Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

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

Rationale

This unit will focus on the professional interaction of pharmacists with patients suffering from endocrine diseases, in particular diabetes, a variety of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety and depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, addiction and patients experiencing strong and debilitating pain from other disease states. Additionally, you will learn how to interact with patients withdrawing from drugs of addiction and the quality use of the both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies available for their treatment. This unit will also provide you with further knowledge and skills in the preparation of extemporaneous pharmaceutical preparations in common demand in today's health care environment.

Aims

The aims of this unit are to:

1. Provide instruction on the correct use of a range of scheduled medications used in the treatment of endocrine and CNS diseases and to recognise the symptoms for these disease states to facilitate the referral of an undiagnosed patient to an appropriate physician.
2. Provide knowledge on the quality use of strong analgesics and the legal requirements when dispensing controlled drugs.
3. Introduce the current regulations, ethics and social aspects of pharmacotherapies for patients suffering from a range of drug withdrawal syndromes.
4. Demonstrate effective communication and counselling methods used to convey the proper drug information to patients following the dispensing of these types of medication to patients.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Effectively provide counselling to patients who have been diagnosed with endocrine and CNS diseases on the management of their disease and the quality use of their prescribed medication.
2. Legally dispense controlled drugs including strong opioids and other pharmacotherapies for the treatment of a variety of pain states with respect to the Queensland Drugs and Poisons legislation.
3. Display knowledge of the social, legal and ethical implications of drug addiction and be competent in providing counselling to patients and their families on suitable pharmacotherapies that are available to assist patients experiencing drug withdrawal.
4. Prepare, label and dispense a range of customised extemporaneous pharmaceutical products including creams, ointments, gels and suspensions.

Content

Pharmacy Practice: Dispensing and counselling of a range scheduled medications including drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, thyroid disorders, pharmacotherapies for the treatment of a range of CNS disorders and severe pain states. Communication with physicians and other health professionals. Dispensing of controlled substances and the practical application Qld legislation that relates to these drugs.

Drug Addiction and Withdrawal: Social ethical and legal aspects relevant for patients with drug addiction. Methadone replacement therapy. Naltrexone treatments and other pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

Pharmaceutical Compounding: Preparation of non-sterile products such as creams, ointments, gels, lotions and suspensions and the current quality assurance requirements for these products.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The subject matter will be presented to you as lectures (2 hours per week) and practical training (3 hours per week) in the counselling and dispensing of prescription, OTC products and unscheduled medications in a model pharmacy environment. Experiential placements in a community or hospital environment consisting of 1 week of continuous attendance for 8 hours per day, timetabled in the 10th week of the semester.

Assessment

A satisfactory performance (greater than 50%) in all assessment tasks is required to obtain a passing grade for this unit.

In addition to submitting hard copies of your assessment you may be required to electronically submit all written assignments for content matching checks.Feedback will be provided on your progress.

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: (Formative and summative) - Submission of a label/tutorial portfolio from work conducted in tutorials on a weekly basis & labelling examination.
Relates to objectives: 1 and 2.
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Weekly

Assessment name: Examination (Theory)
Description: There are two written theory exams throughout the semester. The progress exam is formative and summative. Weighting 15%. There is also an End of semester theory exam. Summative. Weighting 20%.
Relates to objectives: 1 to 3.
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: MidSem & Exam Period

Assessment name: Log/Workbook
Description: The assessment will be linked to the experiential placements in community or hospital environments. Weight: Pass/Fail.
Relates to objectives: 1 to 4.
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: 1week afterplacement

Assessment name: Laboratory/Practical
Description: There are weekly practicals where you will pPreparatione of extemporaneous pharmaceutical formulations wjhich are formative and summative. The is also a final compounding examination.
Relates to objectives: 4.
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 13

Assessment name: Examination (Practical)
Description: There are two practical exams throughout the semester. The progress exam is formative and summative. Weighting 15%. There is also an End of semester theory exam. Summative. Weighting 30%.
Relates to objectives: 1 to 3.
Weight: 45%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: MidSem & Exam Period

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 (available on-line)

3. Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, Canberra, ACT: Australian Govt Dept of Health and Aging (available on-line)

4. eMIMS (current edition), St Leonards, NSW: MIMS Australia, CMPMedica Australia Pty Limited

5. Sansom LN, ed. Australian pharmaceutical formulary and handbook. 21st edn. Canberra: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, 2009.

Reference Text:

1. DiPiro JT et al (editors) (200) Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, 5th 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: 19-Feb-2013