7 Your Responsibilities

Attendance Requirements

• Attend placement during your timetabled session or at a time agreed with your preceptor and confirmed with the WIL Partnerships Coordinator.
• Placement attendance is compulsory.
• Any changes to your placement details (e.g. site or preceptor) must be discussed with the WIL Partnerships Coordinator before the change is made.

Notifying Absences

Illness Protocols: 

• Do not attend your placement or workshops if you are unwell, displaying COVID-19 symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19 or other transmissible infections.
• Prioritise the health and safety of vulnerable patients and healthcare staff by staying home and following current health directives.

All absences:

• You must notify your preceptor and the School as soon as you know you will be absent from your placement or scheduled activity.
• All absences must be recorded in the InPlace system within 24 hours of the absence, or as soon as practical.
• See ‘Absence Process and Recording Absences in InPlace’ section at the end of the handbook for step by step instructions.

General Placements: 

• Short Absences (1-2 days): You are required to inform your preceptor and the School, and log the absence in InPlace. A medical certificate is not required for 1-2 days of absence.
• Longer Absences (3 days or more): If you are absent for more than 2 days (i.e., on the third day) due to illness, you must provide a medical certificate. This certificate must be uploaded directly into InPlace.
• Making Up Hours: You are expected to plan with your preceptor to make up any missed days or hours at a later date. Any schedule variances occurring outside the standard placement dates listed in the Course Profile must be agreed upon with the WIL Partnership Coordinator in advance.
• Unresolved Absences: If you are unable to make up missed placement days, the Course Coordinator will decide on a case-by-case basis whether the placement has been completed satisfactorily. If illness extends the placement period and impacts assessment deadlines, you must contact your course coordinator and submit a formal extension request via MyUQ.

Mandatory Hospital and Aged Care Workshops: 

• Missing any mandatory workshop requires formal documentation.
• You must provide a medical certificate or other acceptable supporting documentation regardless of the length of the absence.
• Work is not a valid reason to miss a mandatory workshop.

Professional Conduct

• Be professionally presented at all times. Do not have your phone on you during placement, unless permission has been given by your preceptor.
• You may take brief notes if agreed with your preceptor, but all assessable items must be completed independently and uploaded via Blackboard.
• Do not use placement equipment (including computers and devices) unless your preceptor has given prior approval.
• Do not post messages or photos related to your placement on social media.

Using Your Time Effectively

• Preceptors may sometimes be unavailable to teach or answer questions. Use this time to show initiative by participating in other pharmacy activities, e.g., interacting with staff or completing learning tasks.

• Not all pharmacies are fast-paced, so this is a great opportunity to observe operations, ask questions, and deepen your understanding of pharmacy practice.

Placement Compliance

• Keep your placement compliance up to date while enrolled in placement courses. This includes InPlace tasks, site inductions, and other requirements.
• Respond promptly to reminder emails or texts from the Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences (HMBS) Placement Ready Team.

Support & Questions

• If you experience placement problems or want to discuss anything with your WIL Partnerships Coordinator or Course Coordinator, email placements@pharmacy.uq.edu.au.