PC3005 - Nervous System and Mental Health for Pharmacists

Credit points:	03
Year:	2006
Student Contribution Band:	Band 2
Administered by:

Available to level 3 Bachelor of Pharmacy students.

The incidence of common mental health problems and suicide in the Australian community has increased by 35% in the past decade, with many national policies and strategies being developed to address the issue. In this subject students will explore the roles and responsibilities of the pharmacist in various community mental health programs, residential care, the methadone program and the unique needs of rural, remote and indigenous communities in terms of social and emotional wellbeing.The student will also develop an understanding of the pharmacological basis of drug treatment for nervous system and mental illness conditions and discuss how they can contribute towards the patients management as part of the multidisciplinary primary health care team. Emphasis will be placed on the management of chronic and acute pain, drug abuse, drugs of addiction, anaesthetic agents, psychotic drugs and the control of Prohibited Substances, Controlled Drugs, Pharmacy and Pharmacist Only Medicines.

Learning Outcomes

• demonstrate an ability to decide about whether to manage or refer a patient based on knowing ones own limitations;
• demonstrate an ability to design appropriate therapies for chronic and acute pain;
• describe the pathophysiology, therapeutics and clinical presentation of nervous system and acute and chronic mental health conditions including the appropriate use of traditional and alternative therapies;
• describe the use of local and general anaesthetic agents;
• discuss the incidence of mental illness and suicide in the Australian community and the strategies put into place to address the issue e.g. National Mental Health Strategy;
• discuss the role, responsibilities and resources available to the pharmacist in the management of patients with a chronic mental health condition, including those in rural and remote areas;
• outline the principles of therapeutic drug monitoring in the rational use of drugs used in the management of nervous system and mental health disorders.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments;
• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to calculate, produce, interpret and communicate numerical information;
• The ability to select and use appropriate IT tools;
• A coherent and disciplined body of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to learn independently and in a self-directed manner;
• A commitment to lifelong learning and intellectual development.

Prerequisites:	All level 2 BPharm subjects
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	PP2231 and PP3252

Availabilities
, , Study Period 2
Census Date 08-Sep-2006
Coordinator:	Assoc. Professor Ian Heslop
Lecturers:	Anna-Marie Babey, Professor Beverley Glass, jc132544, jc163551, Professor Alan Nimmo.
Contact hours:	36 hours 12 hours 18 hours
Assessment:	(60%); (25%); (15%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.