New Course Outline

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roles and key competencies for Pharmacy Degree Programs.

Course Number: PHM141H1

Course Title: Pharmaceutics

Outline Version Code:

Course Description:

Achieving effective treatment of a disease while minimizing adverse effects of a drug requires rational selection,
formulation and administration of an appropriate dosage form. This course teaches the scientific background and
technical aspects important in dosage form design, basic dosage forms and their therapeutic applications. This
course will focus on the biopharmaceutical considerations and physicochemicaf foundation of various dosage
forms. Discussion will include preformulation factors (melting point, solubility, viscosity, dissolution, particle and
solid state properties), rheology, pharmaceutical solutions, colloids and dispersions, complexation, chelation, and
protein binding.

Semester: ☐ Fall ☒ Winter ☐ Summer

Course Type: ☐ Elective ☐ Selective ☒ Mandatory

1. Course Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following level of learning objectives:
Introductory = knowledge and comprehension of concepts, definitions
Intermediate = application of concepts to simple situations
Advanced = application of concepts to more complex situations with ability to synthesize and evaluate
Knowledge
Introductory Level:

1) Define pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical dosage forms (i.e., medications used by patients).

2) List different routes for administration of medications.

3) Discuss types of dosage forms and administration routes in relation with therapeutic outcomes.

4) Explain physicochemical principles relevant to pharmaceutical dosage forms.

5) Describe biopharmaceutic considerations in the pharmaceutical dosage form design and discuss how this
consideration is applied to the selection of different dosage forms, design and composition of
pharmaceuticals.

Intermediate Level:

1) Apply physicochemical and biopharmaceutic concepts to interpret dosage form design.

2) Choose appropriate formulations to achieve target properties of given medications.

3) Select proper methods for preparation of pharmaceuticals.

Advanced Level:

1) Recommend most appropriate medication formulations for patients to achieve best therapeutic effects while
minimizing the adverse effects.

Skills
Introductory Level:

1) Learning skills - able to read and understand instructors' lecture notes and pharmaceutics and
biopharmaceutics text books; 2) quantitative skills - able to calculate and find correct answers to given
simple problems using calculators; 3) communication skills - able to understand questions and describe the
ideas and solutions to questions in problem sets, quizzes and examinations effectively and accurately.

Intermediate Level:

1) Analytical skills - able to analyze and comprehend information in the literature; 2) quantitative skills - able to
calculate and find correct answers to more complex problems using computer software; 3) communication
 skills - able to find relevant literature information from various sources outside classroom and extract useful
information to fulfill tasks of course assignments.

Advanced Level:

1) Critical reasoning skills - able to analyze cases and literature critically, identify the errors, pros and cons,
and to propose new ideas; 2) quantitative skills - able to describe complex problems with quantitative
approach by applying appropriate mathematical equations, identify suitable variable values, and to obtain
correct numerical solutions; 3) communication skills - able to a present the results in a professional way
(e.g. the graphs with the quality equivalent to that in published papers).

Attitudes/Values:
Introductory Level:

Intermediate Level:

Advanced Level:

2. Rationale for Inclusion in the Curriculum:

Pharmaceutics is an essential component of pharmacy education. It forms a foundation of therapeutics because no

drug can be administered to patients without an appropriate dosage form and different dosage forms can result in
different therapeutic outcomes and pharmacokinetics. This course will equip pharmacy students with fundamental
knowledge of pharmaceutical dosage forms that will be useful in the co-requisite courses, pharmacotherapeutics
and pharmacokinetics.

3. Pre-requisites:
4. Co-requisites:

Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacotherapeutics (PCT 1: MTM 1)

5. Course Contact Hours and Teaching Methodologies:

Didactic (lecture) Hours: 39
Large group problem-based/ case-based learning (group size: 240 ) Hours:
Laboratory or Simulation Hours:
Tutorial/Seminar/Workshop/Small Group (group size: 120-240 ) Hours: 6
Experiential Hours:
On-line - answering emailed questions to instructors & TAs Hours:
Other (please specify): individual Q & A at office hours & meeting with
Hours:
instructors
Total Course Contact Hours Hours: 39

6. Estimate and description of student’s weekly out-of-class preparation time excluding exam preparation:

In general students will need 2-3 hour out-of-class preparation time per week. In addition, the students will need 10-
15 hours for preparation of mid-term and final exams.

7. Topics Covered and Lecture Specific Learning Objectives

Week 1
Lecture Topic: Introduction to Pharmaceutics & Dosage Forms

Lecture Learning Objectives:

Biopharmaceutical Considerations/ To understand what Pharmaceutics is about and what dosage form means,
and to gain appreciation of Pharmaceutics.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacokinetics

Week 2
Lecture Topic: Biopharmaceutical Considerations

Lecture Learning Objectives:

Pharmaceutical solutions /To understand the characteristics of various routes of drug administration, the needs
for different routes from therapeutic and delivering point of view, and the requirements for dosage forms for
different routes.
Preparation/Readings: PAulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacokinetics

Week 3
Lecture Topic: Pharmaceutical solutions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To learn solutions as medicine, the requirements for the formulations, the properties and characterization of the
solutions.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacokinetics

Week 4
Lecture Topic: Pharmaceutical solutions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

Sterilization Theories and Techniques /To learn sterility, sterilization and aseptic technique for handling
parenterals; To study the theories and techniques of sterilization used for pharmaceutical preparations such as
solutions for injection.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed.,

Churchill Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacokinetics

Week 5
Lecture Topic: Complexation and Solubility Enhancement

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To study various types of molecular interactions and mechanisms of complexation, and their
pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications and implications.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 6
Lecture Topic: Preformulation

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To understand the importance of properties of drugs and excipients in relation to quality and efficacy of
pharmaceutical products, and the methods for analyzing them prior to the formulation development
(preformulation).

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 7
Lecture Topic: Preformulation

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To understand the importance of properties of drugs and excipients in relation to quality and efficacy of
pharmaceutical products, and the methods for analyzing them prior to the formulation development
(preformulation).

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 8
Lecture Topic: Colloids and Dispersions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To learn pharmaceutical colloidal and dispersion formulations, and to understand the basic concepts of colloid
and surface chemistry and their application to design of good pharmaceutical products.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 9
Lecture Topic: Colloids and Dispersions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To learn pharmaceutical colloidal and dispersion formulations, and to understand the basic concepts of colloid
and surface chemistry and their application to design of good pharmaceutical products.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed , Churchill
Livingstone

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 10
Lecture Topic: Colloids and Dispersions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To learn pharmaceutical colloidal and dispersion formulations, and to understand the basic concepts of colloid
and surface chemistry and their application to design of good pharmaceutical products.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed , Churchill
Livingstone

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 11
Lecture Topic: Colloids and Dispersions

Lecture Learning Objectives:

Powders and Micromeritics I To learn pharmaceutical colloidal and dispersion formulations, and to understand
the basic concepts of colloid and surface chemistry and their application to design of good pharmaceutical
products; To understand the properties of particles and pharmaceutical powders, their significance in making
good pharmaceutical products, and the common methods for characterizing these properties.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

Week 12
Lecture Topic: Powders and Micromeritics

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To understand the properties of particles and pharmaceutical powders, their significance in making good
pharmaceutical products, and the common methods for characterizing these properties.

Preparation/Readings: Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill
Livingstone.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite knowledge and skills: Physical chemistry, organic chemistry

 Week 13
Lecture Topic: Powders and Micromeritics; Solid State Properties

Lecture Learning Objectives:

To understand the properties of particles and pharmaceutical powders, their significance in making good
pharmaceutical products, and the common methods for characterizing these properties; To understand
existence and properties of varying solid forms of pharmaceutical solids, in particular drug powders; their
properties, pharmaceutical application and biopharmaceutical implications. Preparation/Readings: Aulton's
Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 3rd ed., Churchill Livingstone.

8. Assessment Methodologies Used:

Course Learning Percent of For Group Work:

Individualized or
Assessment Objectives Assessment Method Used Course same mark for all
Addressed Grade group members
☒ Assignment
☐ Presentation
All learning
☐ Participation Quiz/Problem Set 8%
objectives to date
☐ Mid-term
☐ Final Exam
☐ Assignment
☐ Presentation
All learning
☐ Participation Mid-Term Exam 34%
objectives to date
☒ Mid-term
☐ Final Exam
☒ Assignment
☐ Presentation
All learning
☐ Participation Quiz/Problem Set 8%
objectives to date
☐ Mid-term
☐ Final Exam
☐ Assignment
☐ Presentation
All learning
☐ Participation Final Exam 50%
objectives to date
☐ Mid-term
☒ Final Exam
Expectation for pass grades for all Pharmacy courses is 60%

9. Policy and procedure regarding late assignments/examinations/laboratories:

Students who fail to submit an assignment by the specified due date will receive a deduction of 10% of the mark for
the assignment for each day beyond the due date (including weekends/holidays), to a maximum of 50%.
Assignments will not be accepted for grading after 5 late days.
10. Policy and procedure regarding missed assignments/examinations/laboratories:

Students who miss a quiz, an examination or a test and who have a valid petition filed with the Registrar's office will
be eligible to complete a make-up quiz, examination or test. The format of this quiz,

examination or test will be at the discretion of the course coordinator, and may include, for example, an oral
examination.

Missed Assignment Policy:

Students who fail to submit an assignment by the specified due date, and who have a valid petition filed with the
Registrar's office will be eligible to submit the completed assignment, or an alternative assignment based on course
requirements, with no academic penalty.

Supplemental assignments/examinations/laboratories:

Students who have failed the entire course, i.e., received a total mark less than 60% for the course will be eligible to
write a supplemental examination if the students meet the minimal GPA requirement for the academic year as per
the faculty's policy. The mark of the supplemental examination will replace no more than 50% of the total mark for
the course. The format of this examination or test will be at the discretion of the course coordinator and instructors.

11. AFPC Education Outcomes addressed (check all those that apply):
- Refer to AFPC Educational Outcomes for Professional Programs for further information about the role and key
competencies.

As Care Providers, pharmacy graduates:

CP1 – Practice within the pharmacist scope of practice and expertise

☒CP1.1 Apply knowledge from the foundational sciences to make decisions relevant to the
contemporary and evolving scope of pharmacist practice;

☐CP1.2 Integrate AFPC Communicator, Collaborator, Leader-Manager, Health Advocate, Scholar,

and Professional roles in their practice of pharmacy;

☐CP1.3 Recognize and respond to the complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in pharmacy
practice;

☐CP1.4 Explain the benefits, risks and rationale associated with pharmacist-provided care as an
important step in obtaining and documenting consent to pharmacist care;

☐CP1.5 Recognize and take appropriate action when signs, symptoms and risk factors that relate
to medical or health problems that fall into the scope of practice of other health
professionals are encountered.

CP2 – Provide patient-centred care

☐CP2.1 Collect, interpret, and assess relevant, necessary information about a patient’s health-
related care needs;
 ☐CP2.2 Formulate assessments of actual and potential issues and in collaboration with the patient
and other health team members as appropriate, prioritize issues to be addressed in a
given patient encounter;

☐CP2.3 Create and document plans in collaboration with the patient and other health team
members as appropriate, and make recommendations to prevent, improve or resolve
issues;

☐CP2.4 Implement plans in collaboration with the patient and other health team members as
appropriate, including:

CP2.4.1 obtaining consent

CP2.4.2 making a referral or consulting others
CP2.4.3 adapting, initiating, renewing/continuing, discontinuing or administering medication
as authorized
CP2.4.4a dispensing and/or
CP2.4.4b compounding and/or
CP2.4.4c delegating/authorizing such tasks to others appropriately
CP2.4.5 engaging the patient or care-giver through education, empowerment and self-
management, and
CP2.4.6 negotiating the role of pharmacy and non-pharmacy team members in continuity
and transitions of care.

☐CP2.5 Follow-up by monitoring, evaluating progress toward achievement of the patient’s goals of
therapy, adjusting plans in collaboration with the patient and health team members across
the care continuum.

CP3 – Actively contribute, as an individual and as a member of a team providing care, to the continuous
improvement of health care quality and patient safety

☐CP3.1 Recognize and respond to harm and potential harm from health care delivery, including
patient safety incidents;

☒CP3.2 Adopt strategies that promote patient safety and address human and system factors;

As Communicators, pharmacy graduates:

CM1 – Communicate in a responsible and responsive manner that encourages trust and confidence

☐CM1.1 Select and use oral, non-verbal and written communication strategies (tools, techniques,
technologies, etc.) effectively so that the patient’s best interests are foremost;

☐CM1.2 Provide timely, clear responses that are tailored to the context and audience;

☐CM1.3 Express facts, evidence, opinions and positions accurately and effectively, with clarity and
confidence;

☐CM1.4 Listen, actively solicit and respond appropriately to ideas, opinions and feedback from
others;
 ☐CM1.5 Use language, pace, tone, and non-verbal communication that is suitable for:

a) the intended outcomes of the communication, and

b) the complexity, ambiguity, urgency and/or difficulty of a situation, conversation or
conflict

☐CM1.6 Seek and synthesize relevant information from others in a manner that ensures common
understanding and where applicable, clarifies and secures agreement and/or consent;

☐CM1.7 Compose and share oral, written, and electronic information in a manner that optimizes
patient safety, dignity, confidentiality, and privacy.

CM2 – Communicate in a manner that supports a team approach to health promotion and health care

☐CM2.1 Engage in respectful, empathetic, compassionate, non-judgmental, culturally safe, tactful

conversations with patients, communities, populations, and health team members;

☐CM2.2 Demonstrate awareness of the impact of one’s own experience level, professional culture,
biases and power and hierarchy within the health team on effective working relationships,
communication and conflict resolution with health team members and adapt the approach
to the situation appropriately;

☐CM2.3 Demonstrate accuracy and appropriateness of communication as well as respect for the
role of other health team members when disclosing information about harmful or potentially
harmful situations;

☐CM2.4 In word and in action, convey the importance of teamwork in patient-centred care, patient
safety, health care quality improvement and health program delivery.

As Collaborators, pharmacy graduates:

CL1 – Work effectively with members of the health team including patients, pharmacy colleagues and
individuals from other professions

☐CL1.1 Establish and maintain positive relationships;

☐CL1.2 Recognize, respect and negotiate the roles and shared/overlapping responsibilities of team
members;

☐CL1.3 Join with others in respectful, effective shared decision-making.

CL2 – Hand over the care of the patient to other pharmacy team members and non-pharmacy team
members to facilitate continuity of safe patient care

☐CL2.1 Determine when and how care should be handed over to another team member;

☐CL2.2 Recognize, respect and honour the negotiate shared and overlapping responsibilities of
patients, pharmacy team members and other health members when handovers occur;
 ☐CL2.3 Demonstrate safe handover of care, using oral, written, and electronic communication,
during a patient transition to a different care provider or setting.

As Leader-Managers, pharmacy graduates:

LM1 – Contribute to optimizing health care delivery and pharmacy services

☐LM1.1 Work with others to apply quality improvement strategies and techniques to optimize
pharmacy care;

☐LM1.2 Contribute to a culture of patient safety;

☒LM1.3 Confirm the quality, safety, and integrity of products;

☒LM1.4 Use health informatics to improve the quality of care, manage resources and optimize
patient safety.

LM2 – Contribute to the stewardship of resources in health care systems

☐LM2.1 Apply evidence and management processes to achieve cost appropriate care;

☐LM2.2 Allocate health care resources for optimal patient care;

☐LM2.3 Contribute to the management of finances and health human resources in pharmacy
practice settings;

LM3 – Demonstrate leadership skills

☐LM3.1 Demonstrate leadership skills to enhance pharmacy practice and health care.

LM4 – Demonstrate management skills

☐LM4.1 Work with others to apply the principles of effective management and supervision of health
human resources and medication use systems;

☐LM4.2 Use effective strategies to manage and improve their own practice of pharmacy.

As Health Advocates, pharmacy graduates:

HA1 – Respond to an individual patient’s health needs by advocating with the patient within and beyond
the patient care environment

☐HA1.1 Work with patients to address determinants of health that affect them and their access to
needed health services or resources;

☐HA1.2 Work with patients to increase opportunities to adopt healthy behaviours;

 ☐HA1.3 Incorporate disease prevention, health promotion and health surveillance into interactions
with individual patients.

HA2 – Respond to needs of communities or populations they serve by advocating with them for system-
level change in a socially accountable manner

☐HA2.1 Work with community or population to identify the determinants of health that affect them;

☐HA2.2 Participate in health promotion and disease prevention programs.

As Scholars, pharmacy graduates:

SC1 – Apply medication therapy expertise to optimize pharmacy care, pharmacy services and health care
delivery

☒SC1.1 Use knowledge and problem-solving to arrive at recommendations and decisions that are
appropriate, accurate, and practical;

☒SC1.2 Use professional experience to solve routine, previously encountered problems;

☒SC1.3 Use established decision-making frameworks and apply learning required to manage new
situations and problems.

SC2 – Integrate best available evidence into pharmacy practice

☐SC2.1 Generate focused questions related to needs for information, recommendations and
decisions in practice;

☒SC2.2 Use systematic approaches in the search for best available evidence;

☒SC2.3 Critically appraise health-related research and literature;

☒SC2.4 Incorporate best available evidence in the decision-making process.

SC3 – Contribute to the creation of knowledge or practices in the field of pharmacy

☒SC3.1 Apply scientific principles of research and scholarly inquiry;

☐SC3.2 Apply ethical principles that underlie research and scholarly inquiry.

SC4 – Teach other pharmacy team members, the public and other health care professionals including
students

☐SC4.1 Provide effective education to others;

☐SC4.2 Employ appropriate teaching roles when teaching others;

 ☐SC4.3 Deliver effective feedback in teaching and learning situations;

☐SC4.4 Use appropriate learning assessment and evaluation strategies when working with
patients, team members, students and teachers.

As Professionals, pharmacy graduates:

PR1 – Committed to apply best practices and adhere to high ethical standards in the delivery of pharmacy
care

☐PR1.1 Exhibit professional behaviour whether face-to-face, in writing, or via technology-enabled

communication. Professional; behaviour includes, but is not limited to:

a) demonstrating honesty, integrity, humility, commitment, altruism, compassion,

respect for diversity and patient autonomy;
b) being accessible, diligent, timely and reliable in service to others;
c) abiding by the principle of non-abandonment;
d) maintaining appropriate interpersonal boundaries;
e) maintaining professional composure, demeanor, and language even in difficult
situations, and;
f) maintaining privacy and confidentiality;

☐PR1.2 Use ethical frameworks as one component of professional judgment;

☐PR1.3 Recognize and respond to situations presenting ethical dilemmas, including conflicts of
interest;

☐PR1.4 Engage in activities that:

a) protect the public, and;

b) advance the practice of pharmacy.

PR2 – Able to recognize and respond to societal expectations of regulated health care professionals

☒PR2.1 Take responsibility and accountability for actions and inactions;

☐PR2.2 Demonstrate a commitment to patient safety and quality improvement;

☐PR2.3 Honour the laws, ethical codes, and regulatory requirements (by-laws, standards, policies)
that govern the self-regulated profession of pharmacy;

☐PR2.4 Demonstrate an understanding of federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal laws, policies

and standards that apply to pharmacy workplaces;

☐PR2.5 Demonstrate an ability to maintain competence to practice through evaluating areas for
improvement and planning, undertaking learning activities to address limitations in
competence and/or performance and incorporating learning into practice;
 ☐PR2.6 Identify and respond to unprofessional, unethical, and illegal behaviours in pharmacists,
other pharmacy team members, and other health professionals.

PR3 – Committed to self-awareness in the management of personal and professional well being

☐PR3.1 Set professional and personal goals, priorities, and manage their time to balance patient
care, workflow, and practice requirements;

☐PR3.2 Examine, reflect upon, and manage personal attributes (knowledge, skills, beliefs, biases,
motivations, emotions, etc.) that could influence self-development and professional
performance;

☐PR3.3 Adapt their practice of pharmacy to fulfill evolving professional roles;

☐PR3.4 Recognize and respond to self and colleagues in need.