CSB441 Quality Use of Medicines

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Pharmacists have the responsibility to protect consumers from harm by managing and responding to the risk inherent in medication management systems. This unit explores the role and responsibilities of the pharmacist as the medicines expert through knowledge and application of skills related to the safe, efficacious, appropriate, and judicious use of medicinal products. Different patient populations will be introduced, building on conditions and therapies introduced in CSB420 Introduction to Pharmacy Practice, and skills from CSB431 I Pharmacist. This unit will also develop your understanding of your role as an effective pharmacist through experiential learning over a one week period.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Critically apply knowledge of safe, efficacious, appropriate, and judicious use of medications.
2. Apply knowledge of clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics in the context of the quality use of medicines (QUM).
3. Generate an informed judgement and decision on the use of therapeutics relating to a variety of patient populations.
4. Reflect on inter-professional and clinical discussions, and demonstrations of professional competencies.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit engages your learning through application of theory to practice by introducing a decision making framework, which applies your foundational problem solving skills in the quality management framework of safe, efficacious, judicious use of medicines. While on your one week experiential placement, you will have the opportunity to connect knowledge from previous studies to practice, identify professional competencies in action, and undertake clinical discussions with the supervising pharmacist.

This is the second in a suite of six units involving a placement experience. This unit will develop your understanding of your role as an effective pharmacist through experiential learning over a one week period. You will observe and/or participate in a variety of pharmacy operations, with a focus on Quality Use of Medicines, and conditions of the gastrointestinal system, musculoskeletal, dermatology, and special senses.

The content presented for this unit may be presented in face to face sessions, via video-conferencing, or recorded online medium through Canvas.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Reflection on practice and discussions with academics and preceptors provides feedback through critical discussion of case studies and clinical decision making in practice.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment items are designed to measure your achievement of the unit learning outcomes. The assessment items are situated across the semester to provide feedback on your learning.

There are two pieces of assessment to be completed in this unit. Each task is designed to assess particular learning outcomes. For the purpose of professional accreditation and demonstration of competencies, a satisfactory performance in the assessed placement activities (threshold assessment conditions apply) and an overall passing mark of at least 50% are required to obtain a passing grade for this unit. 

Electronic access to resources in school-based examinations may be provided using University computers only (this is at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator and further details will be provided via Canvas). If electronic access is provided, students should be aware that access to resources cannot be guaranteed and students should ensure they are able to utilise hard copies of the same references.

Special conditions of assessment:

Participation and attendance at placement

This unit includes a one week placement experience. In order to receive a grade in this unit, the unit coordinator must receive completed activity task sheets, feedback sheet completed by the preceptor, and preceptor signoff that placement hours have been satisfactorily completed by the end of week 13 of semester.

Threshold assessment conditions

In this unit, for you to be eligible to receive a passing grade, threshold assessment conditions apply. You are advised to seek feedback on your assessment from the unit coordinator prior to resubmission.

• Standard assessments: If you do not achieve a satisfactory result, you are able to make one resubmission of this task for the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level for the assessment item.

You may be required to electronically submit all written assignments for content matching checks.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional plans

Based on the professional competencies, you will complete activities which may include reflective practice, clinical decision-making, interpersonal communication, advice to non-specialist and specialist audiences while on placement.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Threshold Assessment:

Threshold conditions apply.

Assessment: Case study exam

You will be expected to use your current skills and attributes, and placement experience to apply principles of safe, efficacious, appropriate, and judicious use of medications to FOUR case studies. All questions are in a short answer format.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Mandatory requirements for pharmacy placement. Failure to comply with these requirements by the due date given will result in your exclusion from placement activities:

• Blue Card: A Blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the Blue card and how to apply, please refer to Blue cards - QUT Digital Workplace.
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence: It is a mandatory requirement for students to be vaccinated against several vaccine preventable diseases. For more information, please refer to Faculty of Health's website at Health student placements How to complete your pre-placement requirements - QUT Digital Workplace before the commencement of placement. You must provide evidence of immunity for Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Varicella on the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence Certification Form. The form includes information on the evidence that is required for each vaccination. More information will provided by WILS.

There may be additional mandatory requirements for placements within specific external organisations (eg. QLD Health) and these expectations will be conveyed to you by the Health WILS team. Failure to meet these requirements by the due date given, may prevent you from undertaking your placement.

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Costs

All Work Integrated Learning placement costs, including immunisations, the prescribed QUT placement uniform, travel and accommodation expenses, are the responsibility of the student. See QUT - Additional course costs.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

AusDI: evidence based medicines information resource for Australian practice. St Leonards, NSW: Phoenix Medical Publishing; 2014. http://libguides.library.qut.edu.au/databases/ausdi

Australian Medicines Handbook. Adelaide: AMH Pty. Ltd.

Beardsley, R. S.; Kimberlin, C. L.; Tindall, W. N. Communication skills in pharmacy practice: a practical guide for students and practitioners: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012.

Birkett, D.J. Pharmacokinetics Made Easy Pocket Guide 2nd Edn

Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021   (available on-line) - https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/2021-09-27/sl-2021-0140

Rutter, P. Community pharmacy: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2013.

Sansom, L.; Pharmaceutical Society of, A. Australian pharmaceutical formulary and handbook: the everyday guide to pharmacy practice, Deakin West, ACT: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, 2015.

The Merck Manual (current edition), Merck Research Laboratories, Whitehorse Station

The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons. Canberra, ACT: Australian Govt Dept of Health and Ageing. - http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/li/psan1o2010299/F2010L00966/

Therapeutic Guidelines. http://www.tg.org.au/

eMIMS (current edition), St Leonards, NSW: MIMS Australia, CMPMedica Australia Pty Limited. http://www.mims.com.au/

Risk Assessment Statement

Learning is the responsibility of all stakeholders. Students have a responsibility to minimise risk to themselves, other staff and clients while on placements both on campus and off campus.

Students must make themselves aware of and abide by the occupational health and safety requirements of all placement workplaces, and are expected to undergo any induction or other training provided for employees or visitors to the workplace as appropriate.

You are required to read the document 'Managing your rights, responsibilities and safety on placements' Your safety and wellbeing on placement - QUT Digital Workplace and disclose relevant health information as specified in this document. Students who are pregnant at the time of their placement also have particular disclosure requirements, as detailed in this document. Personal or medical information must be disclosed for example when there is an increased risk to the student or others, an impediment exists where adjustments to tasks will be required and/or if there are specific religious, cultural or family requirements.

All accidents, incidents and critical near-misses should be reported to your placement workplace and QUT. If an incident occurs on placement, a report needs to be submitted online through the Health, safety and environment HSE Hub accessed via  Your safety and wellbeing on placement - QUT Digital Workplace.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS47 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

1. Demonstrate expertise in knowledge of medicines, including knowledge of the drug substance and drug action: sources, properties and actions of medicinal substances.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Professional plans, Case study exam
2. Demonstrate ethical, legal and professional responsibilities, whilst considering quality, risk, best interests and safety of patients and public, formulating strategies to address any issues.
   Relates to: ULO2, Case study exam
3. Communicate and collaborate with a socially and culturally diverse range of people on interpersonal and interprofessional levels.
   Relates to: ULO3, Professional plans, Case study exam
4. Collaborate and share decision-making in partnership with the interprofessional health care team to optimise patient outcomes, and with patients, clients and carers respecting roles, privacy and choices.
   Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, Professional plans, Case study exam
5. Demonstrate quality use of medicines including actions and recommendations for safe, rational and cost-effective use and management, prescribing, and medication reviews.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Professional plans, Case study exam
6. Undertake structured reflection to enhance learning and practice, self-awareness, self-regulation and ability to evaluate personal health and wellbeing status, demonstrating awareness of professional limitations and adopting strategies to address.
   Relates to: ULO4, Professional plans, Case study exam