Outline

Overview

Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences provides an introduction to principles underlying pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmaceutics. This provides the foundations for a more detailed study of the chemical characteristics of drug molecules, dosage forms and pharmacokinetics in later years of the degree. The physicochemical properties of drugs are explored from a pharmaceutical perspective complemented by the study of chemistry. Modules provide an introduction to acid/base and solubility characteristics of drug molecules, drug discovery and development, dosage forms, and fundamental mathematics. Small group work in workshop sessions supports the learning of material introduced in lectures.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	PHAR1812
Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	HSC Chemistry. Students who have not completed HSC Chemistry (or equivalent) are strongly advised to take the Chemistry Bridging Course (offered in February and as a distance course at other times of the year).
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jane Hanrahan, jane.hanrahan@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Jane Hanrahan, jane.hanrahan@sydney.edu.au
	Paul Groundwater, paul.groundwater@sydney.edu.au
	Laurentiu Paunescu, laurentiu.paunescu@sydney.edu.au
	Joanna Elizabeth Harnett, joanna.harnett@sydney.edu.au
	Nial Wheate, nial.wheate@sydney.edu.au
	David Hibbs, david.hibbs@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Written examination Written examination	60%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Molecular Properties 1 Workshop activities	5%	Week 06	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Molecular Properties 2 Workshop activities	5%	Week 08	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Mathematics quiz Quiz	10%	Week 08	45 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Thermodynamics Workshop activities	5%	Week 09	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Drugs in Solution Workshop activities	5%	Week 10	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Literature survey and poster Poster and presentation	10%	Week 12	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Repeating students: Exemption from components (workshops etc) for students repeating PHAR1812 will only be granted by the Year co-ordinator for students who achieved a grade of Credit (65%) or above for the relevant components in their previous attempt completed no more than
two calendar years prior, and the relevant component has not significantly changed since the student completed it. Applications for exemption must be made in writing (which includes email) to the unit of study coordinator. Students who have been granted a component exemption in writing, together with any consequent change in the weighting of the remaining components in the unit of study, cannot attend the classes for that
component and will have their overall mark for PHAR1812 based upon their performance in the remaining components in the unit of study. Component marks from a previous attempt will not be carried over. The exemption will not become effective until the student has accepted it in writing. Until this time the student must continue to attend all compulsory classes. If an exemption is accepted, the exempted student is not permitted to attend classes for the component for which they have received the exemption. In PHAR1812 no exemptions will be given for the maths quiz.

Workshop attendance: The majority of the learning in this unit will occur in the workshops. Attendance at workshops is therefore compulsory, and attendance is recorded in each class.
Workshop assignments: Each workshop assignment contains a number of activities and exercises to work through. The work is to be carried out through discussions in the group and with the tutor. At the end of semester, students will peer assess each other based on their agreed group work criteria and their contribution to the workshop assignments. Peer assessment will be applied to moderate the groupwork marks. Students will peer assess each other according to an agreed set of criteria established by groups in session 1. The assessment will be based on Unsatisfactory/Satisfactory with each U received resulting in the student receiving a 10% reduction in the group mark.
While it is not compulsory to pass each individual assignment, students must obtain a pass overall for the workshop component in order to pass the unit of study.
Mathematics quiz: The quiz will be closed-book quiz.
Literature survey and poster: For the drug discovery and development topic, each group will be required to research, prepare, and display a poster which illustrates a particular plant as a source of medicinal substances. All members of the group should present and be prepared to answer questions.
Written examination: The final exam is a 2 hour closed-book exam consisting of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Supplementary Yr assessments: Students may be offered re-assessment of compulsory-to-pass assessments as described in the relevant local provisions. For more information see: https://www.sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2019/498&RendNum=0

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to students who demonstrate the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the units material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the units material and can solve routine problems and/ or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory adequately referencing the original source of the work.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As all work in PHAR1812 is completed in class and submitted at the end of a scheduled class, assessments that will be late due to absence from the class require special consideration.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introductory lecture	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 2	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Molecular Properties 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 4	Lecture (1 hr)
	Introductory workshop	Workshop (1 hr)
	Mathematics	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 03	Molecular Properties 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 5	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 6	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
	Mathematics	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 04	Molecular Properties 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 7	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 8	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
	Mathematics	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 05	Molecular Properties 4	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 9	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics 10	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
	Mathematics	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 06	Molecular Properties 5	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties 6	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties 7	Lecture (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
	Mathematics	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 07	Thermodynamics 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Thermodynamics 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Thermodynamics 3	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Drugs in Solution 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drugs in Solution 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drugs in Solution 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Mathematics quiz	Workshop (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 09	Drugs in Solution 4	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Phytonutrients	Lecture (1 hr)
	Thermodynamics	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Sources of drugs 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drug Targets	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drugs in Solution	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Drug discovery & development 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drug discovery & development 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs	Workshop (2 hr)
	Dosage forms 1	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Dosage forms 2	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Sources of drugs - poster presentation	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Attendance at workshops is compulsory, and attendance is recorded in each class. In order to meet attendance requirements for PHAR1812 students must attend a minimum of 8/9 workshop classes.

For more information see:

https://www.sydney.edu.au/handbooks/medicine_health/coursework/pharmacy_rules.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. work effectively and cooperatively as a member of a learning team
LO2. identify different functional groups and classes of compounds
LO3. demonstrates a working understanding of fundamental concepts and techniques of chemistry necessary for understanding drug delivery, drug action, and therapeutics
LO4. describe the different physical properties of molecules
LO5. recognise the role that physical properties play in bioavailability
LO6. recognise that most drugs are low molecular weight chemicals
LO7. identify sources of drugs, the way they are discovered, purified, characterised, and analysed, and their physico-chemical properties
LO8. recognise the role that structure and physical properties play in intramolecular interactions and their importance in drug action and design
LO9. explain the relationship between molecular structure and molecular interactions
LO10. explain the different type of interactions between molecules
LO11. describe the origin of early medicines
LO12. identify classes of biological-relevant molecules
LO13. explain the basic principles underpinning the design of new drug molecules
LO14. identify classes of biologically important macromolecules as drug targets
LO15. demonstrate a basic understanding of drug mechanisms of action and how they relate to drug discovery process
LO16. interpret physicochemical information relating to the design and development of drugs
LO17. carry out simple numerical manipulations in the context of common pharmaceutical calculation problems
LO18. carry out simple algebraic manipulations
LO19. demonstrate numerical reasoning and recognise when answers to problems are not numerically possible
LO20. apply appropriate numeracy skills to the solution of pharmacy problems
LO21. demonstrate the ability to deal with the concept of uncertainty by devising alternatives which take account of qualifying, affording, and constraining variables, and appreciate that not all problems have a single correct solution.
LO22. identify different types of publications
LO23. (critically) evaluate the quality of a range of sources of information such as newspaper articles, internet sites, radio and television etc
LO24. identify the structures of typical publications such as primary research and review articles
LO25. use the most relevant pharmacy databases to search both electronic and hard copy resources to locate specific papers and to find relevant resources related to topics as allocated
LO26. (critically) examine scientific evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, in order to arrive at evidence-based conclusions
LO27. demonstrate an understanding of design, manufacture, and performance of drug dosage forms
LO28. describe the most common dosage forms used in therapeutics
LO29. identify the need for a range of dosage forms
LO30. identify the major advantages and disadvantages of common dosage forms

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

PHAR1812 was formally evaluated by unit of study survey (USS) in S1, 2020. In this instance 48% of students enrolled in the unit completed the USE survey. 73 % of students were satisfied with the teaching in this unit of study and 88 % agreed that the content is relevant to their degree. While no formal changes have been made to this unit since it was offered in 2019, COVID-19 resulted in it being taught fully online (lectures and tutorials) in 2020, the ongoing uncertainty mean that it is likely to be taught in dual mode (online and f2f) in 2021. Students were very appreciative of the efforts made by academic staff to support their learning in the online environment.

Additional information

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PHAR1812: Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect