Course Coordinator:Andrew Eamens (aeamens@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Biomedicine
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This course will give an overview of Pharmacology, including drugs that affect cholinergic and noradrenergic transmission, enzymes as drug targets and enzyme kinetics, the effects of drugs on organ systems, and drug discovery.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Learning materials – Learning materials, delivered as pre-recorded narrated powerpoints with embedded quiz questions using the H5P platform. | 1.5hrs | Week 1 | 13 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus, in person tutorials. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 7 times |
Laboratory 1 – On campus (in person) laboratory class | 2hrs | Week 2 | 6 times |
Introduction to Pharmacology
Cholinergic pharmacology
Adrenergic pharmacology
Drugs affecting the cardiovascular system
Anti-hypertensive drugs
Haemostasis and thrombosis
Anti-inflammatory agents
Drugs affecting the respiratory system
Drugs affecting the reproductive system
Drug discovery
Drugs affecting the gastrointestinal and urinary systems
Drugs affecting the CNS
Drug use and abuse
200 Level (Developing)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Paramedicine Board of Australia | |
1 | Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the basic principles & concepts of pharmacology to clinically relevant situations. | Knowledgeable |
3.1.a, 3.2.a, 3.2 |
2 | Solve problems by using evidence-based reasoning, and where appropriate, mathematical calculations. | Creative and critical thinker |
3.2.b, 5.3.b, 5.3.c, 5.3.f |
3 | Communicate scientifically in the form of a problem set and practical report, with reference to the literature | Empowered |
3.2.a, 3.2.b, 3.2 |
CODE | COMPETENCY |
Paramedicine Board of Australia | |
3.1.a | Operate within a framework of making informed, evidence-based, reasonable and professional judgements about their practice, with acting in the best interests of their patients as their primary concern. |
3.2.a | Apply evidence-based practice principles along with critical and reflective thinking to resolve clinical challenges. |
3.2.b | Demonstrate a logical and systematic approach to problem-solving and situation analysis. |
3.2 | Use clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills to determine clinical judgements and appropriate actions |
5.3.b | Understand the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the research process. |
5.3.c | Understand the theoretical basis of and the variety of approaches to assessment and intervention. |
5.3.f | Understand the clinical sciences underpinning paramedic practice, including physiological, pharmacological, behavioural and functional. |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
LFS201 or LFS203 or (LFS112 and LFS122) or (HLT100 and enrolled in SC395 or SC306)
Not applicable
BIM261
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
In week 4 of this course, a Problem Set will be completed and submitted for assessment. This assignment has a 10% weighting. Feedback will be provided within 2 weeks of submission.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1a | Activity Participation | Individual | 10% | 250 words |
Week 4 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 1b | Activity Participation | Individual | 10% | 250 words |
Week 8 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 2 | Oral and Written Piece | Individual | 30% | 4 Minute MP4 video and 600 word script |
Week 9 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3a | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 10% | Each cohort of students will be examined over 30 min |
Week 10 | In Class |
All | 3b | Examination - Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 40% | 2 hours (<1500 words) each |
Exam Period | Exam Venue |
All - Assessment Task 1a:Problem Set | |
Goal: | This problem set is designed to introduce you to the literature of pharmacology and develop your critical analysis of this research. You will complete a worksheet containing 10 questions on pharmacology. |
Product: | Activity Participation |
Format: | Short Answers, 10 problems on a worksheet |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 1b:Problem Set | |
Goal: | This problem set is designed to introduce you to the literature of pharmacology and develop your critical analysis of this research. You will complete a worksheet containing 10 questions on pharmacology. |
Product: | Activity Participation |
Format: | Short Answers, 10 problems on a worksheet |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 2:Narrated Powerpoint | |
Goal: | This task develops your scientific communication skills. You will be provided with 8 topics related to pharmacology. Students will choose one of the topics and prepare a 4 min narrated powerpoint on the selected topic. The target audience will be a competent scientist who may not be familiar with the discipline of pharmacological science. A script of the dialogue presented in the narrated powerpoint is to be prepared using Word and submitted to SafeAssign. References are to be included at the end of the script. |
Product: | Oral and Written Piece |
Format: | Individual 4 Minute MP.4 format for the narrated powerpoint; 600 word script in Word. Elements: 4 Minute narrated powerpoint, saved as an MP.4 file and submitted to Video Vault. The powerpoint will be a recording that is prepared by students on a topic that is provided by the Course Coordinator. The script of the dialogue, saved in Word and submitted to SafeAssign. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3a:Practical exam Mid-semester | |
Goal: | This exam has been designed to allow you to demonstrate your laboratory skills, including your use of laboratory equipment and understanding of the principles of the laboratory work completed up to and including Week 8. |
Product: | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled |
Format: | Students will complete laboratory tasks and be assessed on knowledge and understanding of pharmacology principles pertaining to the laboratory classes. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3b:Examination Final | |
Goal: | This exam has been designed to allow you to demonstrate and apply knowledge, analyse relationships, and solve problems in pharmacology. |
Product: | Examination - Centrally Scheduled |
Format: | 2 hours (<1500 words), Multiple choice questions, short answer questions, problem solving, calculations based on material from learning materials, tutorials and laboratory activities. |
Criteria: |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
Required | James M. Ritter, Rod J. Flower, Graeme Henderson, Yoon Kong Loke, David MacEwan, Emma Robinson, James Fullerton | 2024 | Rang & Dale's Pharmacology | 10th Edition | Elsevier |
Recommended | Ian Peate | 2022 | Fundamentals of Pharmacology for Paramedics | 1 | Wiley-Blackwell |
Laboratory coat, safety glasses, closed in footwear, Calculator. Gloves will be provided in the laboratory.
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate (the rates are cumulative): - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
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