AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main goal of the pharmacology course will be to provide the students with the general notions of pharmacokinecs and pharmacodynamics which represent the basis to understand the effects of the different pharmacological classes.

The detail of the pharmacological modulation of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) will be described as paradignatic of the drug modulation of different receptor subtypes and their biological effects. Moreover, the main drugs used during therapy (i.e. NSAID and glucocorticoids) will be described in relationship with their clinical use.
 

The course will provide the student with the following knowledges:
- general concepts of pharmacokinetics;
- general concepts of pharmacodynamics;
- mechanisms of action, biological effects, clinical use, and side effects of the the main drug classes.
The main skills that will be acquired by the students (i.e. the ability of aplly the acquired knowledges) will be:
- the understanding of the basic pharmacology will allow the students to evaluate the drug inteactions with the body mediating their effect, toxicity and elimination;
- the understanding of the main properties of drugs such as NSAIDs and glucocorticoids will allow the students to evalute the pros and cons of their use in different clinical conditions.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching of pharmacology will be performed by frontal lessons

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1) General pharmacology

2) Routes of drug administration, absorption, bioavailability and bioequivalence, distribution and metabolisms of drugs

3) Drug elimination, individual characteristics influencing drug actiuvity and toxicity

4)  Agonism and antagonism, efficacy and potency, therapeutic index. Pharmacoallergy, hydiosincrasy, tollerance, dependence

5) Pharmacological modulation of the sympathetic system

6) Pharmacological modulation of the parasympathetic system

7) NSAIDs

8) Glucocorticoids

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All the slides shown during the frontal lessons will be made available to the students

All the pharmacology textbooks for health professions are suitable to integrate the lessons.

As examples: "Compendio di farmacologia generale e speciale" M. Amico-Roxas, A. Caputi, M. Del Tacca. Ed. Utet Scienze Mediche;

“Farmacologia per le professioni sanitarie”  Anita Conforti, ecc. Ed. Idelson Gnocchi;

" Le basi della farmacologia" M.A. Clark, ecc. Ed. Zanichelli