Course coordinator
Dr Nazanin Ghahreman-Falconer
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Dutton Park
- Coordinating unit
- Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences School
The aim of the course is for students to complete a structured project in clinical pharmacy practice. The project can be a research project, quality improvement project or practice change project and should seek to improve some aspect of patient care or patient outcomes. The student will employ the knowledge and skills developed throughout the program to provide a rationale for the project (including a synthesis of the available evidence), describe the methods or activities that will be employed, implement the project and evaluate the outcomes of the project. The project will be presented via a lightning talk and written report.
This course is delivered entirely online. Students will be guided through the execution, evaluation or analysis and reporting of a quality assurance or research project. Students can work within teams, but their contribution to the project needs to be significant and clearly articulated. Peer and academic feedback will support students in the implementation of their advanced practice project. Attendance and presentation at three online tutorials is expected.
An introductory online seminar will be held on Wednesday of O-Week at 6-7 pm Queensland time (AEST GMT+10).
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students enrolled in PHRM7095 will have completed PHRM7021.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Nazanin Ghahreman-Falconer
Timetable
Additional timetable information
There will be three online tutorials held on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for your allocated group and tutorial dates and time.
Aims and outcomes
This course guides students through the completion of a structured research, quality assurance or practice change project in clinical, social, or administrative pharmacy practice. The project students undertake should seek to improve some aspects of patient care, patient or healthcare outcomes or pharmacy business practices and service outcomes. Students will employ the knowledge and skills developed throughout the postgraduate clinical pharmacy program to provide a rationale for the project (including a synthesis of the available evidence), describe the methods or activities that will be employed to collect and analyse data, and implement and evaluate the outcomes of the project.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Critically review the literature and current practice to identify and justify the need for the advanced practice project
LO2.
Design and implement project methods and evaluation plans to adequately address project aims, questions or hypothesis
LO3.
Identify and address ethical issues associated with practice-based projects
LO4.
Analyse and present data in a way that assists with answering the aim and objectives of a project
LO5.
Prepare and present project findings to an appropriate audience
LO6.
Write a structured project evaluation report
LO7.
Provide and appropriately respond to constructive feedback on research proposals and reports within a group
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique |
Approvals, Progress Reports and Feedback
|
20% (10% per module) |
Module 1 Progress Report 12/08/2025 5:00 pm Module 1 Peer Feedback 18/08/2025 5:00 pm Module 3 Progress Report 7/10/2025 5:00 pm Module 3 Peer Feedback 13/10/2025 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project |
Final Project Manuscript
|
60% |
31/10/2025 5:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Lightning talk
|
20% |
14/11/2025 5:00 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
Approvals, Progress Reports and Feedback
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 20% (10% per module)
- Due date
Module 1 Progress Report 12/08/2025 5:00 pm
Module 1 Peer Feedback 18/08/2025 5:00 pm
Module 3 Progress Report 7/10/2025 5:00 pm
Module 3 Peer Feedback 13/10/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Approvals
You MUST upload a copy of your ethics exemption or ethics approvals and governance approvals prior to commencing any research. These must be obtained and posted in a timely manner (ideally in the first 4 weeks of semester) to ensure you have enough time to conduct your study. Please upload your evidence to the assessment folder titled "Approvals".
Progress reports
For module 1 (between weeks 1 to 4) and module 3 (between weeks 9 to 12) you will be required to post a progress report for your project.
- Module 1: Aims or research question, and methods (word minimum 400, word maximum 600)
- Module 3: Draft copy of your key results (word minimum 400, word maximum 600)
Submit your progress report to your group discussion board for peer feedback and tutorial discussion.
Peer Feedback
Once you have submitted your progress report, look through the posts by your group members on the group discussion board for that module and select one other group member's report to critically evaluate and provide peer feedback. Feedback should include critical appraisal of the report and must be constructive.
Provide your feedback to one member of your group by the Monday 5pm prior to the tutorial. Project reports and peer feedback will then be discussed during the relevant group tutorial.
See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for more details and marking criteria.
Submission guidelines
Post on Group Discussion Board
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.
Final Project Manuscript
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
31/10/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Write a project report about the project you have conducted for the course. The word limit is 1500 words with the exception of a scoping review which has a limit of 3000 words.
This should be to the specifications of one of the following journals. Check the journal for the suitability of your project and its author guidelines.
- Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy - Research Brief
- Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research - Brief Report
- International Journal of Pharmacy Practice - Short communication
- International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Short research report
- American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education - Briefs
If you want to submit a short report to another journal, please contact the course coordinator.
Please see Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for the marking rubric for this assessment.
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. Inappropriate use of AI for this assessment will result in loss of marks and may constitute misconduct.
In addition, a failure to reference generative AI use (including details on how the tools were used) 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.
Hurdle requirements
Pass the assessment, i.e. obtain marks equivalent to 50% of available marks.Submission guidelines
Submission: Submit via the link provided in Learn.UQ (Blackboard).
Resubmission: Students who have submitted this assessment on time but have not achieved a pass (i.e. obtain less than 50% of available marks) will be offered one opportunity to resubmit; the maximum grade that can be achieved for the resubmission will be a pass (50% of available marks). 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
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.
Lightning talk
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
14/11/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Task description
Prepare and record a lightning talk presenting your research project.
- Follow AdPha guidelines (three slides, three minutes, 1 minute per slide). Your first slide should include your name, study aim / research question and an introduction to your study. A separate title slide is NOT required. Only the first 3 slides will be marked.
- Record your lightning talk (presentation) with your face visible, e.g. in a small window.
- Use three slides and record what you want to present in 3 minutes, roughly 1 min per slide.
- The marking criteria for this assessment is available on Learn.UQ (Blackboard).
- See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for advice on how to record your video.
Submission guidelines
Submit your recording via the assignment link provided in Learn.UQ (Blackboard).
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
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
There are no set texts for this course. Additional resources will be made available through the course Blackboard site if necessary.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Fieldwork |
Self-directed Research Activity You will be required to undertake self-directed research activities (Quality Use of Medicines or Clinical Research Projects) over the course of the semester. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
O-week (21 Jul - 27 Jul) |
Lecture |
Course introduction An introductory online session will be held on Wednesday 23rd of July, from 6-7 PM QLD time. See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for the link to join the session. Learning outcomes: L02 |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Module 1 Project introduction and evidence synthesis, project review, planning and troubleshooting, data collection - online tutorial (via Zoom) with discussion as a group and peer feedback. See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for tutorial groups and timetables (Tuesday or Wednesday evening depending on your allocated group). Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Module 2 Presentation of methods, data collection and analysis, online tutorial (via Zoom) with discussion as a group and peer feedback See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for tutorial groups and timetables (Tuesday or Wednesday evening depending on your allocated group). Learning outcomes: L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Module 3 Data analysis and reporting and discussion of results, online tutorial (via Zoom) with discussion as a group and peer feedback See Learn.UQ (Blackboard) for tutorial groups and timetables (Tuesday or Wednesday evening depending on your allocated group). Learning outcomes: 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 for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course: