Outline

Overview

Introductory Professional Practice is a broad introduction to the discipline of pharmacy, the roles that pharmacists play in health care encompassing the ideas, issues, skills and knowledge base required of a professional pharmacist. It introduces students to concepts that underpin disease state management, including those which are managed directly by the pharmacist as a primary care provider, together with foundational skills and knowledge which equip students for clinical decision-making and problem-solving. The place of pharmacy within the Australian health care system is explored in detail and students are introduced to technical skills used in pharmacy such as dispensing, medicines information and communication. Lectures are supported by online material, tutorials and workshops that allow students to practice and apply skills and knowledge. Themes of evidence-based practice, drug information provision, ethics, clinical reasoning and communication skills run throughout. Learning gained in this unit prepares students for clinical placements and later units of study.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	6 credit points of Mathematics, 12 credit points of Pharmacology, 12 credit points of Physiology
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Janet Cheung, janet.cheung@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	Final Exam MCQs and SAQs	40%	Formal exam period	1.5 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Interprofessional Learning (IPL) Introductory Workshop 2hr workshop + submission of Hand Hygiene & Peer Evaluation Assignments.	0%	Multiple weeks	Approx. 4.5hr incl workshop + homework	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Participation, Professional Conduct, Pre & Post Work Participation, professional conduct, pre- and post- work submissions, and pre-work quizzes	15%	Multiple weeks	20hrs (Tut) + 20hrs (Wshop)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person written or creative task	Reflective Thinking and Writing Task 1 Reflecting on previous HCP experiences and professional pharmacy skills.	0%	Week 03	200-300 words	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Interactive oral	Communication Skills Evaluation of communication skills for patient communication level 1.	5%	Week 09	5 minute scenario	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
In-person practical, skills, or performance task or test	Dispensing Skills Display the skills to process prescriptions, legislation & medicines info.	20%	Week 09	1 hour	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Management of Common Ailments Assessment for quality information, communication skills and group work.	15%	Week 12	15 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Reflective Thinking and Writing Task 2 Reflecting on groupwork experience, unit content, future professional practice, providing advice to future students.	5%	Week 13	200-300 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessments	Successful completion of all dispensing and communication skills assessments are required for participation in the placement program
Reflective Thinking and Writing Tasks	Students will complete TWO writing tasks to assess reflective thinking and writing skills.
Interprofessional Communication Skills	Students will complete the IPL Introductory workshop and all pre and post-work successfully.
Oral Communication Skills	Students will participate in an individual role-play based on a patient scenario to assess their communication skills.
Dispensing Skills	Students will complete three dispensing tasks to show competency to correctly process prescriptions, determine the legal and PBS validity of prescriptions, and use common pharmacy information resources to answer medicine information questions.
Participation, professional conduct, pre & post work	Weekly participation and conduct will be recorded by tutors, including pre & postwork submissions.
Group Presentation – Management of Common Ailments	Students will form groups of 4-5 students, and will be given a common ailment topic. Each group will prepare a presentation on the management of the ailment. There will be opportunity to provide and receive peer feedback during the tutorial in week 11 prior to the presentations in week 12.
Final Exam	Written exam with multiple-choice and short answer questions. You must obtain a pass in the written exam to pass the unit of study.

More detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

AI use in Reflective Thinking and Writing Task 2: Students will engage with a Cogniti agent to demonstrate their reflective thinking skills. Students will submit their Cogniti transcript as well as a short reflective writing piece in relation to their future professional pharmacy practice.

Replacement Skills Assessments: Students who are unsuccessful in their first attempt will have the chance for further attempts as follows:

A. Reflective writing skills – individualised feedback and required attendance at Writing Development workshop in week 11.

B. IPL attendance – students must apply for special consideration and attend the replacement IPL activity (date and time to be advised by IPL team) and complete all pre and post work tasks.

C. Both skills assessments in week 9 will be allowed a first resit in week 12 and a second resit in week 13 (maximum 3 attempts) to be successful for participation in the placement program. The maximum mark a student is able to receive if they resit skills assessment attempt 2 or 3 is a maximum of 50% for the assessment.

AI allowed (All other assessments)

The use of AI tools is optional. 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 tools (Final Exam, Dispensing Skills, Communication skills, Reflective thinking and writing task 1)

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.

Repeating students: Exemption from all components for students repeating PHAR5911 will not be granted.

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	Introductory Professional Practice	Lecture (25 hr)
	Interprofessional Learning	Workshop (2 hr)
	Cultural Competence	Workshop (2.5 hr)
	Medi Advice Visit (off-campus)	Workshop (2.5 hr)
	Digital Health	Workshop (2.5 hr)
Ongoing	Learning independently including pre-work, reports and assignments	Self-directed learning (60 hr)
Week 02	Communication	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Library Resources & Medicines Information	Workshop (2.5 hr)
Week 03	Dispensing 1	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Reflective Writing	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 04	Dispensing 2	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	White Privilege and Racism in Health	Workshop (3.5 hr)
Week 05	Dispensing 3	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Dispensing 4	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Dispensing 5	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Dispensing 6	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Medication Adherence	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Professional Ethics & Privacy & Confidentiality	Workshop (2.5 hr)
Week 11	Group Presentation Preparation & Peer Feedback	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Group Presentations - Management of Common Ailments	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

All tutorials will require students to BYO device. Laptop preferred – some applications and software does not work on tablets or smart phones.

Attendance: In accordance with the Master 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.

If a tutorial/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/workshop will be marked absent, which is a component of the class participation and professionalism assessment. Students swapping a class without prior approval from the UoS co-ordinator will be marked absent.

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

Compulsory Text: To be purchased and available by Week 3.

Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary 26

Australian Medicines Handbook (current version 2025)

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. Understand the roles and scope of pharmacy and primary industry organisations within the Australian health care system.
LO2. Understand the fundamental principles of evidence-based practice, clinical decision making, cultural competence and professional ethics.
LO3. Demonstrate effective communication skills to gather information from a patient, family member or carer for the purpose of dispensing a medication.
LO4. Demonstrate the use of key online and written resources to assess the legal requirements of a prescription, identifying both state and national legislative issues.
LO5. Demonstrate the use of standard pharmacy resources to obtain medicines information for the purpose of dispensing a prescription accurately and appropriately, including dosage calculations and key counselling points.
LO6. Reflect upon and apply the benefits of interprofessional communication and learning.
LO7. Display professional and reflective writing skills appropriate to this course level.

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. Domain 1 Professionalism in practice 1.5.c. demonstrating awareness of relevant professional codes, guidelines and standards and their content 1.9. upholding and maintaining the reputation and value of the profession
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1. Domain 1 Professionalism in practice 1.5. practising ethically and with integrity by 1.5.a. identifying potential ethical issues and dilemmas, including conflicts of interest, relating to practice 1.5.b. considering alternative strategies and choosing an appropriate course of action in response to ethical issues and dilemmas 1.5.c. demonstrating awareness of relevant professional codes, guidelines and standards and their content 1.9. upholding and maintaining the reputation and value of the profession 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 3.1.c. applying effective critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving strategies to conceptualise problems, formulate a range of potential solutions, and support decision-making
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 2.0. D2 Communication and collaboration 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 3.6. obtaining relevant health, medical and medication information from patients, carers and other clients
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1. Domain 1 Professionalism in practice 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 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 - 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 3.1.a. applying relevant underpinning knowledge 3.1.b. using a systematic approach to access, critically evaluate and apply relevant evidence 3.1.d. making decisions which are tailored to the person’s individual circumstances, and reflect a balanced consideration of both the potential benefits and potential harms
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 2. Domain 2 Communication and collaboration 2.3.a. demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of the roles of pharmacists and other members of the interprofessional collaborative care team 2.3.c. demonstrating appropriate teamwork behaviours
	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 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 5.4.d. drawing conclusions by synthesising the results of research and inquiry activities 5.4.e. reporting and disseminating the outcomes appropriately

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.

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Students will attend one site visit to Medi Advice Broadway. Please see guidelines 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

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PHAR5911: Introductory Professional Practice

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

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links