PC4103:03
Professional Pharmacy Practice 3
Townsville
HECS Band 2
36 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials, 36 hours practicals. Semester 1.
Available to level 4 Bachelor of Pharmacy students.
Staff: Dr R Rasiah, Assoc. Professor B Glass.
The subject will further develop the student’s understanding of aspects of professional pharmacy practice including communication, counselling skills, dispensing, legal and ethical issues and professional standards. An emphasis will be placed on how these concepts apply to the management of a pharmacy practice in a range of different settings, for example hospital, community and rural/remote practices. Pharmacoeconomic principles will be used to teach the student rational prescribing behaviour and the establishment of drug policies that can be applied across the community and hospital settings. The principle of stock management will be discussed, with application to Australian pharmacy.
The areas of human resource management and economic principles that are applicable to pharmacy practice will also be introduced to the student, with the practical aspects of these topics being taught while the students are on their pharmacy placement in Semester 2.
Students will learn principles of research and how to appropriately interpret results obtained from research studies. Literature review skills will be increased and the concept of the critical review of literature will be discussed and applied to pharmacy practice.
Learning Objectives:
- demonstrate the basic dispensing functions of a pharmacist including eliciting, reviewing and assessing patient history, maintaining records and counselling patients to encourage compliance;
- educate and counsel patients with the appropriate use of ‘Pharmacy and Pharmacist Only’ medications;
- demonstrate an ability to retrieve, interpret and evaluate information;
- demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and application of pharmacoeconomics and its application to hospital, community and rural/remote practices;
- demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental operation of community and hospital pharmacy practice;
- discuss the principles of human resource management and its relevance to pharmacy practice;
- demonstrate an ability to apply economic principles in the running of a pharmacy practice;
- develop an understanding of stock management and Point of Sale technologies;
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of a research project;
- demonstrate an ability to critically review research studies and published literature.
Assessment by a two-hour written examination (40%); one-hour oral examination (10%); assignments (20%); extemporaneous dispensing practical examination (30%). A satisfactory performance in all aspects of the course is required. This is defined as at least 60% in the dispensing practical examination and all laboratory reports and at least 50% for all other sections of the course. Attendance at practicals is compulsory.