Unit Outline

CSA457 Pharmacy Skills in Practice 4A focuses on concepts associated with professional and clinical pharmacy practice. It builds on material studied in Pharmacy Skills in Practice 3A and 3B. The unit consists of two main areas: community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy with a focus on communication, collaboration, and practical skills. These skills will be developed through online modules and in simulated pharmacy practice activities. The overall objective of the unit is to develop practical knowledge and understanding of pharmacy practice. Emphasis is placed on the integration of knowledge gained from all units within the pharmacy course and application of that knowledge to evaluate and solve practice-related problems

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	Recommend patient-centred solutions to scenarios.
2	Communicate therapeutic decisions to a range of audiences.
3	Evaluate vaccination and medication-related literature to clinical scenarios.
4	Practice within the legal, ethical and professional bounds in a range of clinical settings.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CSA357 and CSA328
Co-requisite	CSA406

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	In class oral assessments	Week 1	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Oral mid-study period test	Week 7	15 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Immunisation Training Assessment	Week 9	15 %	LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Drug information Assignment	Week 10	15 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 5:	Practical oral examination	Exam Period	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: In class oral assessments

Task Description:

You will participate in 12 compulsory workshop sessions. You will be assessed on your communication during oral counselling in 8 of these 12 workshops with feedback given. Your highest 5 grades will contribute to your grade.
Due Dates - Weeks 1-12

Task Length:

5 x verbal assessments

Due Date:

Week 1

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Resolve clinical problems in simulated cases.	LO1
2	Counsel patients, using patient centred language, in a clear and concise way.	LO2
3	Dispense and supply medications accurately, legally and ethically.	LO4
4	Discuss aspects of the pharmacy profession and associated pharmacy services.	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Oral mid-study period test

Task Description:

You will undertake a 15 minute online oral test conducted on zoom, which will include questions about drug related problems, law and ethical related problems, communication and the roles and responsibilities of different pharmacists.

Task Length:

15 minutes

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Resolve problems in clinical scenarios.	LO1
2	Communicate patient-centred therapeutic decisions clearly.	LO2
3	Discuss the impact that pharmacists working in different settings can make on patient outcomes.	LO4
4	Dispense and supply medications legally and ethically.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Immunisation Training Assessment

Task Description:

You will complete a series of online modules based on the National Immunisation Education Framework for Health Professionals. Each module will have an associated multiple-choice quiz. You will also attend a practical workshop, at the end of which, you will undertake a competency- based assessment task.
Weighting:15% (10% for MCQs, 5% for competency-based assessment)

Task Length:

10 x online quizzes plus 1 x 5hr workshop with competency-based assessment

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply the National Immunisation Program and National Immunisation Schedule to clinical situations.	LO2
2	Outline vaccines, vaccine components and vaccine preventable diseases and how these relate to clinical practice.	LO3
3	Apply current legal and ethical guidelines to immunisation scenarios.	LO4
4	Administer vaccinations in line with vaccination guidelines.	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Drug information Assignment

Task Description:

In class you will work in a group to answer a range of drug information questions from either health professionals or patients

Task Length:

1000 words

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Evaluate scientific literature to answer the research questions.	LO3
2	Reference, using Vancouver reference style, the resources used to answer the research question.	LO3
3	Communicate clearly, using academic English, to answer the questions to a range of different audiences.	LO2
4	Collaborate with your group to make evidence-based, patient-centred therapeutic decisions.	LO2

Assessment Task 5: Practical oral examination

Task Description:

You will sit an oral practical exam and the format will be similar to the counselling sessions in class and is based on dispensing and community pharmacy practice knowledge.

This is a hurdle assessment.

Task Length:

20 minutes

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Resolve problems in clinical scenarios.	LO1
2	Counsel patients using patient centred language in a clear and concise way.	LO2
3	Identify legal and ethical requirements of dispensing and supplying medications.	LO4

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.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

In CSA457, students will be using resources that pharmacists use in practice including but not limited to guidelines, codes of conduct and ethics, etc. Students are expected to become familiar with these resources to supplement their learning, with links available in MyLO.