Pharm 3010 2017 – 2018 Syllabus (Term A)

Course Coordinator / Statistics Professor
Sarah Burgess, BScPharm, ACPR, PharmD / Bruce Smith, Ph.D.
Email:
Web content /
PharmX /
bsmith.mathstat.dal.ca/pharm3010
Telephone: / 902-266-2703 / 902-494-2572
Office location: / TBD / TBD
Thursday September 7-21, 2017: Burbidge 109 - 0935-1155h
Thursday September 28 – November 30, 2017: Burbidge 318 - 1:05-3:25h
Date / Topic / Instructor / Assignments/Other
Sep 7 / One Way Analysis of Variance
Course Overview; Evidence-Based Case Report & Evidence Based Clinical Practice – Tools of the Trade / Smith
Burgess / Stats Assignment 1 Given
Sep 14 / Two Way Analysis of Variance/Interaction
Randomized Controlled Trials
Pre-reading: Users Guide Ch. 6 / Smith
Burgess / EBCR group sign up
Sep 21 / Non-Inferiority and Equivalence Trials
Non-Inferiority Trials
Pre-readings: JAMA 2012; 308(24): 2605-11, N Engl J Med 2009; 361(12):1139-51 / Smith
Burgess / Stats Assignment 2 Given
Case skeletons posted
Sep 28 / Systematic Reviews/Meta-analysis: Part 1
Systematic Reviews/Meta-analysis: Part 2
Pre-reading: Users Guide Ch. 19 / Burgess
Burgess / Stats Assignment 1 Due
Oct 5 / Meta-Analysis
Bias and Confounding
Pre-reading: Making sense of Critical Appraisal Ch.2 / Smith
Burgess
Oct 12 / Multiple Regression: Part 1
Multiple Regression: Part 2 / Smith
Smith / Stats Assignment 3 Given
EBCR Draft Case Due
Oct 19 / Logistic Regression
Cohort Studies
Pre-reading: Users Guide Ch 12 / Smith
Burgess / Stats Assignment 2 Due
Stats Assignment 4 Given
Return EBCR case draft
Oct 26 / Survival Analysis: Part 1
Survival Analysis: Part 2 / Smith / Stats Assignment 3 Due
Stats Assignment 5 Given
Nov 2 / Refworks and Library Tips (60 mins)
Appraising Pharmacoeconomics (90 min)
Pre-reading: TBA / Helwig
Berrigan / Stats Assignment 4 Due
Nov 9 / Reading Week – no class
Nov 16 / Handling Missing Data/Bootstrapping
Diagnostic Testing
Pre-readings: Making Sense of Critical Appraisal Ch.3, / Smith
Burgess / Stats Assignment 5 Due
Nov 23 / Propensity Scores
Effect Size
Pre-reading: esi.medicine.dal.ca / Smith
Gardner / EBCR Draft Due
Nov 30 / CAS Jeopardy (2.5 hrs)
Exam Preparation – Statistics & CAS (25 mins) / Burgess &
Smith
Dec 7 / Exam - Location TBA / Burgess & Smith

Course Content:

This course constitutes the third of five terms in the Critical Appraisal Series (CAS). It endeavors to extend the concepts and skills developed in the first and second term of this series.

Course Objectives:

  1. To develop patient-specific clinical problem-solving skills
  2. To develop critical appraisal and problem-solving skills applicable to the clinical and drug evaluation activities of a pharmacist
  3. To develop skills and knowledge of the concepts and process of evidence-based pharmacy practice
  4. To develop skills to optimize the use of the pharmacy and medical literature
  5. To develop knowledge of statistical concepts, terminology and methods with the intention of improving critical appraisal skills and basic understanding of biostatistics
  6. To improve knowledge and understanding of the role statistics play in clinical trials
  7. To develop skills complementary to and supportive of the Problem-Based Learning curriculum
  8. To develop skills for professional writing
  9. To develop efficient techniques for reviewing pharmacy/medical literature

Methods:

  1. Lectures will provide the basis for being introduced to the core content of the course.
  2. Application and practice of critical appraisal skills will derive from preparation for classes, term assignments, and the final exam.
  3. Searching, writing, and clinical abilities and knowledge will be developed by the evidence-based case report term paper.

Office Hours:

Sarah Burgess

Contact for an appointment:

Dr. Smith

TO BE DETERMINED

Contact for an alternative appointment, if needed.

E-mail Contact & Etiquette:

Students are encouraged to use e-mail to contact the professors with the following provisos:

  • Use e-mail when the issue is simple (e.g. booking an appointment; highlighting an issue you would like addressed in the next class). Avoid using e-mail to address complex issues. In such cases, speak to the professor directly;
  • Be professional;
  • Do not expect rapid responses, though at times this may be what you get.

On occasion the professor may broadcast to all students and relevant faculty their response to a student e-mail. For example, a student may ask a particularly incisive question or may point out something unclear or erroneous that all students would benefit from knowing.

Telephone Contact:

Students are encouraged to contact the professor by telephone for important issues between lectures. Often a brief telephone discussion, unlike e-mail, can address several issues efficiently. If calling the professor, please:

  • Introduce yourself including which class you are in.
  • Give the professor adequate background about your question or issue to allow him to (re-) familiarize himself with the topic.
  • If the professor picks up, ask if this would be a good time to talk. Keep in mind the professor may answer the phone but be in a meeting or be otherwise committed.
  • If the professor does not answer, leave your name, year, a brief account of your question or issue, and most importantly leave specific details regarding when the professor can reach you or when you plan to call back.

First Term Particulars:

Classes in the fall term will be lecture based. Most classes are biostatistics followed by critical appraisal. When appropriate, the two hours will be linked in terms of content.

Course content will be posted as follows:

All but Prof Bruce Smith: PharmX

Prof. Bruce Smith:

Five assignments will be completed in the fall term. Assignments must be submitted at the start of class on the due date. A 25% reduction in grade will be applied to all late assignments up to 24 hours from the due date, after which the assignment will not be marked and a grade of zero will be applied.

Mandatory pre-readings will be assessed by several brief quizzes. There is no opportunity to make up for a missed quiz. If you miss a quiz, for any reason, a grade of zero will be applied.

Required Textbooks:

  1. Guyatt G, Rennie D, Meade MO, Cook DJ, editors. Users’ guide to the medical Literature. A Manual for evidence-based clinical practice 2nd edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008.

HIGHLY recommended resource:

  1. Ajetunmobi O. Making sense of critical appraisal. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Other Useful References:

  1. Deveaux R, Velleman P, Bock D. STATS: Data and Models, 2nd edition, New York: Pearson Education, 2008.
  2. Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. The basics of evidence based medicine. 3rd edition, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing Group, 2006.
  3. Straus SE, Richardson WS, Glasziou P, Haynes RB, editors. Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM, 3rd edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier, 2005.
  4. Chiquette E, Posey LM, editors. Evidence-based pharmacotherapy. Washington: American Pharmacists’ Association, 2007.

Evaluation (Terms 1 and 2):

Pop Quizzes5%

Term 1 Stats Assignments (5)20%

Term 1 Exam30%

Journal Club (peer evaluation)15%

Term Paper20%

Critical Appraisal Under Pressure Exam10%

The following minimums must be met by each student:

  • Term 1 Exam: 60% on each section of the exam (Stats: 60%; Critical appraisal: 60%)
  • Term Paper: 60%
  • Critical Appraisal Under Pressure Exam: 65%
  • Overall course grade (both terms combined): 65%

Students failing to meet these minimum requirements will be given a one-time “in course” opportunity to improve their assessment performance (e.g., re-write exam or term paper). Failure to meet the minimum mark (%) after completing the make-up work will result in course failure and instigates the possibility for a supplemental assessment depending on the student’s performance in other courses, as per College of Pharmacy regulations.

In the event that a re-write or supplemental exam is written, regardless of the mark obtained, the pass mark (eg. 60%) will be provided. If the overall course grade is less than 65% and supplemental assessment is successfully completed, an overall course mark of 65% will be assigned.

Failure of this course is considered the same as failure of one PBL unit.

In the event that make-up work is required it will be completed by June 1st, 2018.

About Intellectual Honesty and what it means for you

Welcome to a new academic year. Along with course expectations to ensure your learning, there are

expectations about intellectual honesty! Are you wondering about how to write papers without getting into trouble on academic integrity? There’s help!

Have a look at ! There is an awesome section called Student Resources for referencing information, two short interactive tutorials about paraphrasing and using quotations (“You Quote IT, You Note It” and “Researching Ethically”), 5 short films from Ryerson University, and a very funny video from Norway called “A Plagiarism Carol”.

Many of the academic allegations we receive from course instructors are about plagiarism ‐ students not giving adequate acknowledgement in the submission of their written work about the work of others. It doesn’t really matter if a student has done similar work in other courses and has never been questioned. It’s like shop lifting. Someone may do this many times and never be stopped by the security guard; it’s still shoplifting. Written words, whether on the web, in hard copy, or in another student’s assignment, are someone’s property. The consequences can include failing the assignment, failing the course and/or a notation on your transcript! Be sure you know how to acknowledge paraphrasing and quotations in your work. Remember references alone are insufficient. If you are unsure about your work, check out , and talk to your course instructors about their expectations. Don’t wait until you hear from the Academic Integrity Officer!

There are other important regulations about academic integrity that affect how you do your course work, and write midterms and final exams. The regulations are in the university calendar at Academic Dishonesty under University Regulations (Intellectual Honesty) at

(

and

You are responsible for knowing them. Do not cheat.

Pay attention to the issues about lending your work out to others, and completing group assignments. You are responsible and accountable for your work. If another student violates academic integrity in using your work, you may also be culpable.

If you are unsure about academic integrity and your work, ASK your course instructor, see a librarian, and find out about writing workshops ( ).

Make it a great academic year! Work at your best.

The Writing Centre

Writing expectations at university are higher than you will have experienced at high school (or if you are entering a master's or PhD program, the expectations are higher than at lower levels). The Writing Centre is a Student Service academic unit that supports your writing development. Make an appointment to discuss your writing. Learning more about the writing process and discipline-specific practices and conventions will allow you to adapt more easily to your field of study.

To book an appointment: Email or call 494-1963 or go to the Dalhousie homepage, log on to MyDal, and select the “Learning Resources” tab. You’ll see the “Writing Centre” BOOK AN APPOINTMENT button.

Academic Accommodations:

Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers experienced related to disability, religious obligation, or any characteristic protected under Canadian human rights legislation.

Students who require academic accommodation for either classroom participation or the writing of tests and exams should make their request to the Advising and Access Services Center (AASC) prior to or at the outset of the regular academic year. Please visit for more information and to obtain the Request for Accommodation form.

A note taker may be required as part of a student’s accommodation. There is an honorarium of $75/course/term (with some exceptions). If you are interested, please contact AASC at 494-2836 for more information or send an email

Please note that your classroom may contain specialized accessible furniture and equipment. It is important that these items remain in the classroom, untouched, so that students who require their usage will be able to fully participate in the class.