6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Coordinator(s)
Johnson George (Parkville)
Mark Cheong (Malaysia)
Unit guides
Synopsis
This unit aims to provide students with fundamental knowledge, skills and resources to interact with patients and other health care professionals to effect positive therapeutic outcomes. The unit focuses on definition, development and refinement of communication skills for pharmacists in all aspects of professional practice. This professional practice is defined in terms of the expectations and structure of the Australian Health Care System and in context of global approaches to health.
Students will develop an understanding of:
- effective communication with patients and prescribers; health literacy; the problems of medication non-adherence and means of overcoming them; the role of the pharmacist in patient education.
Students will develop abilities in:
- the areas of accessing information; written and oral communication (including effective communication in special settings); patient counselling; problem-solving in clinically- oriented situations; and creating, maintaining and utilising individual patient records.
Students will develop an appreciation of concepts in systematic care of patients.
Outcomes
After completing this unit, students will be able to:
- Apply specific strategies and resources to enhance communication with patients and other health care professionals;
- Communicate with patients and other health care professionals in a considered and systematic way, focussing on best clinical outcomes;
- Apply approaches to communication with patients and other health care professionals in special settings and with specific groups of people;
- Identify clinical and other health terminology used;
- Interpret health terminology for clinical decision-making and for translating into meaningful language for patients.
Assessment
Final exam: 45%; three tutorial assessments: 15% in total; oral exam (objective structured clinical exam, OSCE): 40%.
Workload requirements
Contact hours for on-campus students:
- Seven tutorials (one 2-hour, two 2.5 hour and four 3-hour)
- Twenty seven 1-hour lectures/whole class tutorials (Parkville)
See also Unit timetable information
Chief examiner(s)
Prerequisites
PAC1311 Pharmacy, health and society I
PAC1322 Pharmacy, health and society II