PHARM 2400 - Foundations of Pharmacology

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2022

Pharmacology is the study of uses, effects, and modes of action of drugs. Drugs play a key role in the treatment of many human diseases and are used to cure and manage disease. In this course students will learn the general principles of pharmacology including drug classification, formulation, administration and basic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Drugs affecting the nervous system and major organs will be explored, and the concept of selective toxicity to treat infection will be introduced. Students will gain knowledge in commonly prescribed drugs, the role of clinical trials, over the counter and complementary medications, drugs of dependence and drugs in sport. Emphasis is placed on clinical pharmacology including polypharmacy, side effects, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PHARM 2400
    Course Foundations of Pharmacology
    Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites HLTH SC 1403 or ANAT SC 1102 or BIOLOGY 1101
    Restrictions Restricted to students enrolled in Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours), Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences, Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences (Adv) only, or with agreement from the Course Coordinator
    Assessment Final Examination, assignment and continuous assessment tasks
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Abdallah Salem

    Co-Course Coordinator: Dr Rachael Farrington
    Email: rachael.farrington@adelaide.edu.au

    Co-Course Coordinator: Dr Abdallah Salem
    Phone: +61 8 8313 4327
    Email:  abdallah.salem@adelaide.edu.au
    Room S3 13 Helen Mayo South



    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Timetable information can be found in the MyUni website for this course.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Differentiate the fundamental principles of pharmacology (pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics), and identify the sites and major mechanisms of drug action.
    2 Describe the ways drugs are administered, absorbed and distributed in the body and explain the factors influencing these processes.
    3 Describe the concept of agonist and antagonist activities of drugs and apply this to the mechanism of action of drugs.
    4 Explain how different classes of drugs used to treat various diseases act on physiological, biochemical and pathophysiological processes.
    5 Recognise common and important drug interactions and adverse reactions.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1, 2, 3, 5

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Fundamentals of Pharmacology
    Bullock S and Manias E, 2016, Fundamentals of Pharmacology, 8th Ed. Pearson Australia.
    ISBN 9781488610028
    Recommended Resources

    Rang & Dale's Pharmacology
    James M. Ritter; Rod Flower; Graeme Henderson; Yoon Kong Loke; David MacEwan; Humphrey
    Ninth Edition 2020

    Australian Medicines Handbook, online version available via Barr Smith Library catalogue

    Online Learning
    All notes, resource manuals and papers for lectures, practicals, tutorial sessions and assessment tasks are available on MyUni as well as lists of suitable readings, online quizzes and links to external websites.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    A standard week consists of completion of online content as the preliminary activity prior to two 1-hour lectures and a 2-hour workshop sessionto explore the key weekly issues and concepts. Students will learn about indications and contraindications of commonly prescribed classes of drugs, their mechanisms of action (in overview), effects and side effects. The following content will be covered in this course.


    • Introduction to pharmacology
    • Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics
    • Autonomic nervous system
    • Respiratory Pharmacology
    • Cardiovascular pharmacology
    • Drugs used in the treatment of diabetes
    • Pharmacology and Pain I –NSAIDS Pharmacology and Pain II- Opioids
    • Local and general anaesthetics
    • CNS and Pharmacology
    • Drugs of abuse and dependence
    • Antibiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals
    • Cancer chemotherapy
    • Drugs in sport
    • Complementary and alternative medicines
    • Clinical aspects of pharmacology/Adverse drug reaction
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Lectures: 12 x 2 hours = 24 hours
    Workshops: 12 x 2 hours = 24 hours
    Examination: 1 x 2 hours = 2 hours
    Preparation for Workshop Sessions: 1 hour per session = 24 hours
    Preparation for Assessment Tasks = 30 hours
    Weekly reading: 2 hours per week = 24 hours
    Online Modules: 2 hours per week = 24 hours
    TOTAL = 152 hours
    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Examination Summative 40% No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Continuous Assessment Summative 40% No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Assignment Summative 20% No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Assessment Detail

    Continuous Assessment (40%): Case based scenarios will be presented at weeks 3, 5 and 10 where students will work through a clinical scenario detailing a presenting problem, medications and questions.

    • Week Case Scenario (10%)
    • Week  Case Scenario (10%)
    • Week  Case Scenario (20%)

     Assignment (20%): In week 7, students will complete a quiz covering content from week 1 – week 6, which will comprise MQC and SAQ.

     Examination (40%): A written examination covering entire course content will be held during the University’s examination period.

    Submission
    Detailed information on assessment task submission can be found in the MyUni website for this course.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.