PAC4472 - Integrated therapeutics: Mental Health - 2019

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

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Dan Malone

Coordinator(s)

Dr Dan Malone (Parkville)
Dr Thor Teong Gee (Malaysia)

Unit guides

Offered

Malaysia

  • Second semester 2019 (On-campus)

Parkville

  • Second semester 2019 (On-campus)

Synopsis

This unit covers the principles of the:

  • Management of mental health disorders to ensure optimal treatment for patients
  • Chemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of medications used for mental health disorders. These as well as pathophysiology of mental health disorders are presented in an integrated fashion
  • Necessary skills required for the provision of pharmacy services in mental health

Outcomes

At the end of this unit, student will be able to:

  1. Appreciate how dysfunction of the central nervous system results in mental health disorders.
  2. Describe the pathophysiology of a range of common mental health disorders.
  3. Understand the chemistry of medications used in the management of mental health disorders.
  4. Examine how structure activity relationships for drugs relate to the management of mental health disorders.
  5. Examine how the pharmacology of the drugs relates to the management of mental health disorders.
  6. Predict how drugs of abuse can affect mental health.
  7. Make preliminary diagnoses and differentiation of mental health disorders, and determine when a patient requires referral to a medical practitioner.
  8. Recommend how to manage mental health disorders including drug and non-drug therapies.
  9. Appreciate what is current best practice for the management of mental health disorders, with an emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
  10. Evaluate and critically analyse simulated patient information, with any associated treatment regimes, to develop appropriate recommendations for therapy to optimise health outcomes.

Assessment

Final exam: 60%; in-semester assessment: 40%.

Workload requirements

Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • Thirty three 1-hour lectures
  • Two 3-hour workshops
  • One 1.5-hour workshop
  • Two .75 semester tests

See also Unit timetable information

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at: