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HLTH28001 - Polypharmacy and Safety Issues

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit provides you with advanced knowledge of polypharmacy, the risks associated with polypharmacy and other safety issues relevant to the older population. You will examine the metabolic, biophysical and cognitive changes associated with ageing that increase the risk of adverse drug reactions and other safety issues. Adverse outcomes that arise from polypharmacy will be explored and you will consider an individualised person-centred approach to prioritise medicines and identify when prescribing is indicated. You will also evaluate evidence-based best practice addressing medication and safety risk management and analyse the legal and ethical dilemmas inherent in chemical and physical restraint. You will conduct an in-depth analysis of medications commonly prescribed to older people to compare the risks and benefits of use.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 8
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2020

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 10%
2. Case Study 40%
3. Presentation 50%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 33.33% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Student phone calls leading up to assessments
Feedback
Students commented that the assessments were easy to follow
Recommendation
To continue with this style of assessment item and to use practical examples in assessment areas.
Action Taken
Assessments continued to be relevant with practical examples provided in assessments.
Source: Feedback from a student following a Zoom education session.
Feedback
Inviting an industry expert was a useful learning opportunity for a student.
Recommendation
Continue to provide opportunities to students that align theory to practice.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Student feedback.
Feedback
Learning about the impact of medication on the body was a useful experience for students with an allied health background.
Recommendation
Continue to provide practical examples to assist students in their learning.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Discuss the relationship between metabolic, biophysical and cognitive changes in the older person and their likelihood of safety risks including that related to polypharmacy
  2. Evaluate the safety risks of an older person in relation to medications, falls and infection and generate a risk assessment
  3. Formulate interventions to minimise an older person’s identified safety risks
  4. Analyse the safety, legal and ethical issues in relation to physical and chemical restraint of the older person.

Not Applicable

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) •
2 - Case Study • • •
3 - Presentation • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Advanced Level
• Professional Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge • • • •
2 - Communication • • •
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills • • •
4 - Research • • •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility •
7 - Leadership •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Advanced Level
• Professional Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
2 - Case Study • • • • •
3 - Presentation • • • • • •