OVERVIEW

The Course of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy is given in the first semester of the fourth year of the Master's Degree in Pharmacy and is part of the main subjects of the course of study. The course is worth 11 CFU.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with fundamental and in-depth knowledge on the different classes of drugs with regard to their cellular and molecular mechanism(s) of action, and  to other aspects relating to their administration, metabolism, therapeutic actions and toxicity.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

With the course of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, the students of the Master's Degree in Pharmacy will acquire the knowledge regarding the pharmacological effects of the different categories of drugs used in therapy and their application in human pathologies.

This goal will be achieved through updated teaching regarding the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and pharmacological effects of the various classes of drugs, as well as aspects related to their use in the clinic, their adverse effects and contraindications to their use.

The lessons will deal with the various classes of drugs used in clinical practice, organized according to their therapeutic use based on the organs or systems that are the target of their effects. Topics of increasing relevance will also be addressed, including biotechnological drugs and their use, pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics and their impact on the use of drugs in therapy.

PREREQUISITES

The courses of Mathematics, Physics, General and Inorganic Chemistry, Anatomy, Vegetal and Animal Biology, General Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Applied Biochemistry, General Pharmacology and Toxicology are preparatory to the course of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy.

TEACHING METHODS

Face-to face teaching with active learning techniques engaging students with scientific questions and reasonings. Use of the Wooclap platform for interactive student engagement. All the course topics will be illustrated in great detail during the lectures. The teaching materials used during the lectures will be available for students on the AulaWeb portal.

In case face-to-face teaching is not possible due to emergency events (e.g. Covid-19 emergency, hydrogeological emergency), lessons will be given via videoconference using the online Microsoft Teams platform. The teacher will promptly inform students of any change by AulaWeb posts.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Drugs for the therapy of peripheral nervous system diseases

• Peripheral nervous system (autonomic and motor: anatomical and functional organization)
• Acetylcholine (peripheral and central synapse)
• Pharmacology of the cholinergic autonomic system
• Noradrenaline (peripheral and central synapse)
• Pharmacology of the noradrenergic autonomic system
• Drugs for the treatment of glaucoma

Drugs for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system

• Central nervous system (anatomical and functional organization)
• Excitatory and inhibitory transmission (GABA, glutamic acid, glycine, serotonin, dopamine, noradreanlina, peptides, opioids, cannabinoids)
• Drugs for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia
• Drugs for the treatment of epilepsies
• Drugs to treat affective disorders (major depression and bipolar disorder)
• Drugs to treat psychosis (schizophrenia, manias)
• Drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington's Core, Multiple Sclerosis)

Drugs for pain and inflammation therapy

• Opioid and non-opioid analgesic drugs
• Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Drugs for the treatment of neuropathic pain
• Drugs for the treatment of migraine and headache

Drugs for the therapy of respiratory system diseases

• Drugs for the treatment of bronchial asthma
• Drugs for the treatment of cough

Drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases

• Drugs for the treatment of peptic ulcer
• Drugs for the treatment of emesis
• Drugs for the treatment of constipation
• Drugs for the treatment of diarrhea

Drugs for the therapy of diseases of the cardiovascular system

• Drugs for the treatment of ischemic heart disease
• Drugs for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias
• Drugs for the treatment of heart failure
• Antiplatelet / fibrinolytic, anticoagulant, thrombolytic drugs
• Drugs for the treatment of anemia
• Drugs for the treatment of bleeding
• Diuretic drugs
• Drugs for the treatment of hypertension

Drugs for the therapy of metabolic dysfunctions

• Drugs for the treatment of diabetes
• Drugs for the treatment of dyslipidemia
• Drugs for the treatment of obesity

Biotechnological drugs

• Characteristics of biotechnological drugs
• Production and purification of biotechnological drugs
• Functional categories
• Bioequivalent and biosimilar drugs
• Biotechnological drugs in oncology
• Biotechnological drugs in hematology
• Biotechnological drugs in inflammation and autoimmune diseases

Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics

• Polymorphisms and mutations
• Pharmacogenetics and variability of the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic response to drugs
• Pharmacogenetics of the catecholaminergic system
• Pharmacogenetics of the serotonergic system
• Pharmacogenetics of the opioid system
• Pharmacogenetics of the chemokinergic system
• Pharmacogenetics of the peptidegic system

“The Pharmacy of Services”: the new role in the INHS

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Recommended textbooks

Laurence L. Brunton, Randa Hilal-Dandan, Bjorn C. Knollmann.

Goodmann & Gilman. The pharmacological basis of therapy

Editor: McGraw-Hill Education

Derek G. Waller, Andrew G. Renwick, Keith Hillier

Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Editor: Elsevier

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ERNESTO FEDELE (President)

ANNA MARIA PITTALUGA

TIZIANA BONIFACINO (Substitute)

CHIARA CERVETTO (Substitute)

MASSIMO GRILLI (Substitute)

MARCO MILANESE (Substitute)

LUCA RAITERI (Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The course of  Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy involves an oral examination of a duration of approximately 30 min. 

To take the exam, students must have passed the exam of the following disciplines: Mathematics, Physics, General and Inorganic Chemistry, Anatomy, Vegetal and Animal Biology, General Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Applied Biochemistry, General Pharmacology and Toxicology.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment of learning outcomes will be carried out during the oral examination by evaluating the student's competence on the different topics of the course program, the use of appropriate scientific terminology and capabilities of scientific reasoning.

Exam schedule