PHARMACODYNAMICS AND ELEMENTS OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Knowledge of biology, physiology and biochemistry
Learning Verification takes place only through a final exam in oral form. The exam aims to assess the level of understanding of pharmacodynamics, as well as the students capacity to use the knowledge learned for evaluation of the essential technical aspects in pharmacodynamics study. The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics addressed, and in particular the ability to use this knowledge for a correct assessment of the technical aspects in pharmacodynamics studies, will be evaluated with marks of excellence. The mnemonic and notional knowledge of the topics dealt with, which translates into an exposition not supported by a capacity for synthesis and analysis of the topics dealt with in an organic perspective and a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to discrete evaluations; training gaps and / or inappropriate language, albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material, will lead to just sufficient grades. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the texts, will be negatively evaluated.
The main objective of course is to provide a solid preparation in pharmacodynamics and, in particular, relevant applications that technician will be able to face in the course of his professional activity.
Understanding of Expected Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Know and understand the processes associated with pharmacodynamics (drug definition; drug-receptor interaction and pharmacodynamics foundations; criteria and systems for the classification of drugs for diagnostic and therapeutic use; general characteristics of the main drug-therapeutic categories.
2. Apply the knowledge acquired to the preparation of preclinical and clinical models for the study of pharmacodynamics processes with particular regard to the technical aspects.
Drug and excipient Definition. Mechanism of action of drugs: drugs with specific and non-specific mechanisms of actions. Drugs targets, with examples. Description of concentration-effect curve. Definition and experimental measurement of drug potency, drug efficacy and affinity. Adverse drug reactions (definition and examples). Drugs acting on cardiovascular system (description and examples). Antibacterial and antiviral drugs (description and examples). Analgesic drugs (description and examples). Drugs acting on gastrointestinal apparatus.
-Mechanisms of actions of drug.
-Drug receptors, structure-activity relationship, cellular site of drug actions.
-Definition of agonist and antagonist, classification of antagonist, mechanism of receptor antagonism.
-Quantification of drug-receptor interaction, dose/response relationship, concept of affinity, efficacy, potency, and relative efficacy.
-Pharmacological receptors: (G Protein-coupled receptor, receptors as enzyme, ion channel, receptor regulating nuclear transcription).
Pharmacological studies
-Pre-clinical and Clinical pharmacological studies.
Variability in drug response
-Genetic variability, pharmacogenomics.
The course is based on lectures using ppt set with images, diagrams and videos. To promote students critical reflection and allow possibility of self-assessment, during the lesson, questions with questions regarding the topics of the course are proposed to the students.
Teacher material provided (slides, photocopies of articles).
Furlanut M. Farmacologia generale e clinica per le lauree triennali. Piccin, Padova
Neal MJ Medical Pharmacology at a Glance Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (trad. italiana a cura di Richelmi P, Berté F La Farmacologia in uno Sguardo La Goliardica Pavese, Pavia)
Clementi F, Fumagalli G. Farmacologia generale e molecolare UTET, Torino, 2000
Craig CR, Stitzel RE. Farmacologia moderna con applicazioni cliniche, Antonio Delfino Editore, Roma