MPS5201 · Drug stories: Lessons from the past and now

Overview

This unit immerses you into real-life challenges and triumphs associated with drug discovery, using case studies of medicines from the nineteenth century through to COVID-19 vaccines. Working in groups and individually, you will develop a framework for evaluating any drug development scenario, including all stages of the development and approval pipeline, and marketing. Considerations of ethical and sustainable practice will be applied to each case. You will investigate four drug stories via information provided, combined with your own inquiry, and evaluate each case using your new framework. You will present your evaluations, including comparisons between drug stories, via oral and written presentations and debates. At the completion of the unit, you will have a deep understanding of the key challenges of drug development and a refined conceptual framework that you can use to evaluate novel examples of drug development you encounter in future.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Critically evaluate examples of drug discovery and development using a logical framework
2. Critically investigate systemic changes in the process of drug discovery that were driven by historical examples
3. Use effective oral communication to present and defend an informed evaluation of examples of drug development
4. Evaluate and report on how contemporary technologies can be used to expedite the discovery of novel pharmaceutical agents for existing diseases and those of emerging importance
5. Demonstrate effective teamwork practices within the context of a group report
6. Carry out a logical and nuanced analysis of sustainability and ethical considerations involved in specific examples of drug development
7. Develop communication and critical thinking skills via effective reflective practice.

Workload

• 24 hours of preparation for classes • Twelve 3-hour workshops • 72 hours of independent study • 12 hours of group work

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.