Pharmacology for Health Professionals

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

In addition to the subject contact hours, students are expected to devote approximately 6-7 hours a week to this subject.

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject extends the students' knowledge of the fundamental pharmacological principles of medication management, which can be adopted and utilized in the advanced practice setting. Students will use the foundational knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutics, in order to critically analyze how medications affect physiological, biochemical and pathophysiological processes.

With a greater appreciation of the action of drugs on body processes, students will be able to determine which medications should be administered to particular patients in order to ensure therapeutic effects are optimized and adverse effects are minimized. Students will articulate the key pharmacological characteristics of drug classes, as well as be able to derive and understand the specific nuances of individual drugs.

This focus will ensure that students use critical thinking and problem solving abilities to facilitate them to prescribe, administer, monitor and evaluate medications in a rational and effective manner. Please note that this subject is conducted through the Department of Pharmacology.

Please see Subject Overview above.

4 x 25-minute tests (30%).

1 x three-hour examination (70%).

A number of textbooks are suitable for this course. Advice will be given to students.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• analyse critically the effects of drugs on body processes;
• apply the concepts of pharmacokinetics to patients in the advanced practice setting;
• apply the concepts of pharmacodynamics to patients in the advanced practice setting;
• use appropriate problem solving abilities in understanding the therapeutic and adverse effects, contraindications and precautions for medications;
• critically evaluate the pharmacological characteristics of an individual drug based on information about the drug class;
• demonstrate well developed problem-solving and critical thinking skills in applying pharmacological knowledge to advanced practice settings;
• use problem solving skills in determining the most appropriate medication to prescribe a patient with complex health care needs;
• critically appraise and challenge ideas regarding the application of pharmacology knowledge in the advanced practice setting;
• use pharmacology knowledge as a vehicle for research and evidence based practice

Level: 5th Year