Pharmacology and Therapeutics 1

This subject is not offered in 2013.

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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 addresses the fundamental pharmacological principles of medication management, which enables students to develop and utilise skills for specialty practice. Students will learn foundational knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutics, in order to understand the actions of drugs on physiological, biochemical and pathophysiological processes.

With a greater appreciation of the mechanisms of actions of drugs on body processes, students will be able to determine the therapeutic, adverse effects, contraindications and precautions for use for the specialty practice setting. Key pharmacological characteristics of drug classes will be emphasised, rather than characteristics associated with individual agents.

This focus encourages students to develop life long learning skills that will enable them to assess patients' needs for specific medications, administer medications, monitor responses to medications and evaluate outcomes in their practice setting. Please note that this subject is conducted through the Department of Pharmacology.

Please see Subject Overview above.

Four 25-minute tests (50%).

One 2-hour examination (50%).

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

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students will be able to:

• use problem solving skills in understanding the effects of drugs on body processes;
• use appropriate critical thinking skills in applying the principles of pharmacokinetics;
• use appropriate critical thinking skills in applying the principles of pharmacodynamics;
• use appropriate problem solving abilities in understanding the therapeutic and adverse effects, contraindications and precautions for medications;
• develop the life long learning skill of deriving the pharmacological characteristics of individual drugs based on information about the drug class.

Level: 4th Year