14163 - Pharmacology I

Course contents

The Course of Pharmacology I is made up by two parts (modules) covering the principles of General Pharmacology:
Pharmacodynamics (Module 1) and Pharmacokinetics (Module 2). 
 
Program Module 1 - Pharmacodynamics 
 

Pharmacodymamics: sites and mechanisms of actions of drugs; drug-receptor interactions and their cellular consequences; dose-response relationships; drugs acting as agonists, antagonists or partial agonists; factors modifying drug actions (e.g. age, pathologies, drug interactions, tolerance, placebo). Drug interactions. General Toxicity: adverse effects; overdose effects; idiosyncratic or allergic reactions; abuse liability. Preclinical and clinical drug development. Pharmacovigilance.

 

Program Module 1 - Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics: routes of administration of drugs and their adsorption; drugs movement across biological membranes; bioavailability; drug distribution among body compartments, distribution volume, plasma protein binding; biotranformation; drug excretion; pattern of plasma concentrations (after single or repeated administration).

Readings/Bibliography

FURLANUT - Farmacologia Generale e Clinica per le Lauree Sanitarie, III Edizione – Ed. Piccin

RD. HOWLAND, MJ. MYCEK - Le basi della farmacologia. - Edizioni Zanichelli

Govoni S. et al., "Farmacologia", Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, 2014

F. Clementi, G. Fumagalli, "Farmacologia Generale e Molecolare", UTET, 2012

Katzung BG, "Farmacologia Generale e clinica", Ed. Piccin, 2014 

Teaching methods

Oral lessons

Assessment methods

The final test consists of an oral examination concerning both teaching modules and aiming to verify the achievement of the teaching goals.

For the module I it is requested: the knowledge of the mechanisms of drug actions; the features and the pharmacodynamic consequences of their interaction with the biological structures that are responsible of their therapeutic or toxic effects and their variability;

for the module II it is requested: the knowledge of pharmacokinetic processes that regulate the presence of the drug in the organism: from its entrance to its elimination.

The final score will derive from the evaluation of answers to different questions on arguments of different parts of the program.

Since the Course of Pharmacology I is integrated with Pharmacology II, the two exams are to be taken and passed according to their numerical sequence, in the same or in different occasions.

Teaching tools

Oral lessons will be given with the aid of multimedial tools (MS Power Point presentations, etc.).

Office hours

See the website of Sanzio Candeletti

See the website of Gabriele Campana