Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) and Master of Pharmacy - 2019

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) is required to practice as a pharmacist and will prepare you for a rewarding and portable career. This is followed by the Master of Pharmacy that includes the required internship year for registration as a pharmacist.

You will learn about how medicines work and their impact on the body, and develop the knowledge, experience and expertise you need to make a difference as a medicines expert and healthcare professional. The course is fully integrated across units and themes, using medicines and patients to ensure context for the application and delivery of knowledge, professional skills, attitudes and behaviours. You will learn from experienced pharmacists and researchers and have access to some of the country's best-equipped facilities at our Parkville campus.

Your study will develop through a number of interrelated themes that come together in your practice as a pharmacist. You will undertake work placements in hospitals and community pharmacies, gaining and applying essential understanding of the processes involved in providing primary health care, drug information, and clinical pharmacy services in different practice environments.

You will have access to innovative teaching technologies throughout your studies, 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 Monash and adopted by leading pharmacy schools around the world.

Our Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) 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, while also completing an intern training program accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council. This vertical double degree provides the opportunity to complete an accredited intern training program in conjunction with an intern foundation program (workplace learning units), which will contribute credit towards a postgraduate qualification (the Master of Pharmacy). Entry to the master's component is contingent upon successful completion of the requirements of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), provisional registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia and securing an approved intern training position.

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) course is also offered in Malaysia, so Australian-based students have the opportunity to complete a one-semester exchange during their bachelor-level studies. Further exchange opportunities are available through the inquiry and innovation theme to undertake laboratory, clinical, social, or business research at an approved overseas Institution.

We acknowledge very high-achieving students by offering access to our scholars program. This provides exclusive learning opportunities, including:

• an annual networking event
• invitations to key Faculty events and seminars
• a dean's scholarship
• a listing in the annual Faculty Prize Giving Program

Exciting and challenging career options await, including working as a community, hospital or consultant pharmacist, or jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, government, regulatory bodies, research and clinical trials. Our graduates work around the world.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8 and Level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework Level 8 and Level 9 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 be able to:

Stage 1: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

1. relate knowledge and skills attained in all themes of the course (structure and function of the body; drug structure, disposition and action; professional practice; comprehensive care; inquiry and innovation; and professional experience) to the pharmacy practice context
2. apply the relevant cognitive and technical skills for the practice of pharmacy as defined by the current competencies and expectations of future practice
3. demonstrate, in the context of clinical situations, advanced cognitive and non-cognitive skills, including oral and written communication, critical thinking, learning for life, numeracy and information literacy, and leadership
4. display the relevant professional and social values, attitudes and behaviour necessary for practice. Apply the knowledge and skills gained to promote, develop and contribute to the quality use of medicines and to the health of the community.
5. develop and implement a personalised learning plan to achieve skills required for entry into pre-registration training (internship)
6. demonstrate integrated problem-solving skills, innovative thinking and application of evidence in practice settings

Stage 2: Master of Pharmacy

1. demonstrate integrated knowledge, skills, attitudes and clinical experience beyond that required for entry into the profession to exhibit autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability, and responsibility as a pharmacist
2. apply advanced integrated knowledge, expert skills and evidence based (research informed) professional judgement to day-to-day pharmacy practice situations
3. work within the ethical and legal framework of the profession and integrate and further develop the technical, clinical, personal and professional skills that form the basis of varying types of pharmacy practice
4. synthesise complex information (using advanced problem-solving skills and innovative thinking) to deal with varying challenges in pharmacy practice, based on established clinical and research theories
5. reflect on educational, research or clinical theories, and your own knowledge and practice, to develop and implement a personalised plan to achieve career goals and expectations
6. manage the professional and personal pressures associated with being a pharmacist
7. demonstrate the skills of a 'life-long learner' by identifying knowledge and skill gaps and articulating methods to develop them.

Pharmacy Board of Australia

The undergraduate component of this course (P3001 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)) is accredited by the Pharmacy Board of Australia. All students enrolled in this course will be completed from P3001 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) after successfully fulfilling requirements up to and including the fourth year of the course, and will therefore be ready for pre-registration to commence your internship period.

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 in the final year of the course. Refer to the faculty's Registration as a pharmacistRegistration as a pharmacist (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2017handbooks/undergrad/pharm-02.html) webpage in this Handbook. In continuing with the postgraduate/ internship component of this course, students will be well on their way to full registration as a Pharmacist.

The course develops through the six themes, the first three being: structure and function of the body; drug structure, disposition and action; and professional practice, which come together in the final three themes: comprehensive care; inquiry and innovation; and professional experience respectively. This course will develop the relevant practical and analytical skills you require for pharmacy practice, as well as your generic skills such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, inquiry, learning for life, numeracy and information literacy and leadership.

Part A. Structure and function of the body (how the body works)

These studies will provide you with the foundational understanding and knowledge of the human body, including how cells, molecules and organs ensure proper functioning of the body. This will include studies of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry relevant to pharmacists. You will be able to predict the outcome of cell and organ dysfunction, as well as effectively communicate aspects of how the body works.

Part B. Drug structure, disposition, and action (how medicines work)

You will learn the important aspects for a molecule to become a medicine, and how medicines produce their effects. This will include studies of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics relevant to pharmacists. 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 how medicines get absorbed, distributed and eliminated from the body and mechanisms and time-course of drug response in the body.

Part C. Professional practice (what pharmacists do)

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. You 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. Comprehensive care

Through these studies you will acquire knowledge about diseases and 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 gain and apply the knowledge and critical thinking skills in the enabling sciences, pharmaceutics and pharmacy practice to optimise pharmacotherapy in clinical practice.

Part E. Inquiry and innovation

These studies will build upon problem solving and innovative thinking skills developed in previous units. You will apply these skills to plan and conduct a project, think critically, and explore innovative solutions in a laboratory, clinical, social or business environment.

Part F. Professional experience

Embedded practice experiences during stage one will prepare you to achieve the necessary competencies to enter the preregistration period. This will include 12 weeks in a variety of clinical settings to develop and give context for your skill development.

Once you enter stage two, you will undertake the Pharmacy Board of Australia's required pre-registration year including the National Alliance for Pharmacy Education intern training program (ITP) accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council. You will develop your skills in the workplace, focusing on the competencies required to practice as a registered pharmacist. You will also complete the Monash University Pharmacy intern foundation program (IFP) that recognises additional professional knowledge and skills gained whilst working in a Monash credentialed training site.

In order to enrol in the intern training program and intern foundation program, you must have arranged to undertake your internship under the supervision of a preceptor approved by the Pharmacy Board of Australia.

This course comprises 216 credit points. It requires the completion of two stages. To progress from stage 1 to stage 2 you must have completed all of the requirements for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), be in good standing with the faculty and meet all requirements of the applicant checks. High achieving students entering the Scholars Program are required to maintain a distinction average throughout the course or they will be transferred out of the Scholars Program and will not receive the program benefits or the Scholars award.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2019handbooks/maps/map-p6001.pdf) provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Stage 1: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

Stage 1 of the course comprises 192 points.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Structure and function of the body (how the body works) (12 points)

You must complete:

• PHR1031 How the body works (12 points)

Part B. Drug structure, disposition and action (how medicines work) (30 points)

You must complete:

• PHR1021 How medicines work I
• PHR1022 How medicines work II (18 points)
• PHR2021 How medicines work III

Part C. Professional practice (what pharmacists do) (36 points)

You must complete:

• PHR1011 Professional practice I
• PHR1012 Professional practice II
• PHR2011 Professional practice III
• PHR2012 Professional practice IV (12 points)
• PHR4011 Professional practice V

Part D. Comprehensive care (78 points)

You must complete:

• PHR2041 Respiratory and gastrointestinal
• PHR2141 Dermatology and pain
• PHR2042 Endocrinology and renal
• PHR2142 Cardiovascular
• PHR3041 Brain, blood, & cancers (12 points)
• PHR3141 Infection Pathogens, host defense, & treatment (12 points)
• PHR3042 Acute care: inquiry cases (12 points)
• PHR4042 Integrated care: inquiry cases (18 points)

Part E. Inquiry and innovation (24 points)

You must complete:

• PHR5052 Inquiry and innovation methods
• PHR5051 Applied inquiry and innovation II (18 points)

Part F. Professional experience (12 points)

You must complete:

• PHR3062 Student experiential placements I
• PHR4061 Student experiential placements II

Stage 2: Master of Pharmacy

The Master of Pharmacy comprises 48 points of which 24 points is completed in stage 2, and 24 points is cross-credited from stage 1 (PHR5052 and PHR5051). In addition, you must complete a full-year 0-credit-point pharmacy internship.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

F. Professional experience (24 credit points)

You must complete:

• PHR5061 Applied pharmacy practice 1
• PHR5161 Foundation practice 1
• PHR5062 Applied pharmacy practice 2
• PHR5162 Foundation practice 2
• PHR5000 Pharmacy internship (0 points)

Enrolment into these units requires you to have arranged your internship under the supervision of a preceptor approved by the Pharmacy Board of Australia.

If you have completed the 192 points and all other requirements for P3001 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), you will be completed from the undergraduate component of this degree and ready for pre-registration to commence your internship period. At the time of completion, if you do not wish to continue with the postgraduate coursework component you can discontinue the final year of the double degree P6001. High achieving students entering the Scholars Program are required to maintain a distinction average throughout the course. At the time of completion should the WAM be below a distinction average the Scholars Award will not be granted.

If you successfully complete this course you may be provided with a pathway to a higher degree by research.