CSH466 Pharmacist Prescribing

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit builds on the patient-centred care units to further develop knowledge and skills within the National Prescribing Service (NPS) prescribing competencies, to prepare students to be future pharmacist prescribers. The context will build from prescribing of pharmacy and pharmacist only medicines, towards the full scope of medicine prescribing (for when this is legally authorised).

This unit will lead into the 4th year capstone units CSH471 Advanced Clinical Practice 1, and CSH481 Advanced Clinical Practice 2. It will provide you with stepping stones to advance your clinical skills, preparing for your core practice in routine situations by developing the technical, clinical, personal and professional skills relevant to the day-to-day practice, and forming the basis of an advanced pharmacy practice framework.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Describe the NPS prescribing competencies.
2. Apply the NPS prescribing competencies to develop a patient focused clinical plan
3. Evaluate patient outcomes and revise clinical plan
4. Communicate clinical plan clearly to relevant audiences.

Content

Learning Approaches

The unit will develop independent and life-long learning skills of communication, capacity for inquiry and research, critical thought and analysis, problem solving, and effective use of information technology through an emphasis on problem solving, communication and responses to patients.

You will work individually to analyse patient case data in the context of the NPS prescribing competencies. In a formative classroom learning environment, sharing and applying the knowledge gained as collaborative learners, builds confidence while developing interpersonal and professional communication skills.

Teaching staff will support student centred learning by guiding students through formative cases, and facilitating your learning. You will be expected to collect evidence of achievement of the NPS prescribing competencies. 

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

During workshops, you will be provided in class activities where you can apply knowledge related to this unit (individually and/or as groups).  Academics will be able to provide feedback on your ability to apply information, which is an essential skill for all assessment items. 

Feedback will be provided (as a group) for the assessments.  This will help you determine your strengths and areas for improvement, which will assist you with your future practice. 

Assessment

Overview

The assessment items are situated across the semester to provide feedback on your learning.

There are three overall pieces of assessment to be completed in this unit. Each task is designed to assess particular learning outcomes.

Electronic access to resources in school-based oral 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 utilize hard copies of the same references.

Threshold assessment conditions
In this unit, for you to be eligible to receive a passing grade, threshold assessment conditions apply to the Clinical decision making assessment task. 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 will be required to electronically submit all written assignments for content matching checks.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Information gathering to inform prescribing

As a pharmacist, you will communicate with the patient to understand the person and their needs as per the NPS prescribing competencies.  You will gather all relevant information with which to identify a medication related problem. 

Assessment: Clinical decision making

As a pharmacist, after receiving additional patient outcome data, source and interpret evidence to revise your clinical plan (as necessary), aligned with the NPS prescribing competencies.  You will optimise the person's medications to ensure evidence-based and optimal outcomes for the patient and their condition. 

Threshold Assessment:

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.

Assessment: Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.

The portfolio assessment allows you to demonstrate skills required in the prescribing cycle for communicating, monitoring and reviewing a prescribing decision.  

The portfolio consists of 2 main parts.  

1. Record a three-minute video to explain the medicines related plan to a patient (take home case)
2. In a workshop, you will communicate a clinical decision in the form of a written prescription, develop a person-centred monitor and review plan, and communicate the review to specific audience(s). 

The 48-hour late submission period and extensions applies only to the video component of this portfolio. 

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.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

AusDI: evidence based medicines information resource for Australian practice. St Leonards, NSW: Phoenix Medical Publishing; 2014.

Australian Medicines Handbook, current edition, 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.

Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 (available on-line)

https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/2021-09-27/sl-2021-0140

NPS. Competencies required to prescribe medicines. Putting quality use of medicines into practice. NPS MedicineWise.

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

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

eMIMS (current edition), St Leonards, NSW: MIMS Australia

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS47 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

1. 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, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
2. Communicate and collaborate with a socially and culturally diverse range of people on interpersonal and interprofessional levels.
   Relates to: ULO4, Information gathering to inform prescribing, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
3. Provide tailored information, advice and documentation using a range of communication modes including written, verbal, non-verbal and digital.
   Relates to: ULO4, Information gathering to inform prescribing, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
4. 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, Information gathering to inform prescribing, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
5. Deliver person-centred care, obtaining, assessing, formulating, monitoring, facilitating self-management/adjustment of health, medical and medication information and plans in collaboration with individuals, communities, health care teams for optimal outcomes.
   Relates to: ULO1, Information gathering to inform prescribing, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
6. Provide medications and other management options including administering, dispensing, preparing and supplying, safe storage, tailored counselling, and assessing ambulatory conditions.
   Relates to: ULO2, Information gathering to inform prescribing, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.
7. Demonstrate health promotion and harm minimisation approaches providing evidence-based screening, assessment, prevention, referral and strategies to reduce harm from misuse of legal and illegal drugs, and participating in health promotion activities.
   Relates to: ULO3, Clinical decision making, Communicate, and monitor and review your prescribing decision.