Outline

Overview

The Pharmaceutical Skills component consists of Drug Profile Practicals. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the physicochemical properties of drugs, methods of analysing drugs and how the physicochemical properties determine the pharmacology. The Dispensing (Prescription consultation) component will provide an introduction to dispensing software programs and give students a familiarity with dispensing and prescription consultations of the top 50 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications (by script volume). Workshops will provide an opportunity to research the medications and information that needs to be gathered from a patient or clarified by the prescriber to then be followed by dispensing that medication and consulting the patient. Students will be assessed on legal requirement of scheduled medicines and prescriptions, interpretation of prescribers' intention, accuracy of dispensing and relevant counselling of the dispensed medication.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	4
Prerequisites ?	(BIOL1XX8 or BIOL1XX3) and (CHEM1611 or CHEM11X2 or CHEM19X2 or CHEM1904) and (CHEM1612 or CHEM11X1 or CHEM19X1 or CHEM1903) and (BIOL1XX7 or MBLG1XX1) and PHAR1811 and PHAR1812 and PHAR1821 and PHAR1822 and PCOL2605 and PHAR2811 and PHAR2812 and PHAR2813 and PHAR2821 and PHAR2822 and PHAR2823 and PHSI2601
Corequisites ?	PHAR3826 and PHAR3827 and PHAR3820 and PHAR3100
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jessica Pace, jessica.pace@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Drug profile: written report Written task	0%	Multiple weeks	30-40 pages including references	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Drug profile: oral presentation Oral presentation	0%	Multiple weeks	5 minutes per student	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Data analysis	Drug profile: analytical results Competency assessment	0%	Ongoing	3 hours/fortnight	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Portfolio or journal	Products dispensed/dispensing portfolio Portfolio	0%	Ongoing	2 hours/fortnight	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Tutorial participation and pre-work Participation	0%	Ongoing	1 hour/week	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Prescription consultation and counselling Competency assessment	0%	Ongoing	2 hours/fortnight	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written test ?	Forensics Exam combination of MCQs and SAQs	0%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 09:00	1 hour	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial participation and pre-work: Students are expected to participate in all tutorials in a professional manner. Pre-work for each tutorial generally includes completing relevant clinical information about the medications that will be dispensed in the laboratory.
Products dispensed/dispensing portfolio: During every dispensing laboratory, students are expected to dispense 4 to 6 prescriptions through the relevant dispensing software. Each product will be assessed for accuracy and uploaded to CANVAS within the lab. Students are expected to self-assess all their dispensed products and peer assess other students. Students must be marked as satisfactory/competent for all labels dispensed in dispensing sessions/schedule 2 to 5 (total of 24 labels). Additional chances to reattempt labels marked as unsatisfactory will be offered in week 13.
Prescription consultation and counselling: In the dispensing laboratory, students are expected to self and peer assess their prescription consultation for all prescriptions provided in the lab. These consultation sessions should be recorded and uploaded into CANVAS within the lab. Students must be marked as satisfactory for 4 counselling sessions with a demonstrator across dispensing sessions/schedule 4 and 5 (2 in session/schedule 4 and 2 in session/schedule 5). 2 additional chances will be offered in week 13 for students who have not achieved 4 satisfactory counselling sessions with a demonstrator after session/schedule 5.
Drug profile: oral presentation: Groups will be assessed based on speech, results, understanding of the results, and relevance to action and clinical application. Students must be marked as satisfactory/competent overall for their group presentation to meet the requirements of the unit.
Drug profile: written report and peer assessment: A written report must be submitted online. A page at the start should be included that states each student’s involvement and which section of the report they were involved in. Students must be marked as satisfactory/competent overall for their group report to meet the requirements of the unit.
Peer assessment (relative performance factor) will be applied to these assessments marks of both the oral presentation and group report. Students will take part in a formative peer assessment conducted in week 5/6, and a summative peer assessment in week 12/13. Peer assessment will be completed online to obtain a factor between 0 and 1, and will be according to an agreed set of criteria established by groups in session 1. Students must achieve a relative performance factor of over 0.75 in order to satisfy competency in group work.
Drug Profile: Lab skills: During the laboratory, students will be allocated to different experimental tasks (e.g. UV vis spectra, HPLC) to assay unknown substances. In addition NMR, MS, and IR will be provided for analysis if needed. Students must upload all lab results and other information (e.g. experimental conditions used and literature search results) to their group's LabArchives notebook before the end of the relevant session.
Forensics Exam: The Forensics exam will be delivered on campus and consist of questions relating to the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation in NSW and/or pharmacy relevant law. Students must achieve a minimum mark of 65% to pass the unit. Students who do not achieve this minimum mark will be offered the opportunity to attempt an additional assessment in week 13. All students will be offered a maximum of 2 attempts at this assessment.
Skill based asseessment: Students must demonstrate competency in each assessment component of the unit outlined in the assessment table to satisfy the requirements of the unit of study (i.e. all hurdle tasks must be passed). A fail in any compulsory assessment will result in an overall fail for this unit of study (grade of failed requirements- FR will be awarded).
Repeating students: Exemption from components (tutorials, workshops etc.) for students repeating PHAR3825 may be granted if competency has been demonstrated in the most recent attempt.

AI allowed

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.

No use of AI (Forensics test)

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.

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
SR – Satisfied Requirements	No mark	When you meet the learning outcomes to a satisfactory standard, for units which are marked as either Satisfied requirements or Failed requirements.
FR -Failed Requirements	No mark	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes to a satisfactory standard, for units which are marked as either Satisfied requirements or Failed requirements.

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

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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
Multiple weeks	Dispensing and patient counselling	Practical (20 hr)
	Drug Profile	Science laboratory (10 hr)
	Drug Profile workshop	Workshop (10 hr)
	Forensics	Lecture and tutorial (20 hr)
	Independent Study	Independent study (50 hr)
Week 01	Introduction: drug profile and prescription consultation	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: In accordance with the Bachelor of Pharmacy and Pharmacy management course resolutions on Attendance Requirements, students must attend a minimum of 85% tutorials/ labs/ workshops to satisfy attendance requirements for this unit of study. For more information see the current handbook.

If a tutorial/ lab/workshop is missed due to illness or misadventure, students are to submit a special consideration application along with supporting documentation.

Students arriving more than 10 minutes after the commencement of the tutorial/ lab/ workshop will be marked as absent. Students swapping a class without prior approval from the UoS co-ordinator will be marked as absent.

Students are encouraged to bring their own personal computers during the prescription dispensing and counselling and Drug Profile Practical sessions.

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 4 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 80-100 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Students must be able to access the following resources in this unit (e.g. via the University of Sydney library):

Australian Medicines Handbook (current edition)
Therapeutic Guidelines
Clarkes Medicinal chemistry
Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (current edition APF26)

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.

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

LO1. demonstrate a working understanding of the fundamental concepts and techniques of chemistry necessary for understanding drug delivery, drug action and therapeutics
LO2. apply appropriate numeracy skills to the solution of pharmacy problems
LO3. deal with the concept of uncertainty - devising alternatives which take account of qualifying, affording and constraining variables
LO4. critically examine scientific evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, in order to arrive at evidence-based conclusions
LO5. Communicate appropriately and effectively with both lay and professional audience and profession.
LO6. Demonstrate effective teamwork capabilities.
LO7. provide prescription medicines and appropriate advice and counselling
LO8. maximise patient safety through QUM, and minimise and manage medicine error
LO9. Demonstrate a working understanding of the legislation surrounding the supply of scheduled medicines in NSW and the practice of pharmacy.
LO10. Apply legal, ethical and clinical reasoning to manage medication related problems.

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 3.1.a. applying relevant underpinning knowledge 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.a. formulating questions 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials 5.4.c. undertaking relevant investigations, where appropriate
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 3.12. consistently making accurate arithmetic calculations relating to health care 3.14. dispensing medicines safely and accurately in accordance with current legislation, scope of practice, PharmBA Guidelines and other relevant jurisdictional requirements to optimise patient outcomes
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.3. demonstrating awareness of the inherent complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty of contemporary and future professional practice
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials 5.4.c. undertaking relevant investigations, where appropriate 5.4.d. drawing conclusions by synthesising the results of research and inquiry activities 5.4.e. reporting and disseminating the outcomes appropriately
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 2.1.a. demonstrating appropriately tailored verbal, written and non-verbal communication 2.1.c. demonstrating awareness of and sensitivity to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and/or Māori history, communication styles and community protocols 2.1.d. demonstrating appropriate communication and interpersonal behaviours
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 2.3. contributing to the interprofessional collaborative health care team in order to optimise patient outcomes by 2.4. collaborating with patients, carers and other clients in shared decision-making by
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 2.1. communicating appropriately and effectively with a socially and culturally diverse range of people in a manner which inspires confidence and trust by 2.1.a. demonstrating appropriately tailored verbal, written and non-verbal communication 2.1.b. engaging with all persons in a respectful, culturally appropriate, compassionate, responsive and empathetic manner 2.1.d. demonstrating appropriate communication and interpersonal behaviours 2.2. documenting, communicating and recording relevant information, findings, decisions, recommendations and other information accurately and concisely, taking due account of privacy and confidentiality 3.17. providing appropriate tailored counselling, information and education to enable safe and effective medication, disease state and lifestyle management 3.5. demonstrating the delivery of person-centred care including 3.5.a. respecting the personal characteristics, rights, preferences, values, beliefs, needs and diversity of patients, carers and other persons 3.5.b. maintaining privacy and confidentiality in interactions with patients, carers and other persons 3.5.c. optimising as far as is practicable the physical environment in which care takes place 3.5.e. ensuring that patients, carers and other persons are provided with sufficient information and advice to enable them to consider options and give informed consent where appropriate 3.6. obtaining relevant health, medical and medication information from patients, carers and other clients 3.7. assessing current health, medical and medication histories and profiles of patients
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 3.14. dispensing medicines safely and accurately in accordance with current legislation, scope of practice, PharmBA Guidelines and other relevant jurisdictional requirements to optimise patient outcomes 3.16. demonstrating awareness of the appropriate conditions for secure and safe storage and distribution of medications to ensure stability and efficacy 3.17. providing appropriate tailored counselling, information and education to enable safe and effective medication, disease state and lifestyle management
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1.4. practising legally by 1.4.a. demonstrating contemporary knowledge and application of legal requirements relating to community and hospital pharmacy practice within their jurisdiction 1.4.b. demonstrating awareness of the processes for maintaining contemporary familiarity with key legislative instruments
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1.1. promoting both the best interests and safety of patients and the public 1.4. practising legally by 1.5. practising ethically and with integrity by 3.1. formulating appropriate and effective actions and recommendations which support safe, rational and cost-effective use of medicines and other healthcare options and optimise socially accountable person-centred care by 3.2. making and prioritising recommendations to manage health, medical and medication needs of patients, including both pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies, based on the Quality Use of Medicines Framework and the best available evidence 3.3. prescribing medications in accordance with current jurisdiction-specific legislation, scope of practice and PharmBA Guidelines

Responding to student feedback

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

Not applicable

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Required materials: Protective Lab coat and safety glasses are required for laboratory sessions.

While working within the drug profile laboratory, all students must wear a clean white lab coat and wear shoes which completely cover the feet (no sandals or thongs are permitted). No shorts are permitted

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

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PHAR3825: Pharmaceutical Skills and Dispensing B

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links