Outline

Overview

Foundations of Pharmacy is a broad introduction to the discipline of pharmacy and the roles that pharmacists play in health care as well as the ideas, issues, skills and knowledge base required of a professional pharmacist. A number of topics are introduced but not covered in depth; they will be further developed in subsequent units of study and later years of the degree. Specific skills in research, critical thinking, writing, group work and presenting are developed in the context of activities designed to orient students to their future profession. The intent is that students begin to think and behave as future members of the profession of pharmacy, and reflect upon the attitudes and beliefs that will shape their practice.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Janet Cheung, janet.cheung@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Written examination	40%	Formal exam period	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	History of Pharmacy Team Presentation Presentation	10%	Multiple weeks	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Interprofessional Learning: Introductory Workshop Blended learning with online and face-to-face workshop activities.	0%	Multiple weeks Closing date: 04 Apr 2020	3-hour workshop
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Dispensing Theory and Practice Preparation of a simple cream and mixture.	0%	Multiple weeks	2 hour theory and 2 hour practical.
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Attendance and Participation Class participation and professionalism.	3%	Ongoing	During tutorials
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Syllabus Quiz Open-book quiz.	0%	Week 03 Due date: 09 Mar 2020 at 23:00	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Medicines information report Report	15%	Week 06 Due date: 04 Apr 2020 at 23:00	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Statistics quiz In-class quiz	10%	Week 07	45 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Community pharmacy fieldwork group presentation Team oral presentation.	20%	Week 13	15 minutes.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Academic Honesty Education Module Online learning module.	0%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2020 at 23:00	45-60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Peer Evaluation SparkPlus peer evaluation for team-based assignments	2%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Syllabus Quiz: this is an open-book quiz is designed to help you to become familar with the course requirements and university processes
Interprofessional Learning Introductory Workshop: this learning activity will give you first-hand experience working in teams with students from other health disciplines such as nursing and medicine. Workshop attendance is compulsory.
Medicine information report: you will be indiviudally allocated a specific pharmaceutical product and will be required to produce a written report by abstracting information from key reference sources.
Statistics quiz: The quiz will consist of a number of multiple-choice questions related to the data analysis lecture and tutorial series.
History of Pharmacy Team Presentation: in this assignment, each team will be required to research and curate an oral presentation on a selected topic related to the history of pharmacy.
Community pharmacy fieldwork presentation: is a team project involving two stages. In stage 1, indiviudal students will undertake a fieldwork placement for two hours in a community pharmacy, recording observations and any reflections they may have using a data collection worksheet provided by the coordinator. Following from the fieldwork, students are expected to draw on the principles of pharmacy management lectures and data analysis lectures/workshops to synthesise and compare findings between fieldwork sites within their peer group. Findings will be collated and communicated as a team presentation in class. Individual data collection forms will also be required for submission via Canvas.
Dispensing Theory and Practice is designed to introduce you to principles and the practice of preparing extemporaneous pharmaceutical products. You must complete the theory component prior to attending the practical.
Academic Honesty Education Module: this is a compulsory education module for all first year pharmacy students. It is designed to help you understand and apply strategies to your university work, which will help you act with academic integrity and honesty.
Final exam: Written instructions provided on the cover page of the exam. The final exam will consist of a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions and is compulsory to pass.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to students who demonstrate the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the units material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the units material and can solve routine problems and/ or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory adequately referencing the original source of the work.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Unless an extension is approved, the following penalties will apply for any work submitted after the deadline: up to 3 calendar days (15% of the maximum mark), between 4-6 calendar days (30% of the maximum mark), between 7-13 calendar days (50%). Work submitted more than two weeks after the deadline will not be assessed (zero mark).

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Community pharmacy Fieldwork	Placement (2 hr)
	Dispensing Theory	Workshop (2 hr)
	Dispensing Practice	Practical (2 hr)
	Professionalism in Practice	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Critical Thinking and Sources of Evidence	Tutorial (2 hr)
	History of Pharmacy Masterclass	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Interprofessional Learning: Introductory Workshop	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 01	1. Introduction to Foundations of Pharmacy 2. Academic Integrity 3. Professional Ethics and Oath	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 01	Introductory Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Introduction to the Profession 2. Research Process 1 3. Research Process 2	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Confidentiality and Ethics Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	1. Pharmaceutical Society of Australia 2. Pharmacy Guild of Australia 3. Verification Process	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	The Research Process Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	1. Data Analysis 1 2. Data Analysis 2 3. Data Analysis 3	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 04	Library Skills Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	1.Data Analysis 4. 2. Evidence Based Practice 3. Reflective Practice	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 05	Data Analysis Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	1. Government and the Pharmaceutical Company 2. Community Pharmacy 3. Hospital Pharmacy	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Reflective Practice in Pharmacy	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	1. Pharmacy Management 2. Poche Centre of Indigenous Health 3. Indigenous Health	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	Statistics Quiz	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	1. History of Pharmacy 1 2. History of Pharmacy 2 3. History of Pharmacy 3	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	Rural Health Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	1. History of Pharmacy 4 2. History of Pharmacy 5 3. Aged Care Facilities	Lecture (3 hr)
	Exploring the Rare Books Collection (History of Pharmacy)	Workshop (2 hr)
	History of Pharmacy Presentation	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	1. Complementary Medicines 1 2. Complementary Medicines 2	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Pharmacy Fieldwork Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	1. Health Care System 1 2. Health Care System 2 3. Health Care System 3	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Complementary Medicines Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	1. Exam Preparation: Hints and Tips 2. Open door: Revision and Q&A 3. Open door: Revision and Q&A	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 12	Exam Preparation Workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Community Pharmacy Fieldwork Presentation	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance in accordance with school provisions of at least 85% of all workshop sessions. For PHAR1811 this includes tutorials, workshops and practicals.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Access and critically evaluate the appropriateness, quality and reliability of sources retrieved in order to arrive at evidence-based conclusions when solving drug problems in pharmacy.
LO2. Apply a systematic reasoning process in researching, synthesising reference sources and using simple descriptive statistical techniques to solve pharmacy-related problems, both individually and as part of a collaborative team.
LO3. Discuss briefly, some of the critical stages in the history of medicine, medicines and pharmacy.
LO4. Explain in general terms, the fundamental characteristics and organisation of the profession of pharmacy, including professional, legal and ethical dimensions of practice that inform patient care.
LO5. Discuss some of the roles played by pharmacists for ensuring the safe and effective provision of medicines and services across Australian health settings.
LO6. Describe the broad structure of the health care system in Australia and the place of medicines within the overall framework.
LO7. Understand general principles of laboratory safety practices and pharmaceutical calculations in order to prepare simple extemporaneous products to appropriate standards of safety and quality.
LO8. Communicate in ways that are effective, in written and verbal forms, for expert and non-expert audiences that are reasonably encountered in the context of pharmacy practice (e.g. patients, doctors and peers).
LO9. Apply writing and referencing techniques to acknowledge sources in way that is appropriate for university study and to avoid plagiarism in all forms.
LO10. Engage in continuous reflection and take responsibility for personal and professional development

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes have been made in response to student feedback provided through Unit of Study Evaluations. The flow of lecture and tutorial content have been aligned where possible to maximise learning and application of concepts. Interactive learning approaches have also been integrated into the course for stimulating student interest. Assignments have also been strategically spaced out to account for student workload.

Additional information

Additional costs

Students need to account for the purchase of laboratory safety equipment such as lab coats and safety glasses in addition to transportation costs for attending clinical placements.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PHAR1811: Foundations of Pharmacy

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect