Pharmacy Practice 1 (9004.3)
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | On-campus |
Bruce, Canberra |
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Health |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| Discipline Of Pharmacy | Level 3 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit | Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:1. Identify and apply basic professional communication skills;
2. Apply foundational pharmacology and therapeutics knowledge to identify, predict, prevent, detect basic medication-related problems;
3. Implement safe patient-focused care; and
4. Make basic clinical decisions using critical appraisal of relevant evidence, and clinical considerations.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
Prerequisites
11127 Dispensary Practice AND8999 Evidence Based Medicine 1 AND
9002 Essential Pharmacology
Corequisites
9001 Evidence Based Medicine 2 OR 11617 Honours: Literature and Evidence AND9003 Clinical Therapeutics 1 AND
9005 Systems Pharmacology 1
Incompatible units
None.Equivalent units
None.Assumed knowledge
None.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 1 | 03 February 2025 | On-campus | Dr Nicole Sep |
| 2026 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 1 | 16 February 2026 | On-campus | Dr Nicole Sep |
Required texts
(The following textbooks are required for this unit)
- Australian Medicines Handbook (current edition). Adelaide: Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd.
- Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary (current edition), Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. UC Library ref. RS141.8.A97 2012
(You do not have to purchase the following textbooks but you may like to refer to them)
- Winfield, A., & Edafiogho, I. Calculations for Pharmaceutical Practice. (current edition). Edinburgh London, Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, 2005.
(available via UC library - UC Library Call No: RS57.W56 2005) -
Therapeutic Guidelines (current edition) or eTG. (pub: Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd, Victoria, Australia).(Computer access for students is available online via UC library)
- Rutter P & Newby D. Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. (current edition) UC library ref. RA427.9.R89 2012.
(Ebook available via UC Library.) - Ansel HC. Pharmaceutical Calculations. (current edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ISBN 978-1451120363
Submission of assessment items
Extensions & Late submissions
Extensions to assignments, placements, deferred intra-semester tests and examinations
Students can apply for an extension to the due date for submission/completion of an assessment item on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances (specific details are found through the Assessment Policy and Procedures Section 9.12). Extensions must be applied for before the due date as outlined above. For illness on the day of the assessment, the Assignment Extension form with relevant documentation must be lodged to the Unit Convener within three days of the scheduled exam, test, assignment, placement or assessment submission.
It should be noted that such documentation will be considered but will not guarantee that the extension application will be successful. The Unit Convener will decide whether to grant an extension and the length or availability of the extension.
Students are only permitted one extension per assignment and one deferral per examination/test/ placement (on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances as per UC policies) unless otherwise approved. Students must make themselves available for deferred exams and tests.
For placements, please refer to the unit's Canvas site for further details and requirements. Students are NOT PERMITTED to defer a deferred intra-semester exam, test or placement. Any student unable to undertake the deferred intra-semester exam, test, assignment or placement will receive a mark of zero or fail grade for the assessment task.
Special assessment requirements
To pass this unit, you MUST meet ALL the following requirements:
- Students must satisfactorily complete the community pharmacy placement, and submit all placement documentations
- Students must attain an overall unit mark of 50% or higher
Should you fail to meet these requirements, you will fail the Unit.
Supplementary Academic Integrity Information
Contract cheating
Contract cheating (academic outsourcing / ghost-writing) is a form of academic misconduct in which students submit written or creative work which has been drafted or produced by someone else and claim authorship for it. It includes (but is not limited to) using a third party, offering their services for commercial or other benefits, to complete (either partially or fully) an assignment or other assessment items on behalf of the student.
You are at risk of contract cheating if you ask someone to:
- complete an assignment for you
- substantially edit your assignment
- do your university work for you, with or without compensation
- check test or quiz answers
- sit a test or quiz for you
- provide someone with your UC login details
You may also be at risk of contract cheating if you provide information to people or organisations outside UC, such as:
- assignment questions and briefs
- lecture notes
- marking rubrics and marking guides
Students should note that sharing their assignments (current or previously submitted assignments) may result in referral to the Associate Dean of Education for investigation.
UC considers contract cheating serious misconduct which may attract suspension or exclusion from the university. Furthermore, we, as your education provider, have mandatory reporting responsibilities under National Law. We are required to notify the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) if we believe that a registered health practitioner (including those with student registration) has behaved in a way that constitutes notifiable conduct including signature departure from accepted professional standards. Contract cheating may also result in UC submitting a mandatory notification to AHPRA.
You can learn more about contract cheating in the Academic Integrity Module - which is a compulsory module that provides information about a range of issues including plagiarism and contract cheating. UC provides a range of services to support student learning - further information regarding Study Skills, Studiosity and Medical & Counselling services are available in your unit's Canvas site.
Pharmacy students are expected to have completed the AIM Quiz in the first two (2) weeks of their course.
No submitted assessment pieces will be marked in this unit until the Quiz has been completed (proof of successful AIM completion may be requested by the Unit Convener).
Artificial intelligence
Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.
GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:
- the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
- the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
- the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.
Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.
The GenAI for Students Links to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.
Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.
Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.
UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).
UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.
Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.
Learner engagement
This unit involves placements and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in this section. Work-place learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. Client/patient confidentiality must always be maintained, including for assessment items such as reports or essays. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, practicals, etc. if scheduled- see section 3) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c). If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g. timetable clash), it is recommended that you meet your Course Convener to schedule this unit for a future semester.
Participation requirements
This Unit contains participatory elements which are vital to the Australian Pharmacy Council professional learning outcomes for this Unit. Except in the case of extenuating circumstances, 100% attendance is expected at all lectures, and 100% participation is required in all placements, externships, tutorials, workshops and presentations. It is expected that students unable to fulfil these participation requirements will inform the Unit Convener as soon as practical, by telephone or email. If attendance requirements cannot be regularly satisfied (e.g. timetable clash) it may be recommended that you schedule this unit for a future semester. Absence from external placement activities must also be reported to the relevant clinical placement coordinator and preceptor. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in failure of the associated assessment piece. Consideration will be given for illness; however evidence such as a medical certificate will be required.
Contact details for the Unit Convenor and the Faculty of Health Placement Administration Office are given in Section 1.
Required IT skills
Students should be conversant with searching for, and accessing information via electronic means; the use of Canvas; and word processing, (including appropriate citation of assignments), spreadsheet and presentation software.
In-unit costs
The following costs are expected for this unit:
• Self-printing of electronically provided material.
• Purchase of textbooks and learning resources
• Pre-placement requirements
• UC Pharmacy Placement Shirt
• UC Placement Identification badge
• Transport to placements
Work placement, internships or practicums
This unit involves a Clinical Placement, and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in this section.
Students must adhere to University policy during WIL experiences, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL Policy and WIL Procedure, and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure.
This unit has pre-placement requirements (e.g. Working with Vulnerable People registration, immunisations, recording of relevant details in InPlace etc), which must be completed prior to commencement of your <placement/internship/WIL project/fieldwork/simulation>; refer to Placement Requirements
Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.
Work-place learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. Client/patient confidentiality must always be maintained, including for assessment items such as reports or essays. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, practicals etc. if scheduled – see section 3) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c).
If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g. timetable clash), it is recommended that you meet with your Course Convener to schedule this unit for a future semester.
To complete this unit, pharmacy students must successfully complete the minimum number of placement hours stated in this unit outline. However, students may choose to complete additional hours of work integrated learning (WIL) or experiential pharmacy placement. A written request must be submitted and approved by the unit convener prior to the commencement of any additional WIL. Please note paid employment does not contribute to additional WIL
Clinical placements and externships are an essential part of the UC Pharmacy courses. They enable knowledge to be embedded in a clinical context through the use of trained clinical preceptors and practicing professionals. This cannot be attained in any other setting. The control of access to external facilities derives from contractual arrangements with ACT Health and other organisations and UC is obliged to accept the rules and regulations that govern who they will accept into their premises. It is beyond UC's control to influence the health facilities to change their acceptability requirements.
- The successful completion of clinical placements/externships is a mandatory element of the Unit and the assessment of the Unit; and
- Some or all of the external agencies require a police check prior to permitting a student to undertake the clinical placement/externship; and
- The results of the police check may be used as a basis to refuse access to a clinical placement/externship at the external agency. This decision is solely at the discretion of the external agency; and
- Students unable to gain access to a clinical placement/externship at agencies approved by the University are unable to complete the mandatory requirements of the Unit. In this case the student will receive a NX (fail) grade and will not be eligible for a refund of any fees; and
- If the successful completion of a Unit is a mandatory requirement for the completion of a Course, an inability to complete the Unit means the student is unable to complete the requirements of the Course.
Students also need to note that the external agency reserves the right to withdraw access to a clinical placement/externship at any time prior or during a placement/externship at the sole discretion of the agency. In these circumstances the same implications noted above will apply.
Students also need to note that they bear the full risk in relation to loss of access to clinical placements/externship and the University will not be liable if an agency withdraws access to a clinical placement/externship because of the actions or omissions of a student.
UC pre-placement requirements – e.g. vaccines, manual handling, police checks etc.
As part of this unit, students are required to undertake professional placement. Students must complete their pre-placement requirements before being able to undertake professional placement. Pre-placement requirements are to be uploaded to InPlace. After these requirements are completed (uploaded to InPlace and verified (green status), students will be allocated to their Professional Placements as required by their course of study. Pre-placement requirements are located at: www.canberra.edu.au/placement
Please referred to Canvas for pre-placement requirements and due dates
Student who have not met preplacement requirements by the specified due date will not be allocated a placement. This will result in a fail grade for the unit.
Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements (e.g. ACT Health & NSW e-learning modules etc.)
Some practice placement industry partners require students to complete further mandatory pre-placement requirements such as learning packages, prior to the commencing placement. Students will received specific instructions on what Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements are required to be completed and how to upload certificates of completion. A due date will be set by the industry partner. Students are to complete the Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements and submit completion evidence as per the instructions of the specific industry partner by the due date.
Failure to complete mandatory industry partner pre-placement requirements by the due date will result in the practice placement being cancelled. This will result in a fail grade for the unit.
Additional information
Pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, pharmacy practitioners (registered pharmacists) and education providers have an obligation to report ‘notifiable conduct', to the Pharmacy Board of Australia in order to prevent the public being placed at risk of harm. Education providers are also required, under s.143 of the National Law, to make mandatory notifications in relation to students, if the provider reasonably believes:
(a) a student enrolled with the provider has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm or
(b) a student for whom the provider has arranged clinical training has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking the clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.
Practitioners are required to make a mandatory notification in relation to a student if the practitioner reasonably believes that a student has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.
All concerns raised within the Discipline of Pharmacy or by clinical preceptors will be reviewed by the Head of Discipline and the Course Convener before any reporting action is taken.
These professional obligations are taken seriously by staff and the University. Students should be aware of their obligations under student registration.
For further information, please refer to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Pharmacy Guidelines for Mandatory Notifications available at https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/mandatorynotifications/Mandatory-notifications.aspx
