Pharmville 3052

Developing context and relevance for teaching across disciplines and between year levels in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course.

Pharmville 3052 is the foundation of the new Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum, depicting ‘real’ people with ‘real’ problems who live within the Pharmville 3052 community. It is an innovative teaching tool that will provide context and integration to the new curriculum throughout the four years of the program.

Each character in the community has a social and cultural background, lifestyle and medical history. Lecturers and tutors across all disciplines will use the families as a teaching tool to pose questions about disease state management, medicines use and the broader implications of the individual’s social standing, allowing teaching to be integrated into an authentic situation. 

Students will be introduced to the families, encountering a human perspective to health care problems to increase their cultural awareness, confidence and preparedness for practice.

The Park family, the first of many families to bring the Pharmville3052 community to life.

The first pharmacy family – the Parks

From 2009, first year pharmacy students will meet the members of the initial family who have been developed for Pharmville 3052 – a multi-racial family called the Parks.

A web-based video program, will introduce each family member (played by an actor) to 1^st and 2^nd year pharmacy students. The Parks talk candidly about themselves, their health and each other.

Students will also work with virtual patients (avatars) in 3^rd year to practice consultation/communication skills.  Four avatars are currently in development with physical resemblance to the Park family members.

Teaching materials including photos, medical animations, and video will describe aspects of the individual’s medical and social background.

Pharmville 3052 – the future

Over the four years of the pharmacy course, students will be introduced to new families and community members. Videos and interactive avatars will be created, bringing the Pharmville community to life.