96002 Concepts in Pharmaceutical Sciences
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 96004c Professional Services 1 AND 96003c Pharmaceutics AND 96001c Introduction to Pharmacy AND 96015c Clinical Practice 1
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject covers the fundamental principles in pharmaceutical science and is an essential prerequisite of applied therapeutics and clinical practice. The first half of the subject provides an overview of drug discovery and development. The sources of medicinal products from plants and other galenicals, drug action at target macromolecules (including receptors, enzymes and nucleic acids) and approaches in the evaluation of drug response and drug stability are covered. The significance of functional groups to pharmacological activity, disposition and delivery are also discussed. The second half of the subject focuses on approaches used in drug discovery and development. Topics include rational drug design and functional biology. Analytical methods used in the analysis of parent molecules, metabolites and degradation products are also studied.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 0015. | Work successfully as a member of a collaborative group |
|---|---|
| 0028. | Demonstrate ability to arrive at evidence-based conclusions by critical evaluation of scientific evidence |
| 0029. | Interpret experimental data in relation to pre-clinical and clinical investigations |
| 0108. | Integrate knowledge of disease pathophysiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical science and psychosocial factors to understand the patient's health problem(s) |
| 0115. | Describe the stages of drug discovery and multidisciplinary approaches used in clinical drug development |
| 0116. | Describe the molecular basis of drug action and how it relates to therapeutic response |
| 0117. | Describe how therapeutic agents are derived from natural products |
| 0118. | Describe the role and mechanism of action of biologics as an emerging class of therapeutics |
| 0119. | Describe how a drug's physicochemical properties relate to drug action and therapeutic outcome |
| 0120. | Describe how a drug's physicochemical properties relate to formulation and drug delivery |
| 0121. | Describe how a drug's physicochemical properties relate to drug disposition |
| 0122. | Explain the mechanism of action for therapeutic drugs |
| 0123. | Explain factors governing drug response |
| 0137. | Describe the role of drug receptors and signalling pathways in governing therapeutic response |
| 0145. | Trace the application of pharmaceutical science principles in the process of drug design and development |
| 0153. | Describe how a drug's physicochemical properties relate to target interactions and access to target |
| 0157. | Apply structure-activity relationships relevant to drug delivery and drug disposition |
| 0158. | Apply structure-activity relationships relevant to drug action and therapeutic outcome |
| 0169. | Demonstrate cross-cultural competency |
| 0171. | Apply specialised knowledge of culture and health needs in the provision of medication or disease-related services for Indigenous Australian people |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Reflect on knowledge, skills and attributes required for the evaluation and integration of emerging evidence into practice, promoting the growth of personal and professional learning and the education of others (01.02)
- Analyse and synthesise knowledge of health science concepts and theory, and apply skills of scientific research and clinical reasoning to support decision-making in pharmacy practice. (01.03)
- Engage in team undertakings adopting a range of roles in diverse teams, building cohesion and maximising team contributions. (02.04)
- Acquire specialised knowledge and skills to inform professional cultural capability to work effectively with and for, Indigenous Australians across the pharmacy profession. (04.09)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This is a foundation subject in the Master of Pharmacy. It establishes the fundamental principles in the pharmaceutical sciences, which will be expanded on in pharmaceutics, and subsequent therapeutics, practice and professional services subjects.
The subject contributes to the following Graduate Attributes:
Lifelong learning
Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are lifelong learners, committed to and capable of reflection and enquiry in their quest for personal development and excellence in professional practice.
Professional capacity
Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are client-focused, ethical practitioners with the understanding and proficiency to be leaders in their profession, capable of effectively researching and communicating solutions in a global context.
Cultural competence
Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are culturally competent professionals, able to reflect on and explain their own cultural perspectives, accommodate cultural differences and achieve optimal outcomes through the adoption of a consultative approach to health care with indigenous Australians and other cultural groups.
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, students learn through lectures, interactive workshop classes, virtual laboratory classes and diagnostic and progressive quizzes.
Strategy 1: Student preparation for learning: Students read articles and use online resources (provided via Canvas) to prepare for their participation in activities. For example, textbook readings from the essential text are used to prepare for in-class diagnostic quizzes; videos are used to initiate discussions during lectures on the relevant material.
Strategy 2: Active lectures: Each Module will contain one lecture covering the weekly core topics delivered by UTS academics and one guest lecture delivered by external experts in the field. Lecture notes supporting the classes will be made available to facilitate study.
Strategy 3: Collaborative and interactive learning in workshops: Workshops provide a fundamental learning activity in 96002. Workshops provide an opportunity to discuss and clarify concepts from pre-work and lectures, thus providing the students with the opportunity for deeper understanding. Integrated Workshops with Pharmaceutics (96003), and the Good Manufacturing Practice(GMP) subject; International GMPs and Quality Assurance (96059) will be delivered also in the semester
Strategy 4: Virtual Laboratory classes: A series of virtual integrated laboratory classes across the semester will further explore and reinforce fundamental concepts, and develop student’s analytical skills and extrapolate results and conclusions from observations. Students work in small break out zoom groups to encourage engagement and participation, students analyse during class to show overall results and feedback and present a 3-minute presentation of the aims, background, materials and methods, results and discussion.
Strategy 5: Early and consistent feedback: Feedback is provided individually and immediately following diagnostic quizzes and assessments (both in-class and online via Canvas). Individual feedback on progress quizzes is available by appointment if required. Feedback is also provided face-to-face during each virtual laboratory class. The collaborative learning approach utilized in the class enables ongoing feedback to be provided as areas of learning needs are identified.
Strategy 6: Group assignments: The drug profiling group activity and the case study on Indigenous ethnopharmacology provide students in-depth knowledge on their chosen drug, including source, traditional uses, therapeutic target, structure-activity, target validation and relevance to clinical practice.
Content (topics)
This is a foundation subject in the Master of Pharmacy Course. It establishes the fundamental principles in the pharmaceutical sciences, which will be expanded on in Pharmaceutics, Drug Disposition, Molecule to Market, and subsequent therapeutics, practice and professional services subjects.
The subject consists of six modules, each covering an overarching themes in pharmaceutical sciences: indigenous medicinals and natural sources of medicinals (Module 1); drug discovery and development (Module 2); physicochemical properties of drugs (Module 3), analytical techniques and quality control (Module 4); emerging therapeutics (Module 5); and technological advances in pharmaceutical sciences (Module 6).
Module 1 includes classes on the natural sources of medicinally active compounds, indigenous ethnopharmacology, and complementary and alternative medicines.
Module 2 covers the main approaches used in identifying lead compounds, drug design, drug optimization, and structure-activity relationship concepts.
Module 3 includes the study of the effect of pKa, LogP, and solubility on the bioavailability, action, and disposition of a drug, and on the use of nanoformulations and advanced drug delivery systems to tune the drugs physicochemical properties.
Module 4 encompasses analytical techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, NMR and mass spectrometry, as well as fundamental regulations for the quality control of drug products such as pharmacopoeias and monographs.
Module 5 covers emerging therapeutics such as recombinant antibodies, nucleic acid-based therapies, CAR-T cell therapies and other cell therapies.
Module 6 includes the practical application of computer-aided drug design approaches such as molecular modelling, docking, network analysis, as well as application of microfluidics and 3D-printing in drug discovery.
Each Module is supplemented with diagnostic quizzes, and supporting textbook pre-readings from the essential texts.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Case Study: From Indigenous Ethnopharmacology to Modern Complementary and Alternative Medicines
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcomes:
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|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 0015, 0028, 0117, 0169 and 0171 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.03, 02.04 and 04.09 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | 1500 words |
| Criteria: | Provided via Canvas. Your group grade will be individually moderated by a SPARK evaluation. |
Assessment task 2: Drug Profiling Group Activity
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcomes
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|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 0015, 0028, 0029, 0108, 0115, 0116, 0117, 0118, 0119, 0120, 0121, 0122, 0123, 0137, 0145, 0153, 0157, 0158 and 0171 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02, 01.03 and 02.04 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 10 minutes + 5 minutes question time |
| Criteria: | Provided via Canvas. Your group grade will be individually moderated by a SPARK evaluation. |
Assessment task 3: Advanced Concepts in an Applied Drug Discovery Scenario (must-pass)
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcomes:
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|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 0028, 0029, 0115, 0119, 0120, 0121, 0145, 0153, 0157 and 0158 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02 and 01.03 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 15 minutes |
| Criteria: | Accuracy of answers provided by you with respect to the content covered during workshops and lectures, conceptual understanding and comprehension of different aspects of pharmaceutical sciences, drug discovery, optimization, and quality control. |
Assessment task 4: Final Quiz (must-pass)
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcomes:
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|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 0015, 0028, 0029, 0108, 0116, 0117, 0118, 0119, 0120, 0121, 0122, 0123, 0137, 0145, 0153, 0157, 0158, 0169 and 0171 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.03 and 04.09 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 30 minutes |
| Criteria: | Logic and reasoning skills, and knowledge of the examined topic areas are assessed. Details of the exam conditions and criteria will be provided via your Canvas site. |
Assessment task 5: Participation
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcomes:
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|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 0015, 0028 and 0108 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.03 and 02.04 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 5% |
| Length: | Duration of the Autumn session |
| Criteria: | See participation criteria on Canvas |
Minimum requirements
Students are required to attend a minimum of 85% of compulsory classes.
To pass this Subject students must achieve a minimum grade of 50%.
Note: there is a must-pass assessment in this Subject. Please check assessment descriptions for details.
Required texts
Procedures for assessment of Coursework Subjects
Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)
An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, 6th Ed., Graham L. Patrick, OXFORD University Press.
Additional required readings will be provided via Canvas.
Recommended texts
Foye’s Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, 6th Ed., Lemke, William, Roche and Zito, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.