Outline

Overview

This unit of study will cover the therapeutics of common neurological and mental health conditions including the pharmaceutical sciences that underpin such drug therapies. This unit will also include the epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical features of common neurological and mental health conditions. Through the use of case-based learning, students will participate in the interpretation, application and dissemination of pharmaceutical and pharmacotherapeutic concepts and knowledge. On completion of this unit of study students will be able to apply an understanding of the pharmaceutical sciences to optimising drug and non-drug therapy for people with common neurological and mental health conditions. Interprofessional communication and the application of specialist knowledge to implementing professional pharmaceutical services such as clinical interventions and/or medication management review will be conducted. Students will become familiar with a range of drug information resources. Role-plays will be used to develop students' communication skills between pharmacists, other healthcare professionals and patients familiar with a range of drug information resourcessoftware and a number of computerised drug information databases. Role- plays will be used to develop students' communication skills for interaction between pharmacists and their clients (patients, doctors, other health professionals), other healthcare professionals and patients.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	PHAR5911 and PHAR5712 and PHAR5713 and PHAR5714 and PHAR5715 and PHAR5716 and PHAR5717 and PHAR5718
Corequisites ?	PHAR5722 and PHAR5723
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Timothy Chen, timothy.chen@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam	Written Exam MCQ and short answer	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Oral exam	OSCE Oral examination	30%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Prework, professionalism, participation in case tutorials, quizzes Prework, professionalism, participation in case tutorials, quizzes	20%	Ongoing	3 hours x 13 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Mental Health First Aid accreditation MHFA accreditation assessment	0%	Week 08	15 questions	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial assessments: The tutorials are designed to help students integrate and apply the knowledge and skills acquired in lectures and other related activities, in the management of patients’ health needs and problems, and other clinical issues they are likely to encounter as a practising pharmacist. The tutorials will emphasise the application of ‘processes’ in practising as a pharmacist, especially communication processes incorporating information gathering, information processing, and information delivery. The students are expected to do pre-work prior to the tutorial. Tutorials will make up 20% of the Unit of Study mark, with 10 marks allocated for two HMR report/letters, 5 marks for tutorial quizzes (3 quizzes over the semester) and 5 marks for professionalism and participation i.e., must complete pre-work, attend tutorial, participate in group discussions and behave in a professional manner.
Limited use of AI tools
In this assessment you are allowed to use automated writing tools and artificial intelligence (AI) for the following purposes:
Editing assistance - You may use automated writing or AI tools such as Cogniti to provide feedback on your work and suggest readability improvements to your text in terms of grammar and expression. You cannot use generative AI tools to generate content.
Generating ideas for assessment - You may use AI tools such as Cogniti to brainstorm initial ideas and approaches for completing your assignment. However, you must develop or edit those ideas to a substantial degree to ensure your submission is your own, original work.
Creating media for assessment - You may use AI tools such as Cogniti to generate media that you use as part of your submission.
Suggesting a structure or outline - You may use AI tools such as Cogniti to help you draft an outline for your work.
Searching and summarising literature- You may use AI tools such as Cogniti to find and summarise research articles. The generated summary should not be included in the submission. You need to incorporate the scholarship yourself into your submission.
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.
Please adhere to the following guidelines:
Do not enter confidential, personal, copyrighted or otherwise sensitive information into any AI tool. If you use these tools, you must be aware of their limitations, biases, and propensity for fabrication.
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.
Failure to declare the use of AI tools is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and may result in penalties, which can include a fail for the assessment.
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.

OSCE: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a role-play assessment of communication skills and clinical knowledge competence as a pharmacist. It is linked to 3 therapeutic units PHAR5721, PHAR5722 and PHAR5723. Students will be given corresponding cases to prepare prior to the assessment. On OSCE day, each student will sit three stations; each station corresponds to one unit of study (PHAR5721, PHAR5722, PHAR5723). Within each station, each student sits two cases - a patient case (communicating with an examiner role-playing a pseudo-patient) and a doctor case (communicating with an examiner role-playing a pseudo-doctor). Each student must pass the average of both cases per station to pass the corresponding unit of study (ie: obtain 50% on the average of both cases per station).
Written examination: The written exam will comprise a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions. These questions will include all content covered in lectures, tutorials and tutorial preparation. You must obtain a grade of ‘Pass’ in this assessment to satisfy the requirements for this unit of study. If you do not pass this assessment the maximum final grade you can obtain will be 45 FA, regardless of the total raw mark you obtain for the unit of study.
Mental Health First Aid – The summative assessment will follow completion of MHFA training with students required to pass this assessment in accordance with MHFA protocol. If you do not pass this assessment the maximum final grade you may obtain will be 45 FA, regardless of the total raw mark you obtain for the unit of study.
No use of AI tools (for written exam, OSCE, MHFA): The use of automated writing tools and generative artificial intelligence is prohibited in these assessments. 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 assessments.
Supplementary Yr assessments: Students may be offered re-assessment of compulsory-to-pass assessments in the main, RE1 and RE2 exam periods, as described in the relevant local provisions.
Repeating students: Exemption from components (tutorials) for students repeating PHAR5721 will not be granted.

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)

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	Mental health first aid	Tutorial (12 hr)
Ongoing	Neurology and mental health	Lecture (42 hr)
Week 05	Depression and anxiety	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Bipolar disorder	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Epilepsy and TDM	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Parkinson’s disease	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Alzheimer’s disease and dementia	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Mental Health Consumer Educators	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Schizophrenia	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Suicidal behaviours and toxicology	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Feedback and exam practice	Tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Attendance, students must attend a minimum of 85% tutorials (11 out of 13) to satisfy attendance requirements for this unit of study. If a tutorial is missed due to illness or misadventure, students are to submit a special consideration form along with supporting documentation.

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

It is important to note that students must attend all MHFA sessions (tutorials week 3-4) if they have not already completed an approved MHFA course such as AMHFA. Obtaining MHFA credential is a compulsory component of PHAR5721.

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

Suggested readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library Reading List available 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.

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

LO1. outline physiology and pathophysiology associated with disease states of the brain
LO2. demonstrate a working understanding of fundamental concepts and techniques of chemistry necessary for understanding drug delivery, drug action and therapeutics in neurology and mental health
LO3. demonstrate an understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms of action and the properties drugs display as biologically active molecules in the treatment of mental health and neurological conditions
LO4. demonstrate an understanding of pharmaceutical factors impacting on therapeutic efficacy in mental health and neurological conditions
LO5. apply an understanding of basic and applied sciences to the management and solution of pharmaceutical and clinical problems including the metabolism and enzymic degradation of drugs in mental health and neurological conditions
LO6. communicate effectively with patients, families, carers and other health care professionals in the context of managing mental health and neurological conditions
LO7. apply a systematic reasoning process to address a range of health and drug-related problems that present in pharmacy relating to mental health and neurological conditions
LO8. provide pharmacy cognitive services in the areas of mental health and neurological conditions
LO9. provide over the counter products and prescription medicines using endorsed professional protocols and with appropriate counselling and advice for mental health and neurological conditions
LO10. demonstrate an understanding of the role of the pharmacist in promoting public health with respect to mental health and neurological conditions

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 - 1.4.a. demonstrating contemporary knowledge and application of legal requirements relating to community and hospital pharmacy practice within their jurisdiction

Responding to student feedback

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

This unit of study has been improved based on student and staff feedback from previous years. For example the timing of assessments is better aligned with other MPharm units of study in terms of timing and there is better consistency between these units.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PHAR5721: Neurology and Mental Health

Semester 1, 2026 [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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links