Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit provides an overview of the principles of physical pharmacy, pharmaceutical calculations and biopharmaceutics that underpin drug formulation into acceptable dosage forms and their therapeutic outcomes. The physical pharmacy and biopharmaceutics concepts are delivered through a combination of lectures and tutorials. Students apply this knowledge in tutorials. Students also learn to apply mathematical principles to calculate drug doses and the extemporaneous compounding of pharmaceutical formulations through case-based exercises in tutorials and practical classes.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode First year of offer Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 core unit in the Pharmaceutical Health major sequence
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) explain the key physical pharmacy concepts of acid-base ionisation, solubility and dissolution, partitioning phenomena, surface phenomena, colloid properties and powder properties; (2) articulate the interrelationships between the physiochemical properties of a drug, its dosage form, route of administration and bioavailability; (3) recognise common pharmaceutical surfactants and apply them to enhance drug solubility, dissolution and bioavailabilty; (4) describe the concepts of bioavailability and bioequivalence; (5) apply mathematical principles to the preparation and the safe and effective use of medicinal products in different patient populations; and (6) prepare, label and record the extemporisation of medicinal mixtures in compliance with legislative and professional practice frameworks.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) ongoing assessments; (2) laboratory assessment; and (3) final written examination. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Professor Lee Yong Lim
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- enrolment inthe Master of Pharmacy
- Incompatibility
- Successful completion ofUnit(s) PHCY5610 Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics
- Contact hours
- Including lectures and tutorials: 4 hours per week for 12 weeks
calculation tutorials: 3 hours per week for 4 weeks
labs: 3 hours per week for 3 weeks - Texts
Aulton, M, Pharmaceutics: The design and manufacture of Medicines, current edn, Churchill Livingstone.
Ansel, H, Pharmaceutical Calculations, current edn, Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott William & Wilkins
The Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook, current edn, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
- 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.