SHUA11009U Pharmacology and Toxicology

Volume 2014/2015
Education
MSc Programme in Human Biology - compulsory
Content

To give students an understanding of molecular pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics including detailed insight into drug effect and side-effects. To achieve knowledge about each therapeutic group and its effects. To obtain knowledge of toxicology and poisoning caused by pharmacological treatment and to avoid such poisoning, and to build a capacity to assess the efficacy and any toxicities of new medicinal products.

Learning Outcome

To attain the subject attestation, the student shall be able to:

  • Account for general pharmacodynamic principles
  • Account for the action mechanisms of pharmaceuticals
  • Describe the therapeutic potential and adverse event profile of pharmaceuticals
  • Describe the main elements involved in the development of pharmaceuticals, including in vitro studies, animal studies and clinical studies
  • Account for toxic reactions to pharmaceuticals
Approved completion of all 1st semester course elements and passing of all 1st semester exams:
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Advanced Cell Biology
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Immunology and General Microbiology
Lectures, laboratory exercises and theoretical exercises
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 39
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Lectures
  • 58
  • Preparation
  • 105
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Course participation
Written examination, 4 hours
Participation in Laboratory exercises and approoved reports.
Exam registration requirements
Approved participation in training activities and approval of assignments and reports
Aid
Only certain aids allowed

Alphabetical list of pharmaceuticals list of equations (will be handed out at the exam) and own calculator without stored data.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period
Week 14, 2014
Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:

  • Discuss the overall principles of pharmaceutical absorption, distribution biotransformation and excretion
  • Explain the mathematical principles behind plasma concentration development in pharmaceutical dosage
  • Discuss the principles behind pharmaceutical-receptor binding including the dose-response curve for agonists, antagonists and partial agonists.
  • Employ pharmacodynamic and kinetic principles in the assessment of therapeutic and adverse effects of pharmaceuticals
  • Explain the importance of external factors on the effects of pharmaceuticals (polymorphy, social factors, age, disease)
  • Discuss the main therapeutic groups to which the drugs of the drugs list belong, which includes their known or presumed action mechanism at the molecular and cellular level and the primary side effects.
  • Use the acquired knowledge about each main therapeutic group in the assessment of any given pharmaco-therapy, e.g. in collaboration with medical staff
  • Discuss the primary toxicological treatment principles by reference to relevant examples
  • Perform toxicological assessments in connection with the use of pharmaceuticals as well as chemicals on the basis of concepts as accumulated dose-adverse effect graph, toxic and therapeutic index
  • Use the acquired toxicological knowledge in the assessment of new drugs and products aimed at preventing poisoning
  • Plan, perform and analyse fundamental pharmacology and toxicology studies
  • Explain different phases in the development of a pharmaceutical - from idea to finished medicinal product, including principles and methods used to discover and develop pharmaceuticals, particularly in the field of biotechnology