Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit extends the student's knowledge of pharmacy practice in the areas of dispensing and counselling of OTC and scheduled drugs necessary for their future roles as pharmacists. Furthermore, this unit will introduce the students to non-compliance of patients, problem identification and effective strategies to overcome these obstacles to health management through patient communication. Practical experience will be gained by the students via experiential placements in community of hospital pharmacy environments. Additionally, this unit will facilitate the mastery in the proper use of a wide range of advanced pharmaceutical calculations.

Aims

The aims of this unit are to:

1. Provide instruction on the correct use of a range of OTC and scheduled medications and the principles of Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) in their proper use.

2. Extend the students knowledge of the use of pharmaceutical databases which contain information on the correct dosage, indications, contraindications and adverse effects of OTC and scheduled medications.

3. Demonstrate effective communication and counselling methods used to convey the proper drug information to patients following the dispensing of OTC medication or to patients seeking advice on their current medications.

4. Provide instruction on the proper use of advanced pharmaceutical calculations to determine and validate the dosage of drugs.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Develop an understanding of the clinical presentation, drug treatment, prevention, patient medication and lifestyle education for cardiovascular diseases, GI tract complaints, respiratory conditions, smoking cessation, topical inflammatory diseases, contraception and thyroid disorders.

2 Demonstrate dispensing competence including eliciting, reviewing and assessing patient information, maintaining records, and patient counselling.

3. Demonstrate the proper use of pharmaceutical databases and dispensing software for the labelling of pharmaceutical products and the archiving of patient drug histories.

4. Correctly calculate the therapeutic dose of a wide range of clinical scenarios and pharmaceutical formulations.

Content

Scheduled Medications: Dispensing and counselling of a range scheduled medications including cardiovascular drugs, respiratory drugs, drugs for smoking cessation, contraception, corticosteroids, drugs for irritable bowel disease and thyroid disease.

Pharmacy Practice: Patient non-compliance and problem identification and solving through patient communication. Identification and management of drug interaction

Pharmaceutical Calculations: Advanced formulae for the correct determination of drug doses, including weight, volume, percentage, body weight and surface area for elderly, adult and paediatric patients.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The subject matter will be presented to you as lectures (2 hours per week) and practical training in the counselling and dispensing of prescription & OTC medicines, (3 hours per week). Experiential placements in a community of hospital environment of approximately 3 hours per week for 8 weeks of the semester will provide a real world experience of the competencies and skills presented in this unit.

Assessment

A satisfactory performance (greater than 50%) in all assessment tasks, ie theory, oral, experiental placement and is required to obtain a passing grade for this unit.Students will receive their results from the progressive assessment in this unit and have the opportunity for individual feedback from teaching staff. The SCB408 and SCB308 LEX scores will be provided during Week 1 of the semester where students may provide further feedback to the Unit Coordinator.

Assessment name: Problem Solving Task
Description: There are two problem solving tasks during the semester. The first involves Tutorial Counselling and dispensing tasks Formative and summative. Weighting 10%. The second involves pharmaceutical compounding tasks Formative and summative. Weighting 10%
Relates to objectives: All
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blakboard Site

Assessment name: Examination
Description: There are two practical exam's throughout the semester. There is a Mid-semester practical exam. Formative and summative. Weighting 15%. There is also an End of semester practical exam. Summative. Weighting 30%
Relates to objectives: All
Weight: 45%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blakboard Site

Assessment name: Examination Theory
Description: There are two theory exam's throughout the semester. There is a Mid-semester theory exam. Formative and summative. Weighting 15%. There is also an End of semester theory exam. Summative. Weighting 20%
Relates to objectives: All
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blakboard Site

Assessment name: Workbook
Description: The assessment will be linked to the experiential placements in community or hospital environments.
Relates to objectives: N/A.
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blakboard Site

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

1. Australian Medicines Handbook, current edition, Adelaide: AMH Pty Ltd

2. Therapeutic Guidelines, , Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd, 23-47 Villiers Street, North Melbourne, VIC, 3051

3. Ansel HC, Stoklosa MJ (2008) Pharmaceutical Calculations, 13th edition, Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins

Reference Text:

1. DiPiro JT et al (editors) (2011) Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, 8th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Pub. Division

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with the on-campus mode of this unit. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first few lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area which will be indicated to you. You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times whilst on campus. More information on health and safety can be obtained from http://www.hrd.qut.edu.au/healthsafety/healthsafe/index.jsp


You will also be required to participate in a period of off-campus professional experience in a variety of pharmacy settings. During these placements, you will be exposed to a range of risks and hazards that are normally encountered by pharmacists practising in hospital and/or community pharmacies. When undertaking field placements you are automatically subject to the Workplace Health and Safety Policies, Procedures and Regulations operating within the pharmacy. You are required by law to comply with these policies and procedures at all times.


Measures undertaken to minimise risks encountered during the off-campus field placement include:


1. Orientation to the pharmacy.

2. Awareness/familiarisation of specific risks and hazards associated with the particular setting to which you have been assigned.

3. Adequate supervision by a pharmacist.

4. Appropriate theoretical and practical skill preparation prior to commencement of

the placement.

5. Review of personal health and immunisation status.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 26-Sep-2012