Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding of beneficial and toxic drug effect, aimed to a correct application of medicaments in the clinical setting.
Prerequisites
Recommended: knowledge and passing the exams of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology and general pathology
Course unit content
Pharmacological properties of the different drug classes and their specific use in the clinical setting
Full programme
Generalities, definitions. Pharmaceutical forms and routes of administration. Pharmacokinetics. Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination. Pharmacodynamics. Receptors. Pharmacogenetics. Pharmacovigilance. Drug development.
Pharmacology of autonomic and somatic nervous system: cholinergic and adrenergic transmission.
Cholinergic drugs: direct and indirect agonists; muscarinic antagonists.
Adrenergic system drugs: specific receptor agonists and antagonists.
Central adrenergic stimulants: cocaine, amphetamine or methylphenidate.
Ganglionic stimulant and blockers: nicotine and ganglioplegic drugs
Depolarizing and competitive neuromuscular blocking.
Central nervous system: antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedative-hypnotics; pain therapy – opioids; drugs for Parkinson's disease.
Chemotherapy: General definition, mechanisms of action, uses, resistance. Different classes of antibacterial drugs and their PK/PD mode of action.
Cardiovascular drugs: Anti-hypertensive drugs (different classes, such as beta-blockers, ACEi, diuretics, calcium channel antagonists, etc) and other medications for congestive heart
failure. Antianginals.
Drugs for the treatment of dyslipidemia.
Drugs affecting the hemostatic system: anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Fibrinolytics.
Gastrointestinal system drugs. Drugs for acid-related diseases (antacids, H2 antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, mucosal protective agents). Drugs of intestinal motility: prokinetic and antispastic medicaments.
Emetics, antiemetics. Laxatives.
Treatment of the inflammation: Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs and steroid). Drugs for chronic inflammations (ulcerative colitis, Crohn' disease, rheumatoid artritis).
Autacoids: Histamine and antihistamines. Serotonin and serotonin antagonists.
Endocrine pharmacology. Insulin and oral hypoglycemic. Glucocorticoids and mineralcorticoids. Estrogen and progestinic. Thyroid medications.
Hypothalamic and pituitary hormones.
Drugs for benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Prescription of drugs.
Bibliography
Rang, Dale et al., Pharmacology - Elsevier;
Katzung: Pharmacology (last ed.);
Goodman and Gilman: The pharmacological basis of therapeutics (last ed.)
Teaching methods
The course will be held through lectures. In case the COVID-related
emergence continues, frontal lessons will proceed remotely through the
Teams platform (for instructions, see http://selma.unipr.it). The lectures will be conducted with the aid of iconographic material collected in presentations that will be made available to students on the Elly platform on the course page.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam.
The three lecturers conduct the examination independently (each student will be examined by one lecturer, who may ask questions on the entire syllabus and propose a final grade).
Students are called according to the registration order.
Typically, the exam begins with a topic of the student's choice and continues by exploring two or three other topics from the syllabus, prompted through respective questions.
NOTE: it is important to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main beneficial and toxic drug effects, aimed to a correct application of medicaments in the clinical setting. This certainly involves focusing on the mechanism of action, i.e., approaching each topic by thoroughly studying and understanding the pharmacodynamic (biological, molecular, and therapeutic effects) and pharmacokinetic (related to ADME) principles, with a look at the clinical use and thus also demonstrating basic knowledge of the pathology for which the drug is used.
Other information
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development