General provisions

This course substitutes and corresponds to 3FB411.

The course is offered as a single course and corresponds to the campus course of Advanced Pharmacotherapy, 3FB410 or 3FB203. The course is an online course which requires computer, headset and Internet access.

Entry requirements

150 credits, including passed courses of minimum 60 credits within Pharmaceutical bioscience, Pharmaceutical science and/or Pharmacy, of which at least 7.5 credits Pharmacokinetics and 7.5 credits Pharmacotherapy and basic course in physiology and pharmacology, or the equivalent knowledge. Equivalent knowledge is tested individually. Knowledge in Swedish and English equivalent to what is required for basic eligibility to Swedish higher education on basic level.

For students on the Master Programme in Drug Management applies that the student should be admitted to the programme and also have passed results of basic courses within pharmacokinetics (7.5 credits) and pharmacotherapy.

Learning outcomes

The student should on completion of the course independently be able to assess and evaluate a complex pharmacotherapy from the patient's individual prerequisites and the specific properties of the drugs.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

- identify selected diseases based on knowledge of pathology and motivate with given symptoms and laboratory values

- state investigations that are of value for the diagnosis and monitoring of drug therapy in selected disease areas

- choose and justify appropriate drug and treatment duration to a given patient with regard to current recommendations and patient-related factors such as other diseases, age, organ functions and other drug treatment

- choose and justify appropriate dose, dosing interval and pharmaceutical form for a given patient with regard to age, organ functions and drug pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity

- evaluate abnormalities in common laboratory values and explain related to physiology, drug treatment and / or disease

- extract information from medical records

- identify, evaluate and respond to basic drug-related problems from patient records and to motivate action

- choose appropriate non-pharmacological treatment with regard to the given patient and current recommendations

Content

The course focuses on pharmacotherapy in patient care. The students work with and discuss lifelike patient cases where medical history, symptoms and laboratory values are stated. They are also working with drug-related problems through review of medical records and patient communication. In the course, a group assignment where the students deepen their knowledge of laboratory values is included.

During the course, the students also train:

- the ability to search, sort, critically review and pass on drug-related information

- oral presentation via Adobe Connect

- decision making

- independent thinking

- work in groups

Instruction

The course is Internet-based and takes place at half speed. Teaching is given via e-learning tools in the form of web-lectures, group discussions and seminars, individual assignment and group assignment and self-study of literature. Problem-based learning is included as working method.

Compulsory parts of the course:

Course introduction, group meetings, seminars, individual assignment and group assignment.

Assessment

Examination takes place at the end of the course. For a passing grade the student must pass the examination (examination code) and all portions of the course that are obligatory (examination code). Obligatory portions of the course may be completed or re-taken when the same course is offered again if, and only if, the course is not full.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Students who have failed the first examination are allowed five re-examinations.