PAC2342 - Pharmacy in a public health context - 2017

This unit puts the practice of pharmacy and delivery of pharmacy services in a public health context. It emphasises a population perspective for health policy as well as clinical decision-making.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• Definitions and issues in public health including the socio-environmental determinants of health
• The role of pharmacy in a public health context
• The Australian National Medicines Policy and the Quality Use of Medicines Strategy
• The nature, role and development of health policy.

Students will develop abilities in:

• Applying population-based evidence to improve clinical decision-making
• Performing and interpreting the results of statistical tests that are relevant to evidence based practice
• Applying health economic principles to medicines use
• Dispensing, including clinical problem-solving
• Performing pharmaceutical calculations building on previous knowledge.

Students will develop an appreciation of:

• The roles of other health professionals and their relationship to pharmacy
• Key issues around medicines promotion and international health.

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

1. Describe the broad public health perspectives and framework for providing; therapeutic services and care to patients, and for working with other health care professionals, in both developed and advanced countries;
2. Describe the role of the expatriate pharmacist including the public health issues that they are likely to address;
3. Discuss the process for formulating health policy and the impact of various health policies;
4. Have a working knowledge of harm minimisation/pharmacotherapy substitution services in pharmacy;
5. Discuss the principles and application of the Quality Use of Medicine Strategy of the National Medicines Policy as well as the development and application of essential medicines lists in general;
6. Systematically conduct a literature review and a subsequent critical appraisal to answer a clinical enquiry;
7. Interpret the results of statistical tests when critically appraising the literature to answer a clinical enquiry;
8. Perform statistical and pharmacoeconomic tests that are frequently used in the reporting of health care research and that underpin evidence based practice;
9. Define, recognise and using evidence-based principles, deal with medicines promotion;
10. Apply knowledge of evidence based principles to complementary and alternative medicines;
11. Dispense medicines and solve clinical problems;
12. Perform pharmaceutical calculations relevant to the practice of pharmacy.

Final exam (2 hour): 50%; evidence-based practice assignment: 20%; Extemporaneous dispensing exam: 10%; Online calculations test: 10%; Mid-semester test: 10%.

Contact hours for on-campus students:

• Nineteen 1-hour lectures
• Two 2.5-hour workshops
• Six 2-hour practical laboratories

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Safeera Hussainy

PAC1311 Pharmacy, Health and Society I

PAC1322 Pharmacy, Health and Society II

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