Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Health professionals such as Nurses, Paramedics, Podiatrists and Optometrists require a detailed understanding of the pharmacological properties of the medicines that are used in the treatment of patients under their care. This unit introduces you to the discipline of pharmacology by examining the interactions of drugs with biological systems. An understanding of pharmacology is fundamental to your understanding of medicines in terms of efficacy and safety, and provides a rationale for their therapeutic use.

Aims

This unit aims to:
1. Examine the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs which provides an understanding of the choice of the route of administration, dosing regimens and the influence of other drugs, herbs, food, age, gender, polymorphisms and diseases on medicines.
2. Introduce you to the fundamentals of pharmacodynamics including the interaction of drugs with their molecular targets.
3. Explain how medicines can modify the effects of the peripheral nervous systems and of local mediators, and the therapeutic use of these medicines.
4. Briefly review the pathophysiology of a variety of disease states, and discuss the therapeutic use of selected medicines on a range of systems.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Understand the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and how this relates to the magnitude and frequency of dosing under consideration of an individual patient situation.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the pharmacodynamics of medicines including drug-target interactions, potency and efficacy.
3. Discuss how medicines modify the effects of the peripheral nervous system and local mediators, and the therapeutic use of these medicines.
4. Competently discuss systematic pharmacotherapy.

Content

Pharmacokinetics: The principles of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs, their interaction with other drugs, herbs and food and the factors such as age, gender, polymorphisms, liver and kidney impairment that influence these parameters.
Pharmacodynamics: Introduction to fundamental concepts in pharmacodynamics such as agonists and partial agonists, competitive and non-competitive antagonism, principles of drug-target interactions, including: affinity, efficacy, selectivity. Dose response relationships. Function of endogenous molecular targets including: G-protein coupled receptors, ion channels, enzymes, nuclear receptors, and cell signaling
Peripheral neurotransmitters and local chemical mediators: The role of endogenous chemical compounds that mediate physiological and pathophysiolgical processes including noradrenaline, acetylcholine, histamine, prostanoids and leukotrienes. Introduction to drugs that modify these processes.
Systematic pharmacology: The systems discussed will include the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and central nervous systems. Drugs used to treat infections will also be discussed.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The didactic content of this unit will be presented as lectures. Tutorial sessions will provide a forum to perform problem solving exercises using clinical scenarios that will reinforce the lecture content.
Lectures: 3 hours per week
Tutorials: 1 hour per week

Assessment

General feedback will be ongoing, and presented on Blackboard.
Additional individual feedback will be available from Dr Sheila Doggrell or your tutor.

Assessment name: Examination (written)
Description: This part A examination will cover the lecture content from Weeks 1-6 and will be a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, and 3.
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blackboard

Assessment name: Examination (written)
Description: During the central examination period the Part B examination will be heald. This examination will be of MCQs questions relating to material presented in lectures during Weeks 7-13.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Exam Period

Assessment name: Case Study
Description: Description: One written case study assignment based on discipline specific clinical scenarios to be made available in Week 7.
Relates to objectives: 4.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 11

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: During the semester, student groups will be marked for preparation and involvement in the tutorials.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Weekly

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

The following textbooks and websites may be used in this unit.
Note: All resources are available through QUT Library

Textbook:
Bryant B and Knights K (2011): Pharmacology for Health Professionals, 3rd edition, Elsevier Australia, Chatswood NSW
Alternatively, this textbook covers the same material:
Bullock S, Manias E & Galbraith A (2011): Fundamentals of Pharmacology, 6th edition, Pearson Australia, French Forest NSW

Databases and Websites:
The following databases are accessible via QUT Library
Follow this string starting at the QUT Home page:
QUT Library -> Go to Databases Page -> Select a subject: Science & Technology -> Pharmacy -> Select the database of your choice
1. Therapeutic Guidelines (Current Edition), Melbourne, VIC; Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd, (electronic version available through QUT Library Databases website)
2. Australian Medicines Handbook (Current Edition), Adelaide, SA; AMH Pty Ltd (electronic version available through QUT Library Databases website)
3. MIMS (Current Edition), Sydney, NSW, MIMS Australia and UBM Media Pty Ltd (electronic version available through QUT Library Databases website)
4. Therapeutic Goods Administration (website only)

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first few lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area, which will be indicated to you. You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times whilst on campus. More information on health and safety can be obtained from Link to Web Page

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 08-Oct-2012