PAC1001 - Introduction to Pharmacy - 2017

This unit aims to provide a foundation of knowledge and skills required for the practice of pharmacy and delivery of pharmacy services by introducing a range of relevant topics and developing student skills including communication and problem solving, medication dispensing, patient counselling and performing pharmaceutical calculations.

This unit introduces the management of cardiovascular diseases by relating pathophysiology with rational design and clinical use of drugs, use and interpretation of laboratory tests for diagnosis and therapeutic drug monitoring and issues related to management of paediatric and geriatric patients. In addition, students will develop abilities in applying population-based evidence to improve clinical decision making, performing and interpreting statistical tests relevant to evidence-based practice and applying health economic principles to medicines use. This unit also builds upon fundamental concepts of drug delivery with a major focus on oral drug absorption pharmacokinetics and formulation principles of solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules.

1. Describe the framework for patient-centred care including the roles of pharmacists, the medicines management pathway, aspects related to medication safety, the basic legal requirements related to pharmacy practice and medicines use and the Australian health care system.
2. Retrieve, interpret and communicate (orally or in writing) basic information about medicines or health care issues, and apply it to patient-centred care in the practice of pharmacy including dispensing of medicines, recording prescriptions, labelling the medicines, counselling patients and solving clinical problems.
3. Apply strategies and resources to enhance communication with patients, prescribers and other healthcare professionals; the role of the pharmacist in patient education; and discuss the problems of medication non-adherence and means of overcoming them.
4. Perform pharmaceutical and basic bio-statistical calculations that are relevant to the practice of pharmacy.
5. Describe the epidemiology and concepts of disease state management including management of various types of patients (e.g. paediatric and geriatric patients), drug and non-drug therapy options, primary and secondary prevention strategies; identify any drug therapy problems and recommend appropriate resolutions of those problems; and formulate a medical management program for specific patients based on their medical, medication and psychosocial histories and laboratory test results.
6. Discuss the formulation principles of pharmaceutical solutions and solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules and undertake problems by applying theoretical knowledge in relation to formulation principles.
7. Discuss how drug absorption and transport across biological membranes is influenced by various physicochemical factors and physiological factors; 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, and relative and absolute bioavailability; and describe the impact of plasma protein binding on hepatic and renal elimination processes.

Pharmaceutical calculations (20%); Pharmacokinetics, Pharmatopia and formulation quizzes (15%); MyDispense online dispensing exam (20%); Extemporaneous dispensing practical exam - Pass/Fail grade only; Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) (20%); Final exam (25%). All assessment components are hurdle requirements.

Workload requirements include:

• Five 2 hour Cardiovascular disease tutorials
• Three 2 hour "MyDispense" workshops
• Five 2 hour practical sessions
• One 2 hour Pharmatopia online tableting module
• Two 2 hour communication tutorials
• One 2 hour "TOSCE" tutorial
• Four 2 hour Pharmacokinetic workshops
• One 2.5 hour Drug calculation lectorial
• Two 2 hour Medicines in profile tutorials
• One 1 hour Pharmacy Law tutorial
• Two half-day or 4-hour equivalent site visits
• Calculation online modules (20 hours)

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Suzanne Caliph

A completed relevant undergraduate degree with a distinction average.

Third year units to be completed in the same academic year of enrolment.

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