
• PAC2342 Pharmacy in a public health context
• PAC3351 Context for practice I
• PAC3362 Context for practice II
• PAC4382 Context for practice III
• PAC2331 Pharmacists as communicators
• PAC4482 Preparation for practice
• PAC4371 Professional experience placement program

Part D Integrated therapeutics (42 points)

Students complete:

• PAC2412 Integrated therapeutics: Introduction and cardiovascular
• PAC3421 Integrated therapeutics respiratory and gastrointestinal disease
• PAC3432 Integrated therapeutics: Infectious diseases
• PAC4441 Integrated therapeutics: Endocrinology and renal
• PAC4451 Integrated therapeutics: Dermatology and pain
• PAC4462 Integrated therapeutics: Neurology and oncology
• PAC4472 Integrated therapeutics: Mental Health

Part E. Elective study (6 points)

Students complete one unit from:

• PAC3512 Current aspects of pharmaceutical research
• PAC3522 Applied research project
• PAC3542 Leadership