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Sports Pharmacotherapeutics (PHRM90022)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
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About this subject
Contact information
Term 3
Email: continuing-education@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: + 61 3 8344 0149
Contact hours: https://unimelb.edu.au/professional-development/contact-us
Overview
Availability | Term 3 - Online |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will build on student’s knowledge of the use of medicines commonly used in sports medicine in the context of recovery from injury and illness and optimising athlete health and performance. Content will include information on the therapeutic actions of medicines, their time course to action, interaction with other medications and the short and potential long-term impact on the individual. Further, consideration will be given to how sport and exercise affects the absorption and action of these medications and the impact of prescribed (including injectables) and over the counter medications on athletes in and out of competition. Attention will be given to both the beneficial and deleterious effects of drug regimes.
The subject will commence with a four-week module on standard nomenclature, foundational principles and theory of pharmacotherapeutics in sports medicine. Attention will be paid to use of medicine in acute scenarios such as anaphylaxis, injury, pain and trauma including concussion as well as chronic or diagnosed conditions such as diabetes, asthma and other cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic conditions. In addition, obligations and procedures in accordance with the WADA code will be addressed.
The use of pharmacotherapeutics in sport will be explored in the context of application to sports medicine practice, professional scope of practice, doping regulations, codes of conduct and ethics. Further complex scenarios will be examined with case studies involving athletes in competition and out of competition.
Following the foundational module, students will select two from three modules that will explore and apply pharmacotherapeutics in sport in the context of three athletic populations: paediatrics & adolescent athletes, female athletes, and performance athletes. These modules are relevant to management of athletes of all ages and abilities, and also specifically relevant to three areas of practice specialisation. This fully online subject will be taught with the use of case studies, video presentations, selected readings, webinars and discussions with colleagues, as well as with assessment tasks. This subject can be taken as a single subject or as part of a Graduate Certificate in Sports Medicine, Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine or Masters of Sports Medicine.
Intended learning outcomes
The curriculum is designed around three elements that provide integration throughout the program. The subject aims to provide students with the ability to:
Sports Medicine Theory & Practice:
- Describe the use of pharmacotherapeutics in the management of common injuries, illnesses and chronic conditions experienced by athletes.
- Debate the ethical issues and efficacy of pharmacotherapeutics (medicines and supplements) use in athlete performance and injury recovery
- Synthesise the efficacy, actions, time course, and side affects for managing acute injuries and chronic conditions affecting sport performance
- Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of commonly used medicines for the management of pain, inflammation, sleep management and illness in sport with special attention to side effects and drug interactions
- Demonstrate accurate knowledge of the WADA code and regulations and its guidelines for practice, including procedures for Therapeutic Use Exemptions
Clinical Practice in Context:
- Explain likely effects as well as the signs and symptoms of potential adverse effects of drugs/supplements to athletes of all ages and abilities
- Advise athletes on the appropriate use of pharmacotherapeutic agents according to their needs and sport and exercise context, within professional scope of practice
Evidence & Innovation:
- Critically analyse and discuss advances in pharmacotherapeutic interventions in the area of sports medicine with attention to specific athlete populations.
- Analyse contemporary evidence on the use of pharmacotherapeutics on athlete health and performance in the short and long term.
Generic skills
- Applying advanced knowledge of biological, social and medical sciences relevant to Sports Medicine to best-practice injury and case management
- Advanced understanding, application and monitoring of the processes of clinical reasoning and the need to develop strategies of expert reasoning
- Providing evidence-based advice and education to athletes and other professionals regarding the optimal activity or sport for specific individuals and the ways in which they can minimise risk of injury and promote health
- Critically evaluating their practice in relation to new information, promoting the appropriate application of new knowledge and innovations in multidisciplinary practice and decision-making processes
- Communicating and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team and all involved parties in case management
Last updated: 31 January 2024