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

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	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	Jack Markham, jack.markham@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	David Hibbs, david.hibbs@sydney.edu.au
	Paul Groundwater, paul.groundwater@sydney.edu.au
	Joanna Harnett, joanna.harnett@sydney.edu.au
	Jonathan Du, jonathan.du@sydney.edu.au
	Jack Markham, jack.markham@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final examination Written examination	60%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Intro to Molecular Properties Quiz Online, Canvas, 10MCQ #earlyfeedbacktask	2%	Week 03 Due date: 14 Mar 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 14 Mar 2025	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Molecular Properties 1 Workshop activities	3%	Week 05 Due date: 25 Mar 2025 at 23:59	8 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Molecular Properties 2 Workshop activities	5%	Week 08 Due date: 15 Apr 2025 at 23:59	8 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Mathematics quiz Quiz	10%	Week 08	45 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Thermodynamics Workshop activities	5%	Week 10 Due date: 06 May 2025 at 23:59	8 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Drugs in Solution Workshop activities	5%	Week 11 Due date: 13 May 2025 at 23:59	8 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Literature survey and poster Poster and presentation	10%	Week 13 Due date: 27 May 2025 at 23:59	1500 words; 2 weeks (week 12-13)
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = AI allowed ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

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.
Online Task: Online quiz of MCQ questions administered on Canvas to examine the first few weeks of content covered in PAHR1812. It will be 30 minutes and worth 2%
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 Final examination: The final exam is a 2 hour closed-book exam consisting of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. You must obtain a minimum of 50% in the final exam to pass the unit of study.

No use of AI tools (Final written exam, Maths quiz)

The use of automated writing tools and generative artificial intelligence is prohibited in this assessment. You are not allowed to use AI or any other software to create information or answers, to alter your own original writing, or to generate or modify text from other sources. This includes translation software, editing/paraphrasing software and other generative artificial intelligence tools.

Unapproved use is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and may result in penalties, which can include a fail for the assessment.

AI tools permitted (Intro to Molecular properties quiz, Moleculor properties 1 & 2, Drugs in solution, Thermodynamics, Literature Survey and poster)

You are permitted to use automated writing tools and generative artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate your learning and completion of this assignment. Please adhere to the following guidelines:

Do not enter confidential, personal, copyrighted or otherwise sensitive information into any AI tool.
Do not rely on the accuracy of outputs. You remain responsible for your work. This means you must independently verify and edit AI-generated content to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and suitability of the output.
If you use these tools, you must be aware of their limitations, biases, and propensity for fabrication.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission, must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to reference and acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

You are advised to keep copies of the prompts you provided and AI outputs as evidence of your research and writing process. This allows you to produce an accurate acknowledgement of AI use when you submit your work. This can be requested by the unit coordinator if there is any uncertainty about the originality of your work.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (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 guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

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.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

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)
	Mathematics quiz	Workshop (1 hr)
	Molecular Properties	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 09	Drugs in Solution 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drugs in Solution 4	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs 1	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Sources of drugs 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs 3	Lecture (1 hr)
	Phytonutrients	Lecture (1 hr)
	Thermodynamics	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Drug Targets	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drug discovery & development 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drug discovery & development 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drugs in Solution	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Dosage forms 1	Lecture (1 hr)
	Dosage forms 2	Lecture (1 hr)
	Sources of drugs	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Sources of drugs - poster presentation	Workshop (2 hr)
Weekly	Learning independently including pre-work assignments and reports	Independent study (63 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Attendance: In accordance with the Bachelor of Pharmacy Course resolutions on Attendance Requirements, students must attend a minimum of 85% tutorials/ workshops to satisfy attendance requirements for this unit of study.

Students arriving more than 10 minutes after the commencement of the laboratory / workshop / placement will be marked as unprofessional, which is a component of the class participation and professionalism assessment.

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.

Required readings

All required readings are made available electronically from the library through the reading list on Canvas.

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, 2022. In this instance 55% of students enrolled in the unit completed the USE survey. 80 % of students were satisfied with the teaching in this unit of study, 82% agreed that the work had been intellectually rewarding, 92% agreed that the assessment tasks challenged them to learn and 90 % agreed that the content is relevant to their degree.

Additional information

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

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

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

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

PHAR1812: Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

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