Unit Overview
- Description
Community Pharmacy Placement is a work-integrated learning unit delivered in parallel with Medicines Management and Patient Care 1 and 2. Across these Medicines Management units, students undertake placement-related learning activities approximately one day per week, supported by a structured placement workbook that guides learning, reflection, and skill development. The workbook provides a coherent framework for students to document experiences, apply learning from concurrent MMPC units, and engage in guided reflection aligned with the progression of clinical content and skills taught on campus.
Placement activities are intentionally aligned with the clinical topics, skills, and professional themes addressed in MMPC 1 and 2, enabling students to contextualise academic learning within authentic community pharmacy practice. The workbook supports this integration by scaffolding observation, participation, and reflection on patient interactions, medicine supply processes, professional communication, and workplace responsibilities. Community Pharmacy Placement concludes with a dedicated two-week full-time placement block, during which students consolidate learning through sustained workplace immersion and completion of workbook?guided activities. Through this structured approach, the unit supports professional identity development, reflective practice, and readiness for subsequent placement experiences and increasing practice expectations.
- Credit
- 12 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Semester 2 UWA (Perth) Face to face -
The timetable for this teaching period is not currently available. Please see the Important Dates page for the timetable release date and other key date information.
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) demonstrate developing autonomy, professionalism, accountability, and fitness to practise in a supervised community pharmacy setting; (2) apply critical thinking and decision-making skills to analyse common, low-risk legal and ethical issues in community pharmacy practice under supervision; (3) prepare and supply medicines accurately in accordance with professional and legislative standards; (4) apply up-to-date drug information to support dispensing decisions, minor ailment management, and patient counselling in community pharmacy; (5) provide person-centred care in community pharmacy by applying foundational pharmacy knowledge, clinical skills, and elements of the patient care process; (6) demonstrate effective communication skills that support inclusive, culturally safe, person-centred interactions with consumers in community pharmacy; (7) apply foundational pharmaceutical science principles to support safe and effective medicines use in dispensing and minor ailment management; and (8) apply a contemporary understanding of common diseases and conditions relevant to minor ailments and primary care in community pharmacy.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) practice-based learning activities; (2) workplace learning review; and (3) professional behaviour. Further information is available in the unit outline.
To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the professional behaviour component.
This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Deena Ashoorian and Amanda Mannolini
- Unit rules
- Incidental fees
- Incidental student fees and charges are costs incurred by students as part of their studies at UWA that are in addition to their tuition fees (further information is available "
Participation in this unit will incur the following incidental fee(s):Travel and accommodation for rural placements (estimated cost - At cost). - Contact hours
- Community placement orientation: 1 day/ week (6 hrs) for 5 weeks
Community placement (initial): 3 days/ week (18 hrs) for 1 week
Community placement immersion (ongoing): 1 day/ week (6 hrs) for 10 weeks
Community placement (block): 5 days/week (38 hrs) for 2 weeks - Texts
Required texts
1. Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook, current edn: PSA
2. Australian Medicines Handbook, current edn: PSARecommended texts
Chen, T et al. Case Studies in Practice—Medication Review: a Process Guide for Pharmacists, current edn: PSAChen, T et al. Case Studies in Practice: Pharmacist only and pharmacy medicines: a process guide for pharmacists, current edn: PSA
Hughes, J. Case Studies in Practice: Use of Laboratory Test Data, current edn: PSA
Gowan, J. and Roller, L. Practical disease state management for pharmacists, current edn: APPCo
Walker, R and Edwards, C. Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, current edn: Churchill Livingstone
National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists: PSA 2010 https://www.psa.org.au/download/standards/competency-standards-complete.pdf
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.