University of Technology Sydney

96012 Professional Services 4

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Health (GEM)
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 96009 Professional Services 3 AND 96010 Integrated Therapeutics 2 AND 96011 Primary Health Care AND 96024 Clinical Practice 2
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

Our health care system is facing increasing pressure due to the expanding burden of chronic disease, ageing of the population, development of new and complex therapies, and emphasis on early diagnosis of illness. Collectively, these issues are overwhelming our basic health services and increasing health care costs. To address these issues, pharmacists can utilise their expertise and accessibility to offer targeted services and provide advanced pharmacy practice; for example, disease state management (DSM) services and pharmacist prescribing. DSM services for chronic diseases, including health priority areas such as asthma, diabetes, mental health, cancer and cardiovascular disease, are evolving to help reduce illness-related morbidity and mortality. Different models of DSM are explored in this subject, including optimisation of the role of patients in self-management of their disease. Pharmacists may also apply their therapeutic expertise in more advanced forms of pharmacy practice, for example as consultant pharmacists or prescribing pharmacists. This subject reviews different models of prescribing, as well as models for in-depth inter-professional communication. In providing such services and advanced practice, pharmacists must take into account a range of factors such as: technology, legislation, compliance, ethics, pharmaceutical science, pathology, patient safety, clinical practice, therapeutics, inter-professional relationships and roles, and competency standards.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

0001. Obtain relevant medical and medicine-related information from a consumer using appropriate questioning
0004. Communicate health and medication management information to patients and health care professionals in a useful and context-relevant way
0006. Use appropriate non-verbal, verbal, questioning and listening skills when communicating with patients and other HCPs
0007. Communicate with patients and other HCPs in a non-judgemental, non-discriminatory and respectful manner
0008. Obtain a complete medication and medical history for a patient
0015. Work successfully as a member of a collaborative group
0016. Demonstrate ability to contribute in team learning situations
0024. Prioritise patients' rights, needs and wishes in the delivery of health care
0025. Apply major ethical theories to professional practice
0060. Evaluate the business impact of implementing health promotion activities in the pharmacy
0061. Identify at-risk groups that may benefit from health promotion or disease prevention programs
0062. Identify other organisations and health care professionals with whom pharmacy can collaborate in health activities and disease programs
0070. Apply the theoretical frameworks that underpin current and emerging practices of health care service delivery
0071. Formulate a human resources plan given the service orientation of a particular practice
0072. Describe key theories and models in change management and identify how these can be applied to pharmacy
0074. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of communication in effective teams
0075. Identify key qualities of an effective team
0082. Discuss key concepts in human resources management
0083. Identify and discuss key considerations in writing a business plan
0084. Describe key performance indicators used to measure business performance
0085. Describe how PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) factors can influence a small business
0086. Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of interprofessional learning and teamwork and its potential for improving health outcomes
0088. Examine and evaluate current and emerging technologies for pharmacy practice
0089. Evaluate and apply advances in pharmacy informatics to optimise patient outcomes
0093. Describe the specific clinical presentation of illness and diseases and the criteria for differential diagnosis
0095. Describe acute and chronic clinical presentations of disease
0096. Identify the differing clinical presentations of illness and diseases based on individual patient characteristics
0100. Integrate relevant patient, drug, disease and system factors in the selection and management of appropriate therapy for populations and individual patients
0104. Use evidence-based cognitive and technological tools for professional service delivery in a range of healthcare environments
0107. Apply principles of goal setting in health management
0110. Identify priorities for patient management
0149. Define and plan the delivery of a specified professional service
0150. Implement a specified professional service
0151. Evaluate the delivery of a specified professional service
0159. Recognise, evaluate and respond to influences on prescribing practice at individual, local and national levels
0160. Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost-effectively within the prescriber's scope of practice
0171. Apply specialised knowledge of culture and health needs in the provision of medication or disease-related services for Indigenous Australian people
0174. Apply government policy and practice standards relevant to medication management to impact health outcomes for Indigenous Australians

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)
  • Demonstrate safe and competent operational, interpersonal and clinical skills for the benefit and care of patients and the wider community. (02.01)
  • Engage in team undertakings adopting a range of roles in diverse teams, building cohesion and maximising team contributions. (02.04)
  • Demonstrate sound ethical, compassionate and respectful patient-focused care, taking responsibility for personal health and wellbeing. (02.05)
  • Capably communicate to patients, their families, carers and members of the healthcare team; contribute to wider health education and promotion, choosing and adapting communication modes to address cultural and linguistic diversity. (02.06)
  • Represent pharmacy perspectives in multidisciplinary environments, and optimise patient outcomes through self-awareness and acknowledgement of the contributions of other healthcare disciplines. (02.08)
  • Integrate into daily practice knowledge of health systems and concerns in national and global communities, with awareness of the social and cultural contexts of health to meet the diverse needs of individuals and communities. (03.07)
  • 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

Lifelong learning

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are lifelong learners, committed to and capable of reflection and inquiry in their quest for personal development and excellence in professional practice.

Professional capacity

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are client-focussed, ethical practitioners with the understanding and proficiency to be leaders in their profession, capable of effectively researching and communicating solutions in a global context.

Global citizenship

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy contribute to society, resolving to undertake those actions and responsibilities that will enhance their role in local, national and global communities.

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

This subject is delivered using a range of learning strategies and formats including live and pre-recorded lectures, online modules, case-based learning workshops, skills-based workshops (relating to diagnostic processes, tools, and devices), simulation workshops, and self-directed learning.

Online learning activities

Each week, there is a dedicated supporting learning activities stream (2-3 hours each week) which comprises a series of live lectures, pre-recorded presentations, online modules, and specific articles exploring topics related to the implementation of professional pharmacy-led health services. These topics cover fundamental concepts around the development of services (e.g., identifying health care gaps, target populations, marketing, financial planning) as well as contemporary issues in the delivery of health services (e.g., eHealth technologies, expanding the scope of professional practice).

Case-based learning workshops

Case-based workshops will be used to help students develop their understanding of the key concepts and practical steps in developing a portfolio of professional services in pharmacy settings. In the first half of session, the cases will focus on service provision in the context of disease statement management, such that the cases will explore service provision in selected disease states and/or special patient populations (e.g., older persons, women’s health, men’s health). In the second half of the session, the cases will focus on specialised services, such as clinical consultancy and prescribing, in the context of providing holistic health care services.

Skills-based workshops

Students will have the opportunity to further develop their clinical competencies via skills-based workshops, exploring the use of specific tools and devices to assist in delivering pharmacy-based point-of-care services, as well as the use of diagnostic tests and processes in the context of clinical consultancy and prescribing.

Simulation workshops - case studies

Students will develop their portfolio of services in a very practical way throughout the semester. Each week, students will focus on a selected service stream from within their Group’s proposed portfolio. As part of developing the service, students will simulate service delivery through role-playing and demonstration, highlighting the specific considerations around service provision in the nominated clinical setting (e.g., hospital, community pharmacy, clinics, primary care settings, home-based care, mobile services).

Self-directed learning

Each week students will undertake some self-directed learning to explore advanced pharmacy topics and identify the required elements of the services to be proposed: scope of services to be provided (noting what already exists), the potential impact of the services, practical aspects of delivering the services, tools, and resources needed to deliver the services, marketing strategies and opportunities that appropriate for the portfolio, as well as funding and financial considerations in implementing the services.

Content (topics)

Professional Services 4 builds on students’ skills in providing pharmacy services, particularly drawing on the services explored to date (Professional services 1, 2, 3, Primary Health Care), therapeutic knowledge attained (Integrated Therapeutics 1, 2, 3), and experiences gained (Clinical Practice 1, 2, 3, 4). This subject will explore a range of topics relevant to the development of a portfolio of services, including: the principles of disease state management, particularly as applied to specific patient populations and/or settings; service and business planning (scoping, marketing, financial management); diagnostics tools and processes; and advanced pharmacy practice (specifically, pharmacist consultancy and prescribing).

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Report and Oral Presentation (Disease State Management Service)

Intent:

To demonstrate students’ ability to showcase a proposal of a disease state management service in a 5-page report (2500 words) and an oral presentation (a ‘pitch’) to a mock panel of business and service managers. This assessment integrates the student’s simulation of service delivery (Weeks 1 to 73), utilising the skills developed throughout the classes to date. The report allows students to demonstrate understanding of (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) factors in the context of professional pharmacy services. The presentation also evaluates students’ ability to articulate their proposal orally, demonstrating the use of appropriate language / engaging speech/detail.

Marks will be allocated evenly between the report and presentation.

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0004, 0015, 0016, 0060, 0061, 0062, 0071, 0072, 0074, 0075, 0083, 0084, 0086, 0088, 0089, 0104, 0107, 0110, 0149, 0150 and 0151

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

01.02, 01.03, 02.01, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06, 02.08, 03.07 and 04.09

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 25%
Length:

Report: 2500 words

Presentation: 25 minutes

Criteria:

Please refer to Canvas for marking criteria rubric for this assessment.

Assessment task 2: NPS Prescribing Modules, PSA Deadly Pharmacist Course and Vaccination Provision Certification

Intent:

To demonstrate attainment of skills in the provision of prescribing, mental health first aid and administration of vaccinations.

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0001, 0004, 0006, 0007, 0008, 0024, 0025, 0070, 0100, 0104, 0110, 0159, 0160, 0171 and 0174

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

02.01, 02.05, 02.06 and 04.09

Type: Exercises
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 15%
Criteria:

Task is deemed complete when certificates are uploaded.

Assessment task 3: Disease State Management and Medication Optimisation Assessment (must-pass)

Intent:

This assessment intends to replicate the problem-based approach to solving cases, to assess students’ knowledge of the therapeutic topics explored in this subject, as well as acquired therapeutic prescribing and/or medication optimisation skills.

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0001, 0004, 0006, 0007, 0008, 0024, 0025, 0093, 0095, 0096, 0100, 0110, 0159 and 0160

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

01.02, 01.03, 02.01, 02.05, 02.06, 02.08, 03.07 and 04.09

Type: Examination
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 50%
Criteria:

You will be assessed on:

  • Identification of patient needs and circumstances.
  • Communication skills.
  • Safety and effectiveness of treatment recommendations.
  • Accuracy and validity of written prescription.

Please refer to Canvas for marking criteria rubric for this assessment.

Assessment task 4: Group and class participation and contribution

Intent:

To ensure that students fully engage with the subject matter, meaningfully contribute to the learning process, and gauge their development through teacher/peer/self-evaluation. This assessment also reflects the level of engagement required with colleagues, collaborators, and stakeholders(in the real-world practice setting) in preparing a portfolio of services that is comprehensive, appropriately

detailed, methodologically robust, and well-integrated in terms of concept (i.e., the practice gap being addressed) and flow/delivery of an articulated suite of services within the proposal.

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0006, 0008, 0015, 0016, 0025, 0061, 0070, 0072, 0074, 0082, 0085 and 0088

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

02.01, 02.05, 02.06 and 03.07

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 10%
Criteria:

Group tasks will be assessed by the Subject Coordinator and Practitioner Teachers throughout the session.

The total grade for the group tasks will be moderated by a SPARK evaluation.

Please refer to Canvas for marking criteria rubric for this assessment.

Minimum requirements

To pass this subject students must achieve a minimum grade of 50%, and attend a minimum of 85% of compulsory classes.

Note: there is one must-pass assessment in this subject and a combined must-pass component of assessment task 1 and 2. Please check assessment description for details.

Required texts

Coursework Assessments Policy

Coursework Assessments Procedures

Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)

Additional required readings will be provided via Canvas

Recommended texts

Specific readings are outlined in the weekly subject content in Canvas.