The aim of the course is to give information on general principles and molecular aspects on how drugs act, drugs discovery and development, targets for drug action and quantitative aspect of drug–receptors interactions, absorption, distribution and excretion of drugs in the body, pharmacokinetics and therapeutic drug monitoring.
Course Prerequisites
To effectively follow the general pharmacology course, students must possess a solid foundation in chemistry, biology, anatomy, and physiology. Specifically, it is essential to understand the principles of organic chemistry and biochemistry, as they are fundamental for the study of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Students should have a good grasp of biological processes at the cellular and systemic levels, including the mechanisms of action of biomolecules and the processes of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. These foundational skills are crucial for understanding how drugs interact with the body and how their therapeutic and toxic effects can be modulated.
Teaching Methods
The course includes formal and interactive lectures. The professor is available to provide clarifications about topics included in the course. Professor contacts: andrea.ferrigno@unipv.it +39 0382986451
Assessment Methods
Multiple choice test. Students will be given 30 minutes to answer to 25 multichoice questions. The questions are strictly taken from the slides showed during the lessons.
Texts
Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (Laurence Brunton, Bruce Chabner, Bjorn Knollman, authors), Twelfth Edition, New York McGraw-Hill, 2011 Harvey RA, Clark MA, Finkel R, Rey JA, Whalen, K. Lippincott’s illustrated reviews: Pharmacology, 5th Edition, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins), 2011 Katzung, BG, Master SB, Trevor A J. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology; New York: McGraw-Hill Medical, 2012 Waller DG, Renwick AG, Hillier K. Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 3rd edition. W. B. Saunders, London, 2009
Contents
The program is composed of the following topics: - Routes of drug administration - Crossing of lipid barriers: passive diffusion, transporters, endocytosis - Fick's law - Definition of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, and basic parameters - Receptor theories - Affinity and fractional occupancy - Efficacy - Competitive and non-competitive antagonism, orthosteric and allosteric antagonists - Classification of receptors - Examples of receptors Only the content presented by the teacher in class will be required for the exam. For further details on the program, it is recommended to consult the slides available on the KIRO platform.
Course Language
English
More information
To plan a meeting, write to andrea.ferrigno@unipv.it
