The General Pharmacology course aims to enable the acquisition of the fundamental principles of the biological effects of drugs from the pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, pharmacometabolic, pharmacometric, and toxicological perspectives.
Specifically, this module is divided into two parts: the first part (Prof Richelmi) aims to provide the student with the basics related to the nature, origin and characteristics of drugs; principles of drug testing (pre-clinical experimentation and clinical trials). The second part (Prof Petrolini) aims to provide the student with the basics related to tolerance, addiction and withdrawal and the toxic effects of certain substances.
Course Prerequisites
Understanding the course topics presupposes knowledge of the basic concepts of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry
Teaching Methods
Lectures and demonstration of clinical cases
Assessment Methods
The profit exam will be taken together with the other modules of Pharmacology 1 in a single examination.
It will be written examination with multiple choice and open questions. Evaluation will be by weighted average in relation to the number of credits from each of the 4 parts of the teaching.
Texts
Goodman & Gilman - “The pharmacological basis of therapy.” Katzung - “General and clinical pharmacology.” Specific teaching materials for this module may be made available as they become available.
For the second part, teaching materials will consist of presentations, textbook chapters and other materials, which will be made available on the kiro platform.
Contents
Part 1 (Prof Richelmi). General Principles of Pharmacology; Pre-clinical studies and the evaluation of pharmacological activity, pharmacokinetics and toxicity for new drug development. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). Drug target identification. Clinical trials. Good clinical practice (GCP). Regulatory aspects for phase I, II, III clinical trial authorization. Ethics committees. Monitoring of the trial. Pharmacovigilance. Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).
Part 2 (Prof. Petrolini): general principles of tolerance, dependence, addiction. Ethanol: metabolism and clinical effects of acute intoxication, withdrawal syndrome, interactions, hints on treatment. Cocaine, cannabis, opioids: toxicodynamics, kinetics and clinical effects of acute intoxication. Carbon monoxide: mechanisms and clinical effects of acute intoxication. Principles of diagnosis and treatment.
