PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOTHERAPY
cod. 05135

Academic year 2022/23
3° year of course - First semester
Professor
- Vigilio BALLABENI
Academic discipline
Farmacologia (BIO/14)
Field
Discipline biologiche e farmacologiche
Type of training activity
Characterising
72 hours
of face-to-face activities
9 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The course, as well as toxicology and pathology, provides the body of knowledge in biomedical field needed to face the problems concerning the development and the utilization of drugs.
Le lessons are aimed to promote knowledge and understanding of the essential concepts specific to general and special pharmacology with the purpose to enrich applying knowledge of the students which will be able to exert making judgements based on learning skills and communication skills on both the experimental development of a new drug and the protocols of clinical practice. In detail, the student should be able to:
1. Understand the mechanisms of action of drugs, the pharmacokinetic processes to which they are subject depending on the different routes of administration, the sources of response variability, the side effects/adverse effects of the drugs, (Knowledge and understanding)
2. Recognize interactions drug/drug, drug/herbal and drug/foods, apply scientific evidence of the benefit/risk ratio that provide clinically useful drugs (Applying knowledge and understanding)
3. To be able to use the specific language of the discipline and to expose the peculiarities and the results of the experimental studies (Communication skills)
4. Know how to evaluate the clinical role of a drug as a function of its effectiveness and safety compared to other drugs with the same therapeutic indication. (Making judgments)
5. Link the different pharmacological topics treated with the issues of other CdS characterizing disciplines such as pharmaceutical technology and chemistry. Upgrade by consulting literature database. (Learning Skills)

Prerequisites

- - -

Course unit content

A first series of lessons cover general topics such as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics (with their respective parameters), side effects of drugs (safety indices), the sources of variability in the individual response to drugs and elements of clinical pharmacology. The second part of the course is addressed to the treatment of the various classes of drugs currently used in pharmacotherapy with particular attention to the treatment of the most common pathologies and the evolution, over time, of drug therapies

Full programme

GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY - Introduction to Pharmacology: definition, aims and objectives - Pharmacodynamics: pharmacological targets, drug responses, qualitative and quantitative aspects - Pharmacokinetics: determinants of the plasma concentration of drugs and pharmacokinetic parameters - Sources of variability in the individual response to drugs - Undesirable effects of drugs and safety indices - The process of drug development: preclinical and clinical evaluation of nuw drugs
SPECIAL PHARMACOLOGY - Drugs active on the autonomic nervous system and the neuromuscular junction - active drugs on the central nervous system - active drugs on the gastrointestinal tract - active drugs on the cardiovascular and renal system - active drugs on the respiratory system - pharmacological control Hemostasis - Pharmacological control of the inflammatory and immune response - Pharmacology of the Endocrine System - Antibacterial chemotherapy

Bibliography

ANNUNZIATO & DI RENZO “Trattato di Farmacologia”. Idelson-Gnocchi, Napoli
KATZUNG BG. “Farmacologia Generale e Clinica”. Piccin, Padova
RANG HP et al. “Farmacologia” . Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano
GOODMAN & GILMAN’S. “Le basi farmacologiche della terapia”. Zanichelli Editore

Teaching methods

The course is based on lectures in which the problems related to general pharmacology and pharmacotherapy are critically illustrated. The slides used to support the lessons, considered an integral part of the teaching material, are uploaded weekly on the Elly platform, on which are also made available institutional guidelines and position papers of scientific societies intended as authoritative tools to stimulate the ability to autonomous learning and deepening of students.

Assessment methods and criteria

The assessment of the learning outcomes occurr through an oral examination aimed also to assess the communicative ability of the candidate. Through questions concerning the general part of the course it will be ascertained if the student has achieved the objective of knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts of pharmacology. Through questions regarding pharmacotherapy it will be ascertained if the student has achieved the goal of applying the knowledge acquired in the real context of clinical use of drugs by demonstrating learning skills and making autonomous judgments. At the end of each oral examination, which lasts about 45 minutes, the outcome of the examination is communicated immediately to the candidate. The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics of general pharmacology and pharmacotherapy addressed during the course and the use of appropriate specific terminology will be evaluated with a grade of excellence (30/30 cum laude).
In particular cases, the ascertainement of learning outcomes will be conducted through written examination with open-ended questions.

Other information

The teacher is available to receive students, in presence or electronically, every day by prior contact by e-mail