James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2020

PC3312 - Pharmacy Practice (Professional Honours) 1

Subject Description

This subject will further develop student understanding of pharmacy practice pharmaceutics and counselling, including legal and ethical issues, clinical dispensing and communication skills, an overview of complementary medicines, drug regulation and quality, respiratory and ear, nose and throat (ENT) dosage forms and drug stability. Students will also complete 80 hours of supervised clinical pharmacy placements in hospital or community pharmacy or industry in both urban and rural settings. Finally, the student will work in small, self-directed groups towards the development and completion of a project relevant to a contemporary pharmacy practice issue. Students will demonstrate skills in leadership, planning and team work in order to plan and undertake project activities, the initial phase of which will be a joint review of the issue culminating in the production of an academic literature review which will be presented in written and oral formats.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the pharmaceutics of selected dosage forms and formulations, including drug interactions and drugs stability
• Demonstrate the basic dispensing functions of a pharmacist, including patient history taking, maintaining prescription records and patient counselling, relating this to professional practice through experiential placement
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of pharmacy research methods and analysis, in preparation for commencement of a research project
• Describe, interpret and apply accepted standards of practice, codes of ethics and the regulations and quality standards which govern the supply and use of medicines and complementary medicines in Australia when considering issues relating to the acquisition, storage, dispensing, sale and supply of pharmaceutical products and be able to provide evidence based information to patients on their use
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of research methods in undertaking a group research project in a systematic and scholarly manner
• Critically analyse and synthesis the literature relating to a research topic and produce an academic literature review for presentation in written and oral formats

Subject Assessment

• Invigilated > End of semester exam - (30%)
• - (35%)
• - (35%)

Note that 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.

Assumed Knowledge:  As this is a core level 3 subject in the BPharm(Hons)/MPharm pathway, students will be expected to have completed all core level 1 and 2 subjects

Availabilities