CSN500 Clinical Therapeutics for Health
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | CSN500 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 24 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| Domestic tuition unit fee | $6,432 |
| International unit fee | $9,336 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Online
| Unit code: | CSN500 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 24 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Nil |
| Coordinator: | Steven Walmsley | steven.walmsley@qut.edu.au |
Overview
The Clinical Therapeutics for Health unit provides you with specialised knowledge of biomedical science, pharmacology and clinical therapeutics in the context of professional clinical practice. More specifically, the unit focuses on advanced knowledge and skills for the safe and effective use of therapeutics and medicines using a Quality Use Medicines (QUM) framework relevant to your scope of practice as a health practitioner.
The unit provides essential foundational knowledge in clinical therapeutics for health and QUM principles as per Australia's National Medicines Policy. It utilises contemporary resources such as NPS MedicineWise as well as relevant clinical, legal and professional guidelines, including National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Critically apply clinical guidelines from key evidence-based resources in the context of person-centred care and Quality Use of Medicine principles within professional and legislative frameworks, considering culturally safe practice, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
- Safely apply an understanding of evidence-based clinical pathways for diagnosing or understanding a diagnosis of complex health conditions
- Independently plan therapeutic management using guidelines for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, considering culturally-responsive and person-centred care, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health perspectives, to improve health outcomes and manage potential adverse reactions.
- Implement principles of reflective practice and quality improvement to protect and enhance patient safety and address issues of bias addressing issues of bias and promoting culturally safe practices
Content
- Pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of medicines for management of a range of health conditions. These may include: anti-microbials, anti-inflammatories, anti-emetics, analgesics, anaesthetics, complementary and other medicines, as well as profession-specific scheduled medicines with endorsement
- Ethical, legal and professional standards and responsibilities, including an overview of state, national and international regulatory frameworks relevant to prescribing practice
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives relating to health care and medication use
- Culturally responsive approaches to prescribing, integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health perspectives into therapeutic management to support safe and effective care.
- Understanding of special populations, including paediatrics, older adults and those with complex comorbidities
- Medication history taking, considering person-centred and culturally responsive approaches to consultation and care
- Diagnostic testing interpretation, application and integration into therapeutic management plans
- Clinical reasoning and application of clinical pathways for: diagnosing or understanding a diagnosis of complex clinical health conditions; therapeutic management using guidelines for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, underpinned by quality use of medicines principles; management of potential adverse reactions, drug interactions, and appropriate monitoring.
- Numeracy and drug dosage calculations for safe prescribing
- Legal requirements for documenting management decisions (e.g. clinical records and prescriptions)
- Shared care arrangements and interprofessional collaboration, including initiating of medicines reviews
- Entrepreneurship in healthcare - leveraging innovation to drive transformative change, improving quality, accessibility and efficiency of care
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in flexible, on-demand, self-directed learning activities, using an online Learning Management System (Canvas). Learning materials will include prescribed readings, multimedia resources and interactive learning modules. Self-directed learning will be reinforced by weekly online interprofessional tutorial discussions. Case-based learning, including diverse cultural perspectives, and problem-solving activities will support you to develop advanced clinical reasoning skills in the context of prescribing.
You will be required to complete self-directed learning tasks prior to engaging in the online tutorials, and actively contribute to discussions with your peers and teaching staff. Support will be provided to develop your digital capabilities in this unit, including accessing online therapeutic databases, information literacy skills to source and appraise research literature, employing the use of reference management software. You will develop your communication skills through web conferencing and digital written communication.
As you embark on your career development journey towards an extended scope of prescribing practice, you will be supported to reflect upon your clinical and academic skills, equipping you to proactively seek support for success on each assessment item.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
A formative quiz will be utilised to provide you with feedback regarding your comprehension of unit materials early in the semester. Discussion and feedback as you develop your first written assessment item will occur in tutorials and via online discussion boards. Academic and peer feedback will be obtained as you discuss case scenarios in tutorials that will help you prepare for your final viva voce assessment.
Assessment
Overview
You will complete two summative assessment items in this unit. Your first assessment item is a written evaluation of medicines in practice, in which you will demonstrate your ability to critically apply evidence-based resources and reflect upon quality use of medicines principles. The second assessment item is an online viva voce in which you will demonstrate safe, effective and person-centred prescribing practice through discussion of a simulated patient case.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Evaluation of medicines in practice
You will complete a critical review of the evidence related to medicines in your scope of practice using a person-centred approach aligned to the QUM framework, and reflect on how this informs your future clinical practice, including the provision of person-centred and culturally safe care.
Use of Generative AI Tools
The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is recommended for understanding assessment instructions, organising preliminary ideas, performing background information searches, and refining spelling and grammar. Generative AI may assist in improving the clarity and flow of written language without replacing the student’s analytical or critical thinking processes.
However, generative AI tools should NOT be used to write any part of the critical analysis, develop reflective insights, or generate content related to the evaluation of evidence and Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) principles. This assessment is designed to develop your critical thinking, reflective abilities, and deep engagement with the literature. It is essential that all insights and reflections are authentically your own, ensuring personal intellectual growth and adherence to academic integrity.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Viva Voce
An allied healthcare practitioner with Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines is required to practice in accordance with the competencies outlined in the NPS Prescribing Competencies Framework. In this assessment, you will participate in an online viva voce examination based on a simulated patient case to demonstrate the principles of competent, culturally responsive and safe person-centred prescribing practice. Cases will involve considerations of cultural safety and diverse patient needs, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Use of Generative AI
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are NOT permitted in this assessment. This assessment is a verified identity assessment, that is, an assessment capable of confirming that the student being assessed undertook the assessment work. Access to generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are not available for the duration of this assessment.
Threshold Assessment:
In order to receive a grade for this assessment item, you must achieve the minimum pass level as indicated by a criterion-referenced assessment rubric mapped to relevant professional capabilities. You will be eligible for one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt.
Use of Generative AI Tools
This assessment is a verified identity assessment. Access to generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in this assessment is not available.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
It is a requirement for enrolment in this unit that you have a recognised bachelor degree or equivalent in a relevant health field, examples include but are not limited to Podiatry, Physiotherapy, and Pharmacy.
Resources
Examples of key learning resources are listed below. Additional learning resources will be provided throughout the semester via the unit Canvas site.
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
MIMS (Current edition). Sydney: MIMS Australia and UBM Media Pty Ltd. (electronic version available via QUT Library)
Australian Medicines Handbook (current edition). Adelaide, S.A.: AMH Pty Ltd. (electronic version available via QUT Library).
NPS MedicineWise Prescribing Competencies (current edition).
Queensland Medicines and Poisons (Medicines Regulation) 2021. Available at: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0140
eTG complete. Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. (electronic version available via QUT Library).
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the ordinary risks in this unit except for those associated with substantial computer-based work. You should ensure that you take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.CS30 Graduate Certificate in Podiatric Therapeutics
- Critically examine biomedical science and professional practice, as applied in pharmacotherapeutics, safe prescribing, and quality use of medicines and therapeutics, within the legislated scope of podiatric practice.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Evaluation of medicines in practice , Viva Voce - Formulate diagnoses with a person-centred and culturally responsive approach, applying advanced critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills to analyse, interpret and evaluate complex information for prescribing.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, Viva Voce - Construct strategies with high level independent judgments, to plan, safely implement and evaluate the prescribing process, including the communication of best practice therapeutic interventions to patients, carers and other health professionals.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Evaluation of medicines in practice , Viva Voce - Utilise advanced oral and written communication skills in prescribing, including digital innovations, to collaborate with diverse professional teams, conveying complex information and working effectively within a sustainable health care system, capitalising on opportunities for career development.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO4, Evaluation of medicines in practice , Viva Voce - Safely practice podiatric therapeutics with personal accountability, within ethical and legal frameworks, engaging with progressive learning and reflective practice for continuous quality improvement, consistent with the principles of quality use of medicines.
Relates to: ULO4, Evaluation of medicines in practice , Viva Voce