Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student should have acquired knowledge regarding general and special pharmacology. In detail, the student should be able to:
1. Know the mechanisms of action of drugs and the drug-receptor and drug-drug interactions. Know the principles of pharmacokinetics. Know the most important classes of drugs used in veterinary medicine. Be able to employ the appropriate scientific language and terminology. (knowledge and understanding)
2. Understand the therapeutic properties of the different drugs and their adverse effects/interactions. (applying knowledge and understanding)
3. Explain the results of the studies and drug properties also to an audience of non-experts. (communication skills)
4. Choose the right drug belonging to a specific class on the basis of the acquired knowledge and clinical needs. (making judgements)
5. Link the different topics treated in the course between themselves and with other disciplines of the academic degree course. (learning skills)
At the end of the course the student should have acquired knowledge regarding general and special toxicology. In detail, the student should be able to:
1. know the mechanisms of action of toxic substances and their interaction with molecular targets in the body. Know the most important classes of poisons. Be able to employ the appropriate scientific language and terminology. (knowledge and understanding)
2. understand the properties of the different toxic substances. (applying knowledge and understanding)
3. explain the results of the studies and toxic or antidote properties also to an audience of non-experts. (communication skills)
4. choose the right antidote on the basis of the acquired knowledge and clinical needs. (making judgements)
5. link the different topics treated in the course among themselves and to other disciplines of the academic degree course. (learning skills)
Prerequisites
As per Degree Course. Please refer to https://cdlm-mv.unipr.it/node/127. For students enrolled in the academic year 2022-2023, the prerequisities are: Microbiology and immunology; Epidemiology; Physiology II; Endocrinology
Course unit content
The Course provides the students with essential concepts of general Pharmacology including pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics with particular emphasis on the action of drugs, receptors, the agonist/antagonist concept, therapeutic indications, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. The student is expected to possess knowledge about the interactions between drugs both at a pharmacodynamic and at a pharmacokinetic level and the undesired effects of drugs. Additionally, the student is expected to be familiar with the drugs that act on the central, autonomous and somatic nervous system, adrenergic, cholinergic, serotonergic and histaminergic pharmacology, local anaesthetics, inotropic and anti-arrhythmic drugs, ACE-inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and other vasodilators, diuretics, glucocorticoids, Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), drugs active on the gastrointestinal functions and on the respiratory system, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic drugs, and the most relevant antineoplastic agents.
The course will provide students with the essential notions of general toxicology, toxicodynamics and toxicokinetics with special attention to the mechanism of action of poisonous substances, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, biotransformation of toxic compounds (phase I and II reactions), the concepts of bio-activation and bio-accumulation. At the conclusion of the course, the students will have to possess the knowledge of the following toxic compounds with regard, in particular, to the effects on animals and to the antidotic treatment: pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, POPs, polychlorobiphenyls, and dioxins, urea, nitrosamines, nitrites and nitrates, chlorine, fluorine, arsenic, mercurium, cadmium, copper, cyanhydric acid and cyanides, ethylene glycol, strong acids and bases, toxic gases, mycotoxins, animal and plant toxins. The students should also know the procedures of the Antipoison Veterinary Center and possess knowledge of laboratory techniques for the detection of most important poisonings of domestic animals.
Full programme
Please refer to the Section "Contenuti del Corso"
Bibliography
BELLOLI- CARLI- ORMAS - Farmacologia Veterinaria, II edizione; Edizioni Idelson- Gnocchi-2021.
INTORRE - MEUCCI- Tossicologia Veterinaria - Edizioni Idelson-Gnocchi - 2022.
Students can download pdf files of the lessons from Elly Platform (https://elly2023.veterinaria.unipr.it/course/index.php?categoryid=7)
Teaching methods
The activities will take place in presence unless otherwise provided due to the Covid-19, where the Teams and Elly platforms will be used. In particular, the course slides and parts of teaching material will in any case be loaded on the Elly page of the course. During the lessons, mainly frontal moments will alternate with interactive moments with the students. To promote active participation in the course, various individual and small group activities will be proposed, through the use of the resources available in Elly, such as discussion forums and logbooks. The lectures will be carried out with the support of slides: if possible, the exercises will be carried out in the laboratory in small groups and in full compliance with the regulations in force for the prevention of contagion from Covid-19.
Assessment methods and criteria
The evaluation of the knowledge acquired by the student in the course of Pharmacology and Toxicology is made by means of an oral exam. The student, therefore, after online registration to the official exam calendar published on the Department of Veterinary Science website, will have to perform an oral exam consisting of answering to three questions regarding topics of the course of general and special pharmacology, and chemotherapy and two questions regarding topics of the course of general and special toxicology.
The student will have to show to have understood the core concepts of the treated topics of the course.
Specific support methods are provided for students with SLD, SEN or disabilities. They must send requests to be able to take advantage of compensatory and / or dispensatory measures during the examination at least 10 working days before the date scheduled for the examination by e-mail addressed to the teacher in charge of the course and in cc to the Department Coordinator ( list of contact persons and related email addresses available here http://cai.unipr.it/it/student-con-dsa-e-con-bes/42/) and at the Reception and Inclusion Center (cai@unipr.it).
The exam is carried out face-to-face or online via the TEAMS platform in the event of a recurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Other information
9 examination sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year, as reported on ESSE3 platform website. 5 more sessions are scheduled for so called "fuori corso e ripetenti" students. A minimun of 14 days is required between two subsequent examination sessions. The examining board consists of at least two teachers.
