00351 - Pharmacology

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of:

• the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics;
• the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial and adverse effects of major classes of drugs and toxic agents;
• the main therapeutic applications and contraindications of drugs;
• the key factors contributing to variability in drug response, including genetic and pathophysiological determinants, as well as drug–drug interactions;
• the fundamental methods of clinical pharmacology, including pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology.

Course contents

PHARMACOKINETICS

• Routes of drug administration
• Drug absorption and distribution within the body
• Drug metabolism and elimination
• Drug elimination kinetics and other key pharmacokinetic parameters
• Pharmacokinetics in special populations: pediatric patients, older adults, and pregnant women

PHARMACODYNAMICS

• Mechanisms of drug action (receptor-mediated and non-receptor-mediated) and concentration–response relationships
• Agonists and antagonists
• Therapeutic and adverse effects of drugs

DRUG CLASSES

• Drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system: cholinergic and adrenergic agonists and antagonists
• Neuropsychopharmacology: drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease; antipsychotic drugs; antidepressants; pharmacology of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission; classification, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects of sedative-hypnotic drugs
• Opioid and non-opioid analgesics
• Cardiovascular drugs: diuretics; angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists; β-blockers; calcium channel blockers; nitrate antianginal agents; cardiac glycosides (digitalis), other inotropic agents, and an introduction to antiarrhythmic drugs; lipid-lowering agents; antiplatelet, anticoagulant, and thrombolytic drugs
• Antianemic drugs
• Bronchodilators and other drugs used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Gastric acid secretion inhibitors and other anti-ulcer drugs
• Antiemetic drugs
• Steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Thyroid hormones and drugs affecting thyroid function
• Antidiabetic drugs
• Estrogens, progestins, and androgens
• Drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis
• Classification of antimicrobial agents and general principles governing their clinical use
• Major classes of antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agents: folate antagonists; inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis; protein synthesis inhibitors; quinolones and urinary tract antiseptics; antimycobacterial agents
• Overview of antifungal, antiprotozoal, and antiretroviral drugs

Readings/Bibliography

1) Goodman & Gilman, Le basi farmacologiche della terapia, Il Manuale, II Edizione italiana, Zanichelli, 2015.

2) KL Whalen, le basi della Farmacologia. Quarta edizione italiana. Zanichelli, 2025.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Oral examination (see the Italian version for details)

Teaching tools

Teaching material.

Office hours

See the website of Domenico Motola

See the website of Roberto Rimondini Giorgini

See the website of Emanuel Raschi