Unit Outline

Toxicology is the study of the harmful effects of chemicals (including drugs) and other agents on living organisms. This on-campus unit introduces you to the key concepts of toxicology, and how, in terms of dose/exposure, toxicology is an extension of pharmacology. Studies in this unit cover general principles of toxicology, pre-clinical and cell-based mechanisms of toxicology, relationships between exposure and toxicity, illicit drugs and forensics, drug safety and pharmacovigilance, mechanisms of deleterious effects of chemicals on humans, drug-related toxicity and injury to systemic organs, and detailed description of some toxic agents. Emphasis is given to clinical toxicology including the effects of therapeutic agents at both an individual and population level.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Evaluate pre-clinical and clinical toxicological principles to improve medicine safety.
2	Evaluate the pharmacological aspects of drug action and how this affects disease and body systems.
3	Resolve toxicology issues, interactions and adverse effects in clinical scenarios
4	Communicate toxicological information to a range of audiences.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CSA306

Alterations as a result of student feedback

In response to the feedback from previous student cohort, changes have been made which may include adjustments to assessments and alignment of some of the timelines. As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2025, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s Unit Survey following your completion of the unit.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Test 1	Week 3	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Test 2	Week 6	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Case Based Assessment	Week 8	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Test 1

Task Description:

You will sit a face-to-face, online, internally invigilated test based on clinical scenarios.

Task Length:

45 minutes

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain the principles of toxicology and their role in medication safety.	LO1
2	Analyse pharmacological aspects of medications/substances that contribute to toxicological effects.	LO2
3	Formulate strategies to resolve/minimise toxicity from medications and other substances.	LO3
4	Communicate toxicological information effectively and appropriately for the intended audience.	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Test 2

Task Description:

You will sit a face-to-face online, internally invigilated test based on clinical scenarios.

Task Length:

45 minutes

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Discuss the principles of toxicology as they relate to the clinical case.	LO1
2	Analyse the pharmacological aspects of medications/substances that contribute to toxicological effects.	LO2
3	Propose strategies to manage the toxicological problems in clinical scenarios	LO3
4	Communicate toxicological information effectively and appropriately for the intended audience.	LO4
5	Apply pre-clinical and clinical toxicological principles to identify medication safety issues	LO1

Assessment Task 3: Case Based Assessment

Task Description:

You will sit a face-to-face online internally invigilated test based on cases provided to you at the beginning of the study period.

Task Length:

50min + reading time

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain the principles of toxicology and their role in medication safety.	LO1
2	Analyse the pharmacological aspects of medications/substances that contribute to toxicological effects.	LO2
3	Formulate strategies to resolve/minimise toxicity from medications and other substances.	LO3
4	Communicate toxicological information effectively and appropriately for the intended audience.	LO4
5	Apply pre-clinical and clinical toxicological principles to identify medication safety issues	LO1

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.