Pharmacology (2 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The student
- is able to describe the general principles of pharmacokinetics and dynamics
- knows the medications which are used to treat the most common diseases, their action mechanisms, indications and most common side and adverse effects
- is able to monitor the effectiveness of the medicine

Content (course unit)

- the effects of drugs on the body and the effects of the body on pharmaceutical substances
- simple and combined adverse reactions to medication
- antimicrobials and medications for cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, medications for metabolism and endocrine disorders, and medications for tumors
- specific issues for the care of children and elderly

Prerequisites (course unit)

Participation in the course on Pharmacotherapy and Medical Calculations.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student
- masters the basics of pharmacology
- knows the indication for use of the medications and knows some of the mechanisms of action of medication groups

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student
- masters the basics of pharmacology
- knows the indication for use of the medications and knows some of the mechanisms of action of medication groups
- knows the typical action mechanisms of the medication groups, some adverse effects and interactions between medication groups and resulting adverse effects

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student
- masters the basics of pharmacology
- knows the typical action mechanisms of the medication groups, some adverse effects and interactions between medication groups and resulting adverse effects
- in addition to the requirements for Good (3-4), also knows the mechanisms and interactions of medication groups, and is able to apply the knowledge he/she masters

Exam schedules

Exam on the exam platform. Week 14. Agreed timing and change of environment to moodle:16.4. tuni moodle at 11-13
Redoing failed exams will be announced in Orientation.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Lectures 5 hours according to the tuni lukkari schedule.
Independent studies 48h
45 minutes exam on the exam platform.
Each session consists of a few main categories and there are 6 to 8 assignments that have to be done before each session. It is also recommended to read the subjects from the coursebook each week. During the lectures, we will go through the answers for assignments and further develop understanding of the subject via a teaching.

Learning materials

Lecture material (assignments and slides) available via tuni-moodle.
Pharmacology: Brenner, G. M., Stevens, C. W. & Brenner, G. M. (2018). Pharmacology (Fifth edition.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. (https://andor.tuni.fi/permalink/358FIN_TAMPO/qhe4al/alma9910396394205973)
Requires registration for the clinicalkey-site

Other material given or stated by the teacher.

Student workload

54 hours of studying.

Content scheduling

All of the subjects can be studied from the self-learning material.
1) Basics of pharmacology: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Interactions and harmful side-effects of medication.
2) cardiovascular drugs, hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidaemias, heart failure, and anticoagulant medication
3) antimicrobial drugs: antibiotics, antifungals, and antiviral drugs.
4) respiratory drugs: asthma and COPD
5) gastrointestinal drugs: constipation, diarrhea, antacids and inflammatory bowel diseses
6) metabolic and endocrinologic drugs: diabetes mellitus,
7) medication used in cancer treatment
8) special considerations of medication management concerning pediatric and gerontological patient

Further information

Mandatory Orientation 6.3.20.