Course coordinator
Mr Timothy Tanzer
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Dutton Park
- Coordinating unit
- Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences School
This course aims to develop specific skills which will enable the student to improve their practice of pharmacy and will be integrated with knowledge gained in pharmacotherapy courses. This course introduces the student to advanced clinical pharmacy practice, with a focus on critical appraisal, drug information, evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient-centred care.
An introductory online tutorial will be held on Monday 24th February from 7 - 9 pm AEST GMT+10 (Brisbane Time).ﾠ
Students will be required to complete three online Modules during the semester. Attendance and presentation at three online Tutorials (one per module) is required. The tutorials will be 2 hours in duration and held on Mondayﾠevenings atﾠ7 - 9 pm AEST GMT+10 (Brisbane Time).ﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
A student coming into this course will have a Bachelor of Pharmacy or equivalent.ﾠA student will be expected to have a general knowledge of skills required to practice clinical pharmacy.ﾠ
Restrictions
This course is restricted to students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate of Pharmacy Practice, Graduate Certificate of Clinical Pharmacy, and Masters of Clinical Pharmacy.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Mr Timothy Tanzer
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Tutorial dates and times are specified on Learn.UQ (Blackboard).
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to introduce you to advanced clinical pharmacy practice, developing specific skills that will enable you toﾠimprove your practice of pharmacy andﾠprovide pre-requisite skills for PHRM 7031, PHRM7032, andﾠPHRM7033.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify appropriate health care strategies based on patient-focused and evidence-based frameworks.
LO2.
Develop and employ search strategies to extract relevant information from the literature using various bibliographic databases.
LO3.
Efficiently access and identify relevant clinical resources and information and critically appraise and analyse clinical and therapeutic literature.
LO4.
Access, utilise and critically appraise clinical information about diagnostic tests, screening and monitoring critical to medication management.
LO5.
Apply concepts underpinning personalised drug regimen design, drug response and dosage adjustments.
LO6.
Use effective, oral and written professional communication and presentation skills.
LO7.
Develop the ability to work collaboratively with peers to critically evaluate clinical evidence.
LO8.
Identify, acknowledge, and analyse one’s own beliefs, values and attitudes, and reflect on how they may influence your work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the context of delivering culturally safe health care.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation, Reflection |
Module Assessments
|
25% |
Blog 1: 7/03/2025 1:00 pm Blog 2: 14/03/2025 1:00 pm Module 1 tutorial: 17/03/2025 7:00 pm Module 1 discussion: 24/03/2025 1:00 pm Blog 3: 4/04/2025 1:00 pm Module 2 tutorial: 14/04/2025 7:00 pm Module 2 discussion: 28/04/2025 1:00 pm Blog 4: 9/05/2025 1:00 pm Module 3 tutorial: 19/05/2025 7:00 pm Module 3 discussion: 26/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Reflection |
Cultural Safety in Practice Modules 1 & 2
|
14/03/2025 1:00 pm |
|
| Essay/ Critique |
Journal Club Critical Appraisal
|
25% |
2/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique, Presentation | Evidence-based Practice Presentation and Report | 50% |
30/05/2025 1:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Module Assessments
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation, Reflection
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
Blog 1: 7/03/2025 1:00 pm
Blog 2: 14/03/2025 1:00 pm
Module 1 tutorial: 17/03/2025 7:00 pm
Module 1 discussion: 24/03/2025 1:00 pm
Blog 3: 4/04/2025 1:00 pm
Module 2 tutorial: 14/04/2025 7:00 pm
Module 2 discussion: 28/04/2025 1:00 pm
Blog 4: 9/05/2025 1:00 pm
Module 3 tutorial: 19/05/2025 7:00 pm
Module 3 discussion: 26/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
You will be required to complete tasks associated with THREE online modules over the semester. Each module contains a tutorial presentation, a discussion board task, and blog tasks. Marking criteria are provided on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.
1. Tutorial Presentations (5% per module, 15% total)
- This task is to be completed as part of a group.
- Students will be allocated to work in groups to research a question and prepare a presentation for each of the three tutorials.
- Discussion Boards are provided on Blackboard to facilitate group preparation for the tutorial.
- The presentation and presentation slides are the responsibility of the entire group, and all group members may be asked to answer questions or elaborate on tutorial presentations.
- All group members will receive the same mark as long as they have made a meaningful, timely, and equitable contribution to the preparation of the group presentation according to peer feedback and evidence of teamwork on the discussion boards.
- Attendance at the online tutorials is required to receive marks.
- Tutorials will be held on Mondays from 7pm to 9pm (Brisbane time, AEST, GMT+10).
2. Discussion Boards (2% per module, 6% total) (group work)
- This task is to be completed as part of a group.
- For the discussion board tasks, you will be given one task per module.
- Students must provide a well-considered critique of the topic and facilitate discussion with their peers.
- It is expected that students demonstrate an appropriate level of reflection and discussion etiquette.
3. Blogs (1% per blog, 4% total)
- This task is to be completed individually
- Throughout the semester, you will individually complete four short reflective blog tasks (200-300 words). These tasks provide an opportunity to apply and deepen your understanding of your clinical identity and evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles in real-world contexts.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission is via the links on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Cultural Safety in Practice Modules 1 & 2
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Due date
14/03/2025 1:00 pm
Task description
Complete the UQ Cultural Safety in Practice Module 1 and Module 2.
- Some short answer questions are provided that require you to reflect on the information that you read.
- See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for the link to the modules and marking criteria.
Hurdle requirements
You must complete the modules and answer the short answer questions to pass this course.Submission guidelines
Submission: via the links on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.
Resubmission: Students who have submitted this assessment but have not achieved a pass will be offered one opportunity to resubmit. No extension is available on the due date for a resubmission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Journal Club Critical Appraisal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
2/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
To answer their chosen research question, students will conduct a literature search, select one relevant peer-reviewed research article and systematically examine the article’s methods, results, and relevance, using an established appraisal tool.
- Word limit: 1000 words, excluding references, tables, figures, and title page. Responses in excess of 1000 words will be truncated at 1000 words and marked accordingly.
- References: Vancouver style, all references referred to have to be provided. See the UQ library website
- Font: Times New Roman 12 point with 1.5 line spacing
- See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for more details and the marking criteria
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission is via the link on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Evidence-based Practice Presentation and Report
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Presentation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
30/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
In this assessment, students are required to select a health intervention discussed in this course. Using principles of evidence-based medicine, students will critically appraise the literature, assess the quality of evidence, and formulate a clear, evidence-based grade of recommendation. This task is designed to develop and demonstrate skills in literature searching, critical appraisal, evidence synthesis, and translation of evidence into practical recommendations. This assessment item has two parts:
1. A succinct, engaging 3-minute recorded presentation that conveys the critical findings and recommendation to an audience.
- The presentation should highlight the evidence appraisal process, key findings, and basis for the recommendation, aiming to communicate complex information in an accessible manner.
- You must be visible in the video of your presentation.
- Various presentation formats are suitable for upload, e.g. Zoom or Desktop recording capture, PowerPoint video capture. The UQ Library can assist with the technical aspects of preparing a short video for Blackboard upload.
2. An accompanying written report that synthesises the evidence, evaluates its quality, and provides a clear justification for your chosen recommendation.
- Maximum 1000 words
- References (written report only): Vancouver style, all references referred to have to be provided. See the UQ library website.
- Font: Times New Roman 12 point with 1.5 line spacing
See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for more details and the marking criteria.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission is via the link on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The UQ Library has a webpage specifically developed for clinical pharmacy students with recommended resources (Library guides, subject=pharmacy and pharmacology). Here you can
- Access databases and key resources such as eTG, AMH, Pubmed
- Access high impact journalsﾠ
- Access evidence based practice resources such as Pubmed clinical queries, TRIP, UpToDate
- Access statistical data e.g. incidence and prevalence of diseases
- Contact a PACE / UQ librarian for assistance
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Modules 1 - 3 online learning Online learning relating to the three modules in this course:
Regular engagement with online tasks through discussion boards, blogs and reflections are required. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 3 |
Not Timetabled |
Cultural Safety in Practice online learning Complete the first two modules of the UQ Cultural Safety in Practice Training. |
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introduction to Course Introduction to course, Blackboard, library databases & online study |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Module One Evidence based medicine, drug information, nutritional supplements Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Module Two Critical appraisal, complementary medicines, and dietary practices Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Tutorial |
Module Three Drug interactions, pharmacogenomics, diagnostics, medical devices and technology, and personalised medicine Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.