PHARM 7012EX - Pharmacotherapy and other responses to drug problems
External - Semester 2 - 2025
-
General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PHARM 7012EX Course Pharmacotherapy and other responses to drug problems Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences Term Semester 2 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s External Units 6 Contact Online Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Prerequisites PHARM 7011EX Assessment Essay, exam, discussion board contribution Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Andrea Gordon
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
This is a fully online course -
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Understand current approaches to treatment of drug problems 2 Recognise withdrawal of several drugs and understand the line of treatment of withdrawal, long-term abstinence and maintenance treatment 3 Understand the mechanism of drug action of medication and possibilities for future developments 4 Collect and synthesise information in relation to problems related to drug use 5 Critically evaluate and interpret existing literature 6 Understand the central place of evidence based information and that of other information sources 7 Write an essay using discipline specific jargon and style 8 Collaborate effectively online 9 Manage the allocated time effectively in performing tasks 10 Display awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues and their importance in the exercise of your professional and student responsibilities University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1-3 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
4-6 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
7,8 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
4-7 9,,10 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
10 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
8, 10 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
This course uses a textbook, which is supplemented with materials from e.g. journals and websites. The textbook and additional information is available online.
The required textbook is:
The ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine (5th Edition). Edited by Richard K Ries, David A Fiellin, Shannon C Miller and Richard Saitz. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2014. ISBN:9781451173574.
You can also use the 4th Edition.Recommended Resources
For excellent resources to help you study, prepare for exams and write essays, please review information of the University Writing Centre:
. Links to resources will also be provided online.Online Learning
This course will be taught completely online. Your course information and content will be available in MyUni. You will receive information on a topic each week. Each topic has a Topic Objective, recorded lecture, reading materials, revision questions and discussion. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course will be offered as distance education. The course offers flexibility, but all students should try to go through the work at the same pace. Each week we focus on one topic; a topic outline is available that shows the objectives of that topic and is valuable during your study. We offer a lecture where a topic is introduced and readings to work through the material more systematically. You have access to an online self-assessment quiz to check your understanding of the content. We use the discussion to clarify any issues, practise writing and professional discussions (e.g. using references) and to share professional experiences. It is not a chat room, but more resembles an open panel discussion. In some courses, depending on interest of the students, wikis or other interactive tools are used to increase collaboration further.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Students are expected to study around 16 hours a week to keep up with the course. Most students have experience in the field; this does not limit the amount of time needed to study. Apart from the topic that you cover each week, you should also allocate some time to prepare and write the assignments and revise for the exam throughout the course.
This course can offer a lot of new information and insights to students. Learning about pharmacology and neurobiology can be difficult at first (e.g. new jargon), but students tell us it is also very rewarding. Although the program is taught by distance and offers flexibility, going through the material at the set pace as a group is very valuable for your learning. Feeling part of a group and sharing your experiences keeps you motivated and engaged.Learning Activities Summary
Topics to be covered Approaches to treatment of drug problems: Pharmacological and psychological treatments Early and Brief Interventions Management of withdrawal: Alcohol and opioid Pharmacotherapies for alcohol dependence Management of benzodiazepine dependence Pharmacotherapies for tobacco dependence Pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence Management of amphetamine dependence Cannabis dependence Public health perspectives: Population health and harm minimisation International drug policy: history and future Specific Course Requirements
No additional requirements. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed Written assignment Summative 15% 1-5,7,9 Essay Summative 40% 1-5,7,9, 10 Exam (online) Summative 40% 1-10 Self-assessment quiz Formative N/A 1-5 Discussion board Summative 5% 1-9 Assessment Related Requirements
Please be aware of the University rules about originality of work and plagiarism. Severe penalties apply for students who commit intentional or unintentional plagiarism. Therefore, ample information is available to teach you about originality of work and correct attribution of work to others. Learning how to express your own opinion and building an argument using research from others will be an important part of the course.Assessment Detail
Written assignment: Select one of the three papers on treatment of addiction (from the list provided on MyUni) and critique the paper. A framework will be provided of points to address.
Word length: 700 (excluding reference list)
Essay: You will be required to write an essay on a set topic
The aim of this essay is to practise skills in collecting high quality information, appraise it and write about it in a scientific manner while constructing an argument. The essay gives you the opportunity to show your understanding of the problems and the complexities of treatment of addiction.
Word length: 2,000 (excluding reference list)
Written exam: Your exam will be undertaken online. The exam will be a long-and/or short answer exam of 90 minutes that covers all the essential content in the course. You will be asked to not only reproduce facts, but to combine information from topics and compare the different medications. Example exam questions will be available.
Your Discussion Board participation (i.e. % Complete of 10 Discussion Forums) will contribute 5% of the final grade for this course as indicated above. You will either get a 0 or a 1 for each topic based on the quality of your post.Submission
Submission of assignments will take place in MyUni in our course. We will use Turnitin to assess the originality of your work. (You will also be able to use this tool before submission to learn about originality). You will be required to provide a coversheet for your assignments.
Submission deadline are set at the start of the course; strict penalties apply for late submission.
Exam: The exam will take place on a computer. There will be choice of two exam dates; sitting an exam on another day will not be possible.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
Students who fail an assignment or the exam can request permission to resit the exam or resubmit the assignment. If granted, the grade will be capped at the pass mark. -
Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Yearly, changes are made to the course in response to student feedback. Some of these changes are: changing the role of the discussion board as it was too time consuming, changing text books so it can provide a backbone to the course, restructuring the order of the topics. -
Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
Students will receive a booklet with tips on how to study online effectively. -
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
-
Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
