| CODE | CPH1100 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Safe and Appropriate Use of Medicines | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide an accessible overview of the mode of action and correct use of medicines based on fundamental pharmacology principles with an emphasis on patient safety issues. It thus aims to provide a basic understanding the safe and appropriate use of medicines for care workers, social workers and other staff based in day and residential care homes, residences of persons with disability and similar facilities. These employees are responsible for the administration of medication to residents and thus require training on relevant information related to various aspects of the correct use and administration of medicines. These aspects include a basic understanding of general pharmacological principles, what medicines are and their mode of action, appropriate storage of medicines, correct administration of medicines, prevention of administration errors, importance of taking medicine at the correct time. Other key information included in this study unit will include information on the consequences of what happens if medicines are not taken as prescribed, and familiarization of some side effects which can occur with some commonly used classes of medicines. A guide to reliable sources of information about medication, which use simple terminology, will also be provided together with the use of the appropriate documentation required in order to avoid medicine misadventure. Study-unit Aims: This unit aims to provide a basic understanding the appropriate and correct use of medicines for non medical staff based in day centres, care homes, social care providers. This will be done by providing an overview of general pharmacology principles of the use and mode of action of drugs with an emphasis on patient safety issues. The unit will cover the general principles underlying how medicines work, adverse medication reactions, and the importance of patient safety in relation to medication administration and use. Special consideration will be given to therapeutic classes of medicines that are encountered by these care professionals. i. To provide the principles underlying the therapeutic action of medicines; ii. To provide an overview of the different types of medication and different modes of medicine administration; iii To explain the determinants of the time course of the medications in the body; iii. To provide students with an overview of adverse medication reactions; iv. To provide students with the ability of detecting medication-related problems; v. To apply the basic principles governing correct medication use; vi. To instill in students the importance of patient safety in relation to medication use; vii. To have an appreciation of how to prevent and handle possible medication errors through established medication safety structures; vii To apply the correct use of documentation related to medication. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Describe the basic principles of the mode of action of medicines; 2. List some common classes of medicines seen in care settings; 3. Predict the effects of medications in specific target populations; 4. Discuss the detection and prevention of medication-related problems; 5. Describe the time course of medications in the body; 6. Review various aspects of patient safety in terms of medication use through the use of medication safety procedures; 7. Comprehend the correct use of relevant documentation in order to prevent medicine misadventure; 8. Describe how to prevent the diversion of prescribed medications. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Apply basic pharmacological principles to the correct use of medicines in care settings; 2. Apply their understanding of medicines and their mode of administration in enhancing patient safety; 3. Predict possible medication related problems in specific target populations; 4. Manage a medication related problem through established medication safety structures, including correct use of documentation. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Christine Thorp. Pharmacology for Health Care Professionals. 2008. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-470-51017-9. - Pharmaceutical Press. British National Formulary. September 2024. British Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN 978-0857113696 - W. Renee Acosta. Pharmacology for Health Professionals. 2nd Edition 2012. Jones and Bartlett Learning ISBN 978-1608315758 - Jacqueline Rosenjack Burchum, Laura D. Rosenthal, Jennifer J. Yeager. Study Guide for Lehne's Pharmacology for Nursing Care 11th Edition. 2018 ISBN 978-0323829915. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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