Preamble

Pharmacology is forever evolving which results in health service providers consistently reviewing their drug therapy protocols to ensure that patient care is contemporary and evidence-based.

Task Description

You are to select and research a drug that you believe would add value to your clinical practice that you do not currently have access to within your scope of practice. As part of your research, you are to determine the indications for this drug’s use (including a brief background on the clinical conditions that you would use it for), the action of the drug, route/s of administration, contraindications, precautions, side effects, presentation and recommended dosing for adults, and if indicated, for paediatrics. You may include other pertinent yet concise information.

This assessment involves two parts.

Part one will require you to write a supporting document which must include a synopsis of the primary and supporting literature on the pharmacology you have selected. The word limit guide for this supporting document is approximately 2000 words (excluding references).

Your supporting document should include:

Introduction

• Why you have selected the drug and clinical condition background/s.

Review of drug & synopsis of literature

• Indications for the drug
  
• Action/s of the drug
  
• Routes of administration
  
• Contraindications
  
• Precautions
  
• Side effects
  
• Presentation
  
• Recommended dosage (adult, and if indicated paediatric)
  
• Other pertinent information if required.

Recommendations for introducing this pharmacology.

Reference List.

Part two will require you to utilise the information collected in Part one to create a 5-7 minute presentation in either an audio podcast show (MP3 format only) or as a creative video (MP4 format only) aimed at your clinical peers.

The podcast show and the creative video should be 5-7 minutes in length. If the audio podcast show or the creative video is less than 4 minutes and 30 seconds you will be penalised at a rate of 5% per 15 seconds. On the other hand, information included after the 7-minute mark will not be viewed and will not be marked as part of your presentation.

If you choose the podcast format:

The podcast must be styled as a typical audio podcast and include:

• An introduction to the show
  
• A logical presentation of your chosen topic
  
• A closing section of the show.

The introduction and the closing sections of the audio podcast are entirely up to you. Be creative and have fun!

If you choose the creative video format:

Your creative video can take many forms. It is entirely up to you how you produce this video. For example, you could create a talk show, a fire-side chat, or you drawing and explaining the key areas you would like to present. It is however unacceptable to simply record your presentation e.g. a voiced powerpoint.

The creative video should include:

• An introduction to the show
  
• A logical presentation of your chosen topic
  
• A closing section of the show.

Part One – The supporting document will be assessed on:

Presentation and layout: information is presented in a clear & logical sequence; content is clearly articulated; literacy style; appropriate word count.

Content: selected condition & pharmacology meets criteria; most current literature used; introduction; detailed pharmacological insight.

Referencing: use of Harvard referencing including reference list; all sources referenced appropriately.

Part Two – The presentation will be assessed on:

Required content: looking at the main points covered & content.

Presentation: looking at creative engagement; use of creative elements; overall presentation.

This assessment is worth 40% of your overall unit mark. The rubric used in the marking of this assessment task can be found on the unit’s Moodle page.

You will need to complete a clinical portfolio of two patient cases you have assessed and treated during your recent clinical work. The format of your portfolio can be self-determined, however, it must include:

• A review of patient presentation, including chief complaint, history and physical examination. The history should include a review of the patient's own medications, including detail on each medication's indication, potential side-effects and interactions, and how these medications may impact upon the patients' current condition and chief complaint
• A summary of your non-pharmacological treatment of the patient
• A detailed assessment of the real and potential pharmacological treatment of this patient, including:
• core pharmacology used & why
• actual or potential critical care pharmacology to be used with a focus on:
• relating the drug/s mechanism of action to the patient's condition & associated pathophysiology (that is, why the drug/s is/are indicated)
• situations where the drug/s would be contraindicated
• potential side effects & explanation of why they occur
• potential interactions with the patient's current medications.

You will need to convey your comprehensive understanding of the patient’s own, core and critical care pharmacology. You will need to articulate insight into the complexities of pharmacology used in the delivery of care in the critical care context and give consideration to issues such as side-effects & interactions in the application of your clinical decision making. As such, selection of cases offering you the ability to demonstrate this knowledge is paramount.

There is a 2,000 word limit for each patient case, it is therefore expected that each case presented will be concise. The portfolio will be assessed in accordance with the rubric provided on the unit’s Moodle page.

Criteria include:

Overall presentation

• Organisation of presentation/layout
• Writing mechanics
• Formatting
• Referencing.

Content

• Thoroughness of history
• Thoroughness of physical examination
• Treatment administered
• Discussion of current pharmacology
• Recommendations regarding real or potential pharmacological treatment.

This portfolio is worth 30% of your overall unit mark. The rubric used in the marking of this assessment task can be found on the unit’s Moodle page.

You will be required to complete this online quiz by the end of Review Week, this quiz will become available in Week 12 and will have a specific time limit imposed to complete the quiz.

The quiz will be made up of multiple-choice questions exploring content studied across the unit (Weeks 1-12) including lecture materials, online links & required readings. The quiz will assess your ability to identify & apply the foundations of critical care pharmacology including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, mechanism of action, indications, interactions, contraindications & side effects. In addition, some questions in the quiz will explore your ability to demonstrate clinical decision-making for the use of pharmacology in the critical care context. This is an individual assessment with no collaboration allowed.

You will be required to answer each question correctly to receive the full marks allocated to that question. Non-attempts will score a zero mark. This quiz is worth 30% of your overall unit mark. This assessment task must be completed by 2345hrs on the Friday of Review Week. In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after this date, and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five percent per day.