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Title
Basic Pharmacology
Code
PY134 (formerly CF104)
Level
4
Credit rating
10 credits
Pre-requisites
Essential Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Type
Standard core choice module delivered over 13 weeks
Aims
To provide a basic understanding of pharmacological principles and
their application to the clinical situation.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
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Content
appreciate the cellular changes which can be induced by drugs.
demonstrate a knowledge, in quantitative terms of the
relationship between a drug and its response.
appreciate how drugs are absorbed, metabolised, distributed and
excreted.
understand the mechanism of action of drugs used to treat a
variety of clinical conditions.
Introduction to the interrelationships between physiology,
pharmacology and pathology. An overview of the different sources
of drugs, methods of establishing pharmacological and toxicological
profiles and the concepts of pre-clinical and clinical trials. (5 hours)
Principles of drug actions and effects: the mechanisms of drug action, the
dose-response relationship; competitive and non-competitive antagonism.
The concepts of dependence, addiction, tolerance and withdrawal effects;
basic human pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism.
(5 hours)
Drugs acting directly on DNA and protein synthesis: therapeutic
uses and adverse effects of those anticancer drugs acting by
prevention of DNA replication. The use of drugs which influence
protein synthesis, for example steroids.
(2 hours)
Therapeutic uses of drugs which alter enzyme activity: consideration
of the mechanisms of action and therapeutic uses of drugs which
alter enzyme activity such as angiotensin-converting enzyme
inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and dihydrofolate
reductase inhibitors.
(3 hours)
The interaction of drugs with ion channels: the mechanism of action
and therapeutic uses of drugs which act directly on ion channels, for
example local anaesthetics, anti-arrhythmic agents, calcium channel
blockers and diuretics
(3 hours)
Drugs acting via receptors and second messengers: an overview of
the potential therapeutic uses and adverse effects of drugs which
either stimulate or antagonise receptors for endogenous transmitters
such as acetylcholine. noradrenaline, histamine and serotonin.
(6 hours)
1
Drugs acting on the brain: consolidation of the foregoing lectures by
illustrating the mechanisms of action of common drugs of abuse.
Drug dependence and substance abuse.
(2 hours)
Teaching and learning
strategies
100 hours in total, normally comprising 26 hours contact time, 44
hours guided study and 30 hours independent study assessment
time.
Learning support
Current editions of:
Brody, T M et al, Human Pharmacology: Molecular to Clinical, Mosby
Gard, P R, Human Pharmacology, Taylor and Francis
Foster, R W, Basic Pharmacology, Butterworth-Heinemann
Neal, M J, Medical Pharmacology at a Glance, Blackwell
Assessment
One MCQ phase test (40%) and an end of module MCQ exam (60%).
The pass mark for each component is 50%.
Brief description of module
The module builds on the students' knowledge of cellular and
molecular biology to explain the mechanisms by which drugs may
alter cellular activity and function and can thus be used to correct, or
relieve the symptoms of, disease processes. Examples of common
medicines and diseases are used to illustrate mechanism of drug
action and adverse drug effects.
Area Examination Board
Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Module authors
Dr Chatterjee, Drs P R Gard, Dr A Jackson
Semester offered
2
Date of first approval
May 2002
Date of last revision
Sept 2007 (3a: ex ex updated Jan 08)
Date of approval of this
version
Nov 2008 (MPharm removed as compulsory)
Version number
3b
Replacement for previous
Module
BY222, PY125
Code changed from CF104 September 2006
Course(s) for which module
is acceptable and status in
course
Compulsory for Biomedical Sciences, Pharmaceutical and
Chemical Sciences
Optional for Biological Sciences
School home
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
External examiner
Professor J Neill
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