Applied pharmacology for clinical practice

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of pharmacology and related clinical sciences and apply this to the assessment and management of patients/clients
• Evaluate sources of information, advice, and decision support in medicines management and/or prescribing practice
• Build strategies that, develop and maintain concordant partnerships that enhance adherence, medicines management and patient/client care.
• Critically consider the effectiveness of drug actions and demonstrate expertise in applying this knowledge to prescribing practice and/or medicines management.

Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of co-morbidity

• Pharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacotherapeutics.
• Anatomy and physiology as applied to prescribing practice and community practitioner formulary.
• Basic principles of drugs to be prescribed, eg. absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, including adverse drug reactions (ADR).
• Interactions and reactions.
• Patient/client compliance, concordance and drug response.
• Impact of physiological state on drug responses and safety, for example, in elderly people, neonates, children and young people, pregnant or breast feeding women.

Evidence-based practice in relation to patient care

• Rationale, adherence to and deviation from national and local guidelines, protocols, policies, decision support systems and formulae.
• Reflective practice.
• Critical appraisal skills, scrutinising data.

Prescribing in the public health context

• policies regarding the use of antibiotics and vaccines
• inappropriate use of medication including misuse, under- and over-use

Promoting adherence

• Medicines optimisation

Learning and teaching methods will incorporate tutorials, lectures, focused learning, use of Blackboard on- line resources, self-directed learning, experiential learning and collaborative sharing of clinical practice.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Mock exam

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Feedback is provided following the self-marked formative exam to enable you to identify areas requiring improvement.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.