Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Unit

Synopsis

The unit will focus on medication management issues related to symptom control and the pharmacist's role in managing palliative care patients and carers. The unit will cover a range of clinical and non-clinical topics listed below, enabling holistic pharmacist management of palliative care services. Specifically, palliative cancer care will be dealt with, as most patients are palliated for cancer as opposed to non-caner illnesses. The unit will also give an overview of the Australian palliative care system.
Clinical topics:

• Management of pain
• Management of conditions other than pain
• Management of treatment side effects
• Use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) in palliative care
• Methods of medication administration

• Palliative care principles
• Psychosocial care
• Communication with patient's carers and families
• Ethical issues
• Working in partnerships
• Access to palliative care medications.

Objectives

The broad unit objectives are for students to develop and apply specialist palliative care knowledge in managing patients and carers. The focus will be medication-related issues and the pharmacist's role.

Specific learning objectives for each module within the unit are listed in the unit guide.

Assessment

By online multiple-choice quizzes; through their contribution to case studies; on their participation standard in online moderated discussions.