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Clinical Pharmacy

Specialty Clinical Placement - VCG6011

Patient Data and Pharmacotherapy I - VCG5021

Patient Data and Pharmacotherapy II - VCG5022

Patient Data and Pharmacotherapy III - VCG6022

Unit summaries
Patient Data and Pharmacotherapy are taught in tandem so the student can assimilate their knowledge and understanding of therapeutics with their skills in interpreting patient data. This allows for an integrated approach to patient care by the clinical pharmacist. These units comprise around one third of the entire Master's course which is consistent with the significant time spent by clinical pharmacists in direct patient care activities.
Areas covered in these units may include (but are not limited to): cardiology, respiratory, endocrinology, gastroenterology, haematology, oncology, infectious disease, immunology, psychiatry, paediatrics, obstetrics/gynaecology, nephrology. Each therapeutic area will include a significant component of principles in clinical pharmacology (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, biotechnology). These principles are considered essential in allowing students to fully appreciate clinical pharmacotherapeutics, and to maximise benefits from their clinical placements.
With the assistance of their clinical mentors, students will be required to review cases and attend ward rounds relevant to the area of therapeutics being studied. This will ensure the students appreciate the practical aspects of therapy, and improve their clinical skills as well as their knowledge in a variety of therapeutic areas.

Objectives
At completion of these units it is expected that students will be able to:

  • Describe the pathophysiology of selected disease states and explain the rationale for drug therapy
  • Describe the therapeutic approach to management of these disease states including reference to the latest available evidence
  • Describe the effects of aging on the disease and its management
  • Discuss the controversies in drug therapy
  • Comment on new (investigational) approaches to drug therapy
  • Identify the patient-specific parameters relevant in initiating drug therapy, and monitoring therapy (including alternatives, time-course of clinical and laboratory indices of therapeutic response and adverse effects)
  • Explain clinical interpretation of selected laboratory results in the context of patient monitoring
  • Understand, define and calculate pharmacokinetic parameters to optimise drug dosing for specific patients
  • Appreciate principles and clinical application of biotechnology in various therapeutic areas
  • Demonstrate clinical skills relevant to each therapeutic area being studied

Workload requirements
It is expected that each of these units will require participants to allocate an average of up to 12 hours per week for 13 weeks (up to a total of 156 hours per study period) for successful completion. Given individual differences in learning styles it is expected that this time allocation is sufficiently reasonable for students to interact with the unit facilitators, study the prepared unit materials, engage in the online activities and undertake the assessment tasks.

Specialty Clinical Placement - VCG6011

Unit summary
This unit provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in an area of specialty practice. It allows them to model their behaviour to provide clinical pharmacy services at a high level, and to become an important member of the healthcare team in a specialty environment.
The student will also put into practice the knowledge and skills learned in Evidence Based Practice, Clinical Pharmacology, Introduction to Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and Patient Data and Pharmacotherapy I & II. Students will present a number of case studies highlighting the pharmacist’s role in patient management, and the application of evidence based practice.

Objectives
At the completion of this unit the participant will be able to:

  • Describe the pharmacotherapy and patient monitoring relevant to the chosen specialty
  • Describe useful resources available to pharmacists working in the chosen specialty
  • Present comprehensive case studies concentrating on the role of the pharmacist in patient management, and the application of evidence based practice
  • Present a Journal Club relevant to the chosen specialty
  • Present a continuing education lecture on an area of practice or therapeutics relevant to the chosen specialty, and pitched at the right level for the chosen audience.

Workload requirements
This unit requires four weeks of placement in a specialty area under the supervision of an experienced specialty clinical pharmacist preceptor approved by the Course Coordinator. The placement may be undertaken in a four-week block, or as two blocks each of two weeks.
It is expected that all four weeks will be carried out in the same specialty area of practice. Placements should not generally be undertaken in the student’s normal workplace. Students should allocate extra time for reading, case preparation, etc during the placement time.