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

You are to select and research a drug used in critical care practice 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 medication, 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 that includes a synopsis of the primary and supporting literature on the pharmacology you selected. The word limit guide for this supporting document is approximately 2000 words (excluding references).

Your supporting document must be presented in an essay format and 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 presentation in either an audio podcast (MP3 format only) or as a creative video (MP4 format only) aimed at your clinical peers. The information in Part two must reflect that offered in Part one.   

The podcast or creative video should be 5-7 minutes long. If the audio podcast 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 reviewed 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.
• A logical presentation of your chosen topic
• A closing section.

The audio podcast's introduction and closing sections 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 may draw and explain 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.
• A logical presentation of your chosen topic.
• A closing section.

Part One – The supporting document will be assessed on:

General presentation

• Organisation of supporting document.
• Writing mechanics.
• Word range.
• In-text referencing.
• Reference list.

Content

• Selected condition & pharmacology meets criteria; most current literature used.
• Introduction.
• Review of drug & synopsis of primary & supporting literature.
• Detailed pharmacological insight.
• Outline of recommendations.

Part Two – The presentation will be assessed on:

Required content

• Main points covered.
• Content reflects that of the supporting document.

Presentation

• Audio/visual engagement.
• Use of audio/visual elements.
• Timing.
• 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 must complete a case study involving a patient you assessed and treated during your recent clinical work. The intent of this case study is for you to consider in detail information on all three drug groups involved in the case (the patient's own medication/the core pharmacology you administered/actual or potential critical care paramedic (CCP) medication) and contemplate any impacts of each of these groups on each other and/or the patient presentation. You should, therefore, select a case that allows you to explore these three drug groups in some detail. The format of your case study should be in an essay format (with tables if required). It must include:

• An introduction to the case, with a review of the patient presentation, including chief complaint, history, and physical examination.
• A review of the patient's medications, including detail on each medication's indication, potential side-effects, and interactions, and how these medications may impact the patients' current condition and chief complaint.
• A summary of your non-pharmacological treatment of the patient.
• A detailed assessment of the actual pharmacology you administered during the case:

- Core pharmacology used & why.

- Impact on patient's presentation.

- Potential interactions with patient medications.

• Discussion of actual or potential critical care pharmacological treatment of this patient, including:

- Relating the drug/s mechanism of action to the patient's condition & associated pathophysiology (that is, why the drug is indicated).

- Contraindications.

- Potential side effects & explanation of why they occur.

- Potential interactions with the patient's current medications or medications you have administered.

You must convey your comprehensive understanding of the patient's medication, core pharmacology, 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 consider issues such as side effects & interactions in the application of your clinical decision-making.

There is a 2500-word limit for your case study. The case study will be assessed in accordance with the rubric provided on the unit's Moodle page.

The case study will be assessed on:

General presentation

• Organisation of case study.
• Writing mechanics.
• Word range.
• In-text referencing.
• Reference list.

Content

• Introduces the case thoroughly.
• Thoroughness of review of patient medications.
• Summary of non-pharmacological treatment.
• Summary of actual core pharmacology administered.
• Discussion of actual or potential critical care pharmacology.
• Summary of the case.

This case study 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 must complete this online test by the end of Review Week. This test will become available in Week 12, with a specific time limit imposed to complete it.

The test will consist of multiple-choice questions exploring content studied across the unit (Weeks 1-12), including lecture materials, online links & required readings. The test 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 test will explore your ability to demonstrate clinical decision-making for using 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 test 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.