PHR1222 How medicines work 4: Medicinal chemistry
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
PHR1222 How medicines work 4: Medicinal chemistry is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Malaysia and Parkville. It needs PHR1021 and unlocks 7 units, leading on to 18 units in all.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Malaysia, Parkville
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 5 other tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before PHR1222
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After PHR1222
7 units list PHR1222 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
- PHR2011Professional practice 3No reviews yet
- PHR2012Professional practice 4No reviews yet
- PHR2021How medicines work 5: Drug deliveryNo reviews yet
- PHR2041Comprehensive care: Respiratory and gastrointestinalNo reviews yet
- PHR2042Comprehensive care: Endocrinology and renalNo reviews yet
- PHR2141Comprehensive care: Dermatology and painNo reviews yet
- PHR2142Comprehensive care: CardiovascularNo reviews yet
Overview
This unit builds upon PHR1021 How medicines work 1 to provide an overview of the chemistry behind how drugs interact with their target once they have been absorbed into the bloodstream (studied in detail in PHR1122 How medicines work 3 and the processes that occur in the body to remove the drug (studied in detail in PHR1022 How medicines work 2). To address these key areas, you will study the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry, with an emphasis on structure-activity relationships, drug-target interactions, the mechanism of action of medicines and the design of safe and effective therapeutic agents.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Malaysia | On campus |
| Second semester | Parkville | On campus |
Assessment
- Engagement (Interactive Lectures)Exercise5%
- Progress Test 1, MCQ + SAQQuiz / Test10%
- Progress Test 2, MCQ + SAQQuiz / Test15%
- Workshop assessmentWritten10%
- Workshop Test, SAQQuiz / Test20%
- Final AssessmentExaminationCompetency hurdle40%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain and predict properties of drugs based on structural shape, ionisation states, functional group behaviour and physicochemical characteristics
- 2
Outline medicinal chemistry approaches that are used to improve drug disposition and action
- 3
Describe the chemistry of drug-receptor and drug-enzyme interactions including structure-activity relationships
- 4
Explain the methods used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs and biomarkers
- 5
Effectively communicate (orally and written) aspects of Medicinal Chemistry to peers, lay people and other healthcare professionals
Workload and teaching
- Assessments2 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Applied sessions24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
- Teaching approachSimulation or virtual practice
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
- Seventy hours of independent study
- Twenty four hours of discovery or pre-learning activities (2 hours per week)
- Twenty four hours applied sessions (2 hours per week)
- Twenty four hours of workshops (2 hours per week)
- Two hours of assessments
Learning resources
Technology resources
For more information on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) specifications and the technology systems and services available to students, review the Student Technology Essentials Handbook https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1041220/student-it-brochure.pdf
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Thet Thet Htar
- Dr Roland Chung
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Roland Chung
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for PHR1222?
You need PHR1021 before you enrol.
What can I take after PHR1222?
PHR1222 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 7 units, including PHR2011, PHR2012, PHR2021, PHR2041, PHR2042 and PHR2141. Those lead on to 18 units in all.
When is PHR1222 offered?
In 2025, PHR1222 runs in Semester 2 at Malaysia and Parkville.
Does PHR1222 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 5 other tasks.