Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor, Lecturer and Tutor
Marina Junqueira Santiago
Contact via email
Consultation by appointment
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
30cp at 1000 level or above including (BMOL1001 or CBMS104 or CBMS107 or CHEM1001)
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will introduce the fundamental principles of drug action. You will study core concepts relating to drug disposition (pharmacokinetics) and how drugs act on the human body (pharmacodynamics). You will build your knowledge of chemical substances, from both outside and inside the body, and how they influence human health and disease. You will explore the mechanism of action and disposition of some commonly used groups of drugs, as well as reasons for variability in individual drug responses. Learning activities will include interactive tutorials, online activities, and lecture modules.Topics covered in this unit will help you to integrate knowledge of molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physiology with the science of drugs. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.
All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.
Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark, which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure.
To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.
Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up to the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted.
For example:
Number of days (hours) late |
Total Possible Marks |
Deduction |
Raw mark |
Final mark |
1 day (1-24 hours) |
100 |
5 |
75 |
70 |
2 days (24-48 hours) |
100 |
10 |
75 |
65 |
3 days (48-72 hours) |
100 |
15 |
75 |
60 |
7 days (144-168 hours) |
100 |
35 |
75 |
40 |
>7 days (>168 hours) |
100 |
— |
75 |
0 |
Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. Submission of assessments after 7 days can be accepted at the discretion of the unit convenor and may be considered in determining whether you have met the learning outcomes of the unit to support passing the unit.
If you are unable to complete an assessment task on or by the specified date due to circumstances that are unexpected, unavoidable, significantly disruptive and beyond your control, you may apply for special consideration. This is in accordance with the Special Consideration Policy. Applications for special consideration must be supported by appropriate evidence and submitted via ask.mq.edu.au. Other than in exceptional circumstances, only one (1) opportunity for a supplementary examination will be provided.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Reflective learning assignment | 20% | No | 03/11/2025 |
Group Role Play and viva | 30% | No | Week 9 |
End of session examination | 50% | No | Formal exam period |
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 03/11/2025
Weighting: 20%
You will review your answers in online resources, discuss pharmacology misconceptions and reflect on your learning process through critical self-assessment.
Assessment Type 1: Simulation/role play
Indicative Time on Task 2: 27 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 30%
You will submit a recorded group role-play video and individually answer viva questions to demonstrate your ability to apply fundamental pharmacology concepts to the drugs assigned to your group.
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: Formal exam period
Weighting: 50%
You will complete a formal exam that uses a combination of question types assessing content delivered across the session. You will complete this assessment under examination conditions during the University examination period.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of online and face-to-face learning activities, including tutorials, online modules, videos and lectures. Details can be found on the iLearn site for this unit.
Recommended Readings
Unit readings are available via Leganto and the university library website.
The recommended textbook for this unit is:
Technology Used
Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit will require students to have access to a tablet, laptop or similar device.
Proposed schedule. Note that due to unforeseen events, changes may happen.
|
Topic |
Learning activities |
Assessment task |
---|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
MEDI2004 Introductory Lecture Introduction to Pharmacology (Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics) |
Lecture (face-to-face and online module) and tutorial | |
Week 2 |
Drug absorption and distribution |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 3 |
Drug elimination: metabolism and excretion Drug elimination: pharmacokinetics parameters |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 4 |
Introduction to Pharmacodynamics Quantification of drug effect |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 5 |
Drug targets - Receptors, Enzymes and Transporters |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 6 |
Ion Channels and diseases Drug safety: Poisoning, adverse effects and drug interaction |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 7 |
Small molecules vs biological drugs, and gene therapy Pharmacogenomics (Individual variation) |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 8 |
Rational drug design, clinical trials and Placebo effect Drug regulation in Australia: TGA, drug schedule and PBS |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial |
|
Week 9 |
Native Plants and Traditional Aboriginal Medicines |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | Group Role Play and viva |
Week 10 |
Pharmacology of the Autonomic Nervous System Anti-inflammatory drugs - NSAIDs and corticosteroids |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 11 |
Drugs and the respiratory system Antihypertensives |
Lectures (online modules) and tutorial | |
Week 12 |
Lipid-lowering drugs |
Lecture (online module) and tutorial | |
Week 13 |
Clinical Pharmacology (no tutorial) |
Lecture face-to-face (no tutorial) | Reflective Learning Assignment |
Exam period | End of Session Examination |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
One assessment task has been modified to align with the new Macquarie University Assessment Principles. In previous offerings, students completed short quizzes, which have now been replaced by the Reflective Learning Assignment.
Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.
In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.
As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.
Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join the activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.
Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook