Pharmacy (Diploma of Health Sciences)

• Academic Communication Skills
• Academic Research and Writing
• Chemistry
• Essential Mathematics
• Human Biology
• Studies in Society
• Computer Skills

• Management
• Marketing

Semester 1

Semester 2

*Service Taught Units are units where Curtin College students join Curtin University students in the same classroom. Such units are taught by university staff and Curtin College students will be enrolled as Curtin University students. Curtin University Policies and Processes will apply to these units.

This unit covers both theoretical and practical aspects of biochemistry. Structure and properties of water. Concepts of pH, pK and buffers. Molecular structure and chemical bonds. Properties, structures and functions of amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Structure and function of globular and fibrous proteins. Concepts and properties of enzymes including enzyme kinetics. Overview and concepts of biological thermodynamics, energy metabolism and metabolic pathways. Intermediary metabolism including metabolic pathways of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, gluconeogenesis, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, ketone body metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport. Molecular visualisation of proteins. Practical skills and techniques. Using scientific instruments and analysing scientific data.

Students critically appraise public health and clinical epidemiological research literature and perform basic statistical analysis. You will encounter basic statistical and graphical description and analysis of epidemiological and biomedical data with appropriate graphs, tables, and summary measures; statistical inference and statistical hypothesis testing applied to problems in health and clinical medicine using parametric and non-parametric tests; calculation of common epidemiological measures of disease frequency and association such as incidence rate, prevalence, attributable risk, risk ratios and odds ratio; role and significance of inferential statistics such as confidence intervals and probability values.

Introduction to ethical decision making in the context of professional health practice. Application of academic standards and development of skills required for studying at university. Introduction to professional requirements which impact on the safety and quality of client centred service/care when working in a health setting. Examination of differences in Australian and international health systems. Students will learn the value of diversity in inter-professional practice through working in teams. Students will reflect on their learning and begin to develop lifelong learning skills.

Anatomical organisation of the body and the relationships between body systems and cells. Human requirements for metabolism and life. The structure and function of the body. Basic control and interactions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive and excretory systems. Primary defence against microorganisms. Mechanisms for growth, repair and reproduction.

In this unit students will examine culture and diversity within local, national and global, Indigenous populations; impacts of specific policies and historical events on Indigenous Australians and their effects on health and health care access. Students will analyse health outcomes of Indigenous Australians and explore underlying social determinants, and how health professionals can work collaboratively in consultation with Indigenous individuals, families, communities and organisations.

This unit will introduce students to the pathophysiological basis of common chronic diseases involving the blood, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, endocrine, urinary and gastrointestinal systems using a case based learning approach. Students will evaluate responses to trauma, minor infections and disease. Inflammation will be present as the major theme bringing pathophysiology of the organs systems together.

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Fundamental pharmaceutical analysis – includes discussion of titrimetric, spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis of drugs and drug formulations. Physio-chemical properties of drugs – includes discussion of drug ionisation, drug stereochemistry, drug solubility and drug stability. Fundamental biochemistry and molecular biology – includes discussion of key biomolecules, introductory biochemistry, basic molecular biology and drug receptors and interactions.