96015 Clinical Practice 1
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 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 96002c Concepts in Pharmaceutical Sciences AND 96001c Introduction to Pharmacy
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
The real-life application of the theory learned, and the skills developed through coursework begins in the first weeks of the Master of Pharmacy. This subject starts with weekly supervised practice in a community setting. With directed tasks and observation by practicing pharmacists, this practice-based learning allows students to understand the operations of a community pharmacy, the process of dispensing, and begins to build skills in optimising the use of pharmacotherapy in the management and care of patients.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 002. | Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal expression and display empathy and tact in work-related communication |
|---|---|
| 004. | Communicate health and medication management information to patients and health care professionals in a useful and context-relevant way |
| 005. | Identify the challenges in communicating with people of diverse social, cultural and racial backgrounds, and outline strategies to overcome these |
| 006. | Use appropriate non-verbal, verbal, questioning and listening skills when communicating with patients and other HCPs |
| 010. | Identify personal values and beliefs, cultural and linguistic factors that may affect professional practice |
| 013. | Use a process of reflection to guide continuous learning |
| 021. | Demonstrate knowledge of professional obligations with respect to confidentiality |
| 027. | Demonstrate awareness of how personal appearance and behaviour contribute to professionalism |
| 144. | Apply a critical understanding of the process of problem-solving |
| 161. | Apply coursework learning in a range of practice settings |
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)
- Demonstrate sound ethical, compassionate and respectful patient-focused care, taking responsibility for personal health and wellbeing. (02.05)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Clinical placements run concurrently with on-campus learning. They provide an important platform for the integration of the knowledge gained through the coursework, emphasising the relevance and application to the practice setting, as well as practising newly developed skills. The Master of Pharmacy Clinical Practice Subjects contribute to the following UTS:Pharmacy 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
The clinical placements provide opportunities for experiential learning and reflection, supported by on-campus workshops. The workshops provide a platform to facilitate student leaning in Clinical Practice and for group feedback on the challenges that arise in practice.
OPELA (online language screening task)
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students). If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA, you must attend additional Language Development Tutorials (each week from week [3/4] to week [11/12] in order to pass the subject. These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
Topics that students will be examined include
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Reflective Practice and Reflective Writing Skills
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Critical Incident Reflection (Clinical Practice)
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Relevance of Pharmaceutical Sciences to Clinical Practice
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Clinical Compliance (Must-pass)
| Intent: | The Graduate School of Health has adopted NSW Health policies and procedures for all clinical placement sites utilised throughout the placement program. Students are required to identify their compliance requirements, action their compliance requirements and submit all relevant documentation to the Clinical Placement team and then NSW Health. Undertaking the clinical compliance process is the first step towards starting a career in health. The compliance process is there to protect students and the people students will care for in practice. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 02.01 and 02.05 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Criteria: | Task must be submitted to meet requirements |
Assessment task 2: Student PDL Membership (Must-pass)
| Intent: | Prior to a student’s first day of placement, students are required to apply for Student PDL membership. PDL is a national professional body for Australian pharmacists. Its mission is to lead and represent the pharmacy profession and to advance the professionalism of members. PDL membership includes Professional Liabilities Insurance. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 02.01 and 02.05 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Criteria: | Task must be submitted to meet reuirements. |
Assessment task 3: Student Orientation Form (Must-pass)
| Intent: | Pharmacy experience and knowledge level may differ between students. Students are required to fill out a student orientation form, and to provide this to their preceptor. The student orientation form is used to guide discussion between preceptor and student on the students’ current level of knowledge and expertise within pharmacy and their future goals. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 013 and 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02 and 02.01 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Criteria: | Task must be submitted to meet requirements. |
Assessment task 4: Entrustable Professional Activities (Must-pass)
| Intent: | Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA’s) are defined as a task or group of tasks that can be fully entrusted to a trainee, as soon as he or she has demonstrated the necessary competence to execute the activity unsupervised. During each of the four clinical placement subjects across the Master of Pharmacy Program, students are required to work towards EPA’s whereby your preceptor will assess and provide an ‘entrustment’ decision. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 002, 004, 006, 021, 144 and 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02, 01.03 and 02.01 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Criteria: | Preceptors will make an entrustment level decision. Entrustments levels are provided in the EPA Evaluation form. Task must be submitted to meet requirements |
Assessment task 5: Weekly Placement Activities
| Intent: | To facilitate students’ learning on Clinical Practice with a diverse range of pharmacy-related activities expected of any pharmacist. This assessment will consolidate how pharmacists work with different requests, and involves completing 5 graded activities and 5 non-graded activities. This assessment task contributes to the development of all the course intended learning outcomes listed above. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 002, 004, 005, 006, 010, 013, 021, 027, 144 and 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02, 01.03, 02.01 and 02.05 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 60% |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on the detail and accuracy of completion of your placement activities, appropriateness of resources used and relevance to clinical practice All tasks must be submitted via Turnitin on Canvas. Refer to grading rubric: Placement Activity Rubric |
Assessment task 6: Reflective Statement - Pharmacy Encounter Reflection
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of all the course intended learning outcomes listed above. This assessment aligns with attaining skills for reflective thinking and writing. |
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| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 010, 013 and 027 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02, 01.03, 02.01 and 02.05 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 1 page maximum - 500 words |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on your reflective writing ability. Refer to grading criteria on Canvas. |
Assessment task 7: Preceptor Evaluation (must-pass)
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of all the course intended learning outcomes listed above. This assessment is critical for the student to be evaluated by external current preceptors and to ensure that certain activities have been undertaken by the student during weekly placements. Elements of this assessment involve: Professional and Personal attributes, Communication and Collaboration, and Professional Development. |
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| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 002, 004, 005, 006, 144 and 161 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.02, 01.03, 02.01 and 02.05 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed by your Preceptor on Professional and Personal attributes, Communication and Collaboration, and Professional Development during placement according to the Preceptor Evaluation Form criterion, available via Canvas. |
Minimum requirements
Students are required to attend 100% of scheduled placement sessions.
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.
It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete OPELA. Students who received a Basic grade in the OPELA are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Required texts
Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)
https://shop.amh.net.au/sites/default/files/order-forms/AMH%202012%20Pre%20Pub%20Advance%20Order%20Form%20ASCEPT.pdf
Coursework Assessments Procedures
Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)
Recommended texts
Textbooks and references:
- Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary (APF) and Handbook, 25th Edition, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Curtin, ACT.
- Rutter P and Newby D. Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. (Churchill Livingstone, 2017)
- Therapeutic Guidelines (Victorian Drug Usage Advisory Committee, North Melbourne, Vic, 1995-1999. https://www.tg.org.au/
Professional Organisations
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
www.psa.org.au - Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
www.shpa.org.au