PGP5011 - Applied pharmacy practice 1 - 2019

Applied Pharmacy Practice 1 is undertaken during the pharmacy internship year. This unit enables pharmacy graduates to build upon their knowledge and experience and to develop the competencies required for independent practice as a pharmacist. The unit explores the day-to-day practice of pharmacy including therapeutics, problem solving, evidence based practice, medication management, patient monitoring, adherence to medication, the application of professional pharmacy standards and competencies, the ethical and legal aspects of pharmacy practice, multidisciplinary approaches to health care, primary care, communication and counselling, health promotion, pharmaceutical calculations, extemporaneous dispensing, risk management and dealing with difficult situations in practice. In this unit, students will enhance their technical, clinical, personal and professional skills.

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

• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the legal, professional and ethical framework for pharmacy practice in Australia.
• Demonstrate strong problem solving skills and apply professional judgement in a range of areas including prescription problems, therapeutic problems, and legal and ethical problems.
• Apply evidence-based principles to the practice of pharmacy.
• Promote and contribute to optimal use of medicines.
• Provide primary health care, including: identifying symptoms, knowing when to refer patients for medical evaluation, and recommending appropriate non-prescription products.
• Effectively communicate medication-related information to patients and other health professionals.
• Solve simple and complex pharmaceutical calculations.
• Understand the nature and importance of multi-disciplinary care.
• Apply organisational skills and manage work issues and interpersonal relationships in pharmacy practice.

Students enrolled in this unit must hold provisional registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia and be undertaking an approved placement. Students who fail to gain provisional registration, or who have their registration rescinded during the program, will be unable to continue in this unit.

Students will be assessed using the Monash Competency Grading Schema based on:

Seminar attendance and participation (hurdle)

Satisfactory completion of online discussion blocks and online quizzes (hurdle)

Satisfactory competencies assessments by preceptor (hurdle)

Submission of a learning portfolio including satisfactory completion of learning portfolio activities (hurdle)

Students are required to attend two on-campus seminars by 2 days each semester (a total 4 days per semester). As a guide, it would be expected that students completing the Internship program should be completing a minimum of about 3 hours per week study time in addition to attendance at seminars and meeting learning portfolio and CPD requirements.