Course info

This module will expand on prior introductions to commonly used medicines in perioperative practice, and undertake in-depth exploration of safe medicines management for the Operating Department Practitioner (ODP). Students will focus on the practitioners' adherence to legislation, policy and professional standards for the safe prescribing, dispensing, administration, storage and disposal of medicines in perioperative practice. Students will be introduced to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and apply knowledge and rationale to patient anatomy and changing physiology throughout the perioperative journey.

Special patient groups of children and the elderly will be considered, in addition to routine and emergency surgical scenarios. Students will be exposed to effective learning environments to provide exposure to medicines management practice, and will be required to demonstrate the ability to calculate drug dosages and safely administer medicines. Key topics taught and assessed will include pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, routine and emergency perioperative medicines, routes of administration, drug calculations and the 5 rights to drug administration.